Postage Stamp Planes PS5413-1
Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress Diecast Model
USAAF 97th BG, 342nd BS, #41-9032 My Gal Sal, Greenland, June 27th, 1942 |
| 1:155 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress | | 5.75" | | 8" |
My Gal Sal is a B-17E-BO Flying Fortress whose pilot was forced to land it on the Greenland icecap during World War II. Many years later, it was recovered and taken to the USA to be restored. It is one of only three intact B-17E's in existence.
On 27 June 1942, B-17E, 41-9032 - part of the 342nd Bomb Squadron of the 97th Bomb Group - was one of 13 B-17s flying the Labrador-to-Greenland leg of a ferry flight to the United Kingdom as part of Operation Bolero, the military build-up in Europe. Inclement weather broke up the flight; five B-17s returned to Labrador, while the remainder continued on to Greenland. Over Greenland three of the aircraft were forced to land by the weather, including My Gal Sal.
The airplane's propellers were damaged by the landing, which kept the engines from being run to generate power needed to use the radio. It took an entire day, but the crew cut off the tips of one of the propellers so that an engine could be run and they were able to make contact. The aircraft's crew camped in the B-17 for nine days until a rescue airplane could arrive. They had to hike the 26 miles to a lake where the rescue airplane had been able to land.
The aircraft was abandoned, not to be seen again until a 1964 overflight by a USAF reconnaissance aircraft. At that time, My Gal Sal appeared to be intact. Thirty-one years later, My Gal Sal was recovered from the ice, although high winds had flipped the plane completely over and damaged it. The plane was restored to a static configuration at Cincinnati-Blue Ash Airport in Cincinnati and is now part of the collection of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Designed to meet a US Army Air Corps requirement for a multi-engined bomber to replace the B-10, the B-17 first flew on July 18, 1935. Best known for its role in the US Army Air Forces' daylight strategic bombing campaign during World War II, the B-17 could fly high and had a long range, and was capable of defending itself from enemy fighters. It was also tough, withstanding extensive battle damage, and was capable of carrying a 6,000 lb bombload. The B-17 became one of the symbols of Allied air power, equipping 32 overseas combat groups and dropping a total of 580,631 metric tons of bombs on European targets. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The "Postage Stamp Planes" range presents affordable, ready-made diecast models of military and civilian aircraft.
"Postage Stamp Planes" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Authentic ordnance loads.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
