B-17 with Studebaker engines

[Okiejoe86]

Beautiful B-17 made a visit to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum this weekend. I asked and was given permission to take a few pictures in front of it. One of the crew members showed me the name plates on the engines and how they were built by Studebaker. Pretty awesome!

[mch]

thank you for sharing, really wonderful
Mark

[Silverplate]

Very neat photo opportunity. Your Studebaker looks awesome…Mike

[fpstude]

Studebaker manufactured almost 63,000 Cyclone engines for the B-17.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Studebaker manufactured almost 63,000 Cyclone engines for the B-17.

While I'm not 100% sure on this, since I wasn't there ! I do believe the correct word would be "assembled", NOT "manufactured". Completely different words / meanings.
The word "manufactured", indicates machining, welding, fitting, any plating, AND assembly etc.
The info that I've read over the years and the guys that I've asked the question to at the air shows, seems to come back the same, "assembled". Which means, by the dictionary, "put together".

Studebaker did no actual, "machining" of any engine parts. They MAY have done some touch-up machining on questionable, more simple parts that did not require specific tooling.
Sounds very reasonable, as to provide everyone that did any subassembly or full assembly the full custom tooling that would be required to machine most every part in those engines would cost the war effort, a huge fortune.

Still...doing the "assembly" on those engines was no small feat. A good amount of time and effort was required for a full engine assembly.

Mike

[rockne10]

"Sentimental Journey" is a B-17 built near the end of the war and, while never seeing combat, did do its service.
Now owned by the Arizona Commemorative Air force. https://commemorativeairforce.org/aircraft/1

She has visited our local airport a couple of times and, on one occasion, I took a number of photos and videos.
This one of the Serial Plate on her engine #3.


Twenty-three years ago (6/6/98) our Keystone Region Chapter assembled to visit the Reading, Pennsylvania air show.
There was a flyover of a Blackbird, uncommon at that time; but the highlight was the presence of two B-17s; now no longer a common occurrence.
It was a weekend show but we were only there for the day, and I was the last one of our group there to watch their departure in formation.
Seeing the two flying side by side invoked the imagined image of what Berlin might have seen when hundreds darkened her skies.

[Avantidon]

Brad,

Great post as that was a memorial day in Reading seeing two B*17's together. Only if could have taken a video of them leaving the field

[rockne10]

Only if could have taken a video of them leaving the field

Yep!
But I was still using the Agfa Isolette my dad bought in Germany in 1951. Great camera though.


It would be another two decades before I was brought kicking and screaming in to the world of digital imaging.
I still don't own any vehicles newer than a quarter century. Even my riding mower is 45 years old.

And, just for the record, we noted those engines, just like their smaller cousins, also mark their territory.
We were told each engine leaks a couple gallons of oil per flight. Evidence obvious under each cowling, as Randy is pointing out here.