B-17’s Topic at March Field Air Museum by Patricia Korzec - City News Group, Inc.

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B-17’s Topic at March Field Air Museum

By Patricia Korzec, Community Writer
August 13, 2014 at 01:20pm. Views: 55

March Field Air Museum will present a briefing by WWII veteran Ken Wright RAF Navigator (Ret). Flight Lieutenant Ken Wright will speak on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and its use by the Royal Air Force during the early years of World War II. The B-17 was the centerpiece of the U.S. strategic bombing campaign in Europe. The four-engine heavy bomber carried an impressive 5,000 to 8,000 pound bomb load and an extensive defensive armament of up to 13 .50 caliber heavy machine guns. Designed to operate in massive formations, squadrons of B-17s took advantage of inter-locking fields of fire to drive off attacking enemy fighters. Equipped with precision Norden bombsights, B-17’s and their sister ship the B-24 dropped over 640,000 pounds of high explosives and incendiary bombs on targets in the enemy heartland during the war. March Field Air Museum has in its collection the World War II command aircraft of aviation pioneer and legendary military leader General Ira Eaker. General Eaker, the former Commander of the 34th and 17th Pursuit Squadrons at March Field, began the Second World War as the commander of the 8th Air Force in England. In 1944, he was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. His personal transport B-17G 44-6393 "Starduster" has been recently restored to its original nose art by the March Field Air Museum. Ken Wright flew for 20 years in the Royal Air Force. During WWII, he flew in Halifax bombers; during the Berlin Airlift he flew in York Transports. He also flew in Mosquito Night Fighters, Jets, and flew with US Marine Corps at El Toro on Exchange Duty. “Ken’s discussions are always spirited and full of interesting stories. He is one of those speakers you will never forget,” says Museum Director Patricia Korzec.” The lecture is free with paid museum admission. Regular museum admission is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 5 to 11.

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