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Friday, January 6, 2006 12:00 AM

Ask the pilot

A catalog of horrors: Wings falling off, gashed fuselages, and sensationalist bloggers.
By Patrick Smith

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  • Friday, January 6, 2006 06:55 AM

    Probably B-24, not B-17

    B-17s have a wide chord and deep wing structure and were famous for coming back with big chunks of their wings missing. The B-24, on the other hand, have a long narrow efficient wing which was notorious for folding under damage. A friend won, I think, the Silver Star for getting the crew out of his damaged B-24 when the pilot froze. They had an engine and wing on fire and had to get out before the wing collapsed.

    —Felix Read Felix's other letters

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