Last Surviving WW2 Heavy Bombers

In this video, we examine how many iconic WW2 Allied and Axis heavy bombers still exist and how many are still flying.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
Help support my channel:
www.paypal.me/...
/ markfeltonproductions
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: The National Archives; Library of Congress; Aviation Today; P47Koji; Matthew Sepersky; West Virginia International Yeager Airport; Mark Dennehy; Wonkabar007; MCC716; Air Jeffrey; Archives New Zealand; Donald Von Raesfeld; Peter Elliott; Clemens Vasters; Tequask; Rob Schleiffert; Hugh Llewelyn; MJ Richardson; Aeroprint.com (Wikipedia); JustSomePics; Chris Robertshaw; Oren Rozen; Alan Wilson

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Heinkel III medium or heavy? Lots of you think I've made an error terming the He III a heavy bomber. I haven't. It is clearly listed as 'heavy' in multiple publications, including Ron MacKay's 2003 book on this aircraft. I admit that in comparison with later Allied heavy bombers, it carries a smaller bomb load, but the classification predates these later planes. Secondly, many have pointed out the lack of flying boat bombers included in this video - I intend to make a separate video on this special classification of heavy maritime bomber in the future, so I hope you look forward to that.

[@locutus155]

Ok, the next question has to be: "If you add any surviving CASA 2-111's to the list of surviving He 111's, how many would there be? And how many would be airworthy?"

[@randyreese6413]

Dr., I wonder if you’ve ever seen the movie “Last Flight of Noah’s Arc” about a B-29 in the 80s??

[@QwadBhoy7]

Brilliant video as always

[@lapurta22]

At the beginning of the war it was a heavy. By the end, not so much.

[@TroysMilitaryHistory]

Hi Mark, long time member, great video BUT! I have 12 books on the He 111, and all of them classify it as a medium bomber

[@augustusimperator.avi1872]

Me, a grown man, have shed a tear on that no survivor list, and that's ok.

[@silverdrillpickle7596]

This is a true statement. 🫡

[@toetsenbordridder]

Lol

[@BELCAN57]

I'm NOT crying! Someone is chopping onions.......

[@Dangerous1906]

Ditto

[@k.s.nichols4060]

A worthy weeping.

[@RevMikeBlack]

Watching your extinct bomber roll call really moved me. It's Veterans Day in America and I'm reminded that practically none of the brave young men who flew those planes are still with us. I'm a retired United Methodist pastor who served as a National Guard chaplain during Desert Storm. I've had the profound honor to be of service & comfort to many of those old fighters in their final hours and I've laid many to rest in our national cemeteries. On this day of remembrance, I pray that everyone will take a moment and give thanks for the brave men and women who gave their lives for your freedom before you even took your first breath.

[@stevetournay6103]

I was at a service today at which individual World War II vets were recognized to thunderous applause. Youngest was 97, eldest 103. This was at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Canada, home to one of the two flying Lancasters, which was in the air during the ceremonies.

[@Dangerous1906]

🫡🫡

[@frostyfrost4094]

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

[@themightiestofbooshes9443]

Thank you for your service and godspeed. 07

[@sjsomething4936]

@@stevetournay6103 I was at the Cenotaph in Stoney Creek, the Lanc flies over our house when it’s out on a run as it did today. My understanding is that it went to Brantford and then back to Hamilton and the airport for the ceremonies. Not sure if you’ve read the book A Bridge Too Far, it’s the true story of Operation Market Garden, which I’m sure Dr. Felton has covered before in some manner. Anyway, the day the operation began there were hundreds of Lancsasters, Mitchell’s etc taking off from airfields in southern England. With just the one flying overhead, you can imagine how thunderous it must have been with hundreds taking wing together. May they rest in peace, glory to our fallen heroes and a lifetime debt of gratitude for their service.

[@hotel283]

One of those airworthy Lancasters is in Canada. It frequently flies over my home in downtown Toronto. The sound of those engines is magical.

[@kenm5787]

I heard it this morning over Niagara.

[@stevetournay6103]

​@@kenm5787Yes, she was in the air for Remembrance Day flyovers...

[@diegoferreiro9478]

I remember It well when I lived in Toronto.

[@nozecone]

There is a 'non-airworthy' one on display in Windsor; quite a big occasion when it was mounted, back around 1970 or so, IIRC.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Thought Canada had TWO flying examples?

[@ScruffyBoyBlue]

My late great grandfather served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was a navigator, observer and pathfinder and flew raids over the third reich in an Avro Lancaster. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service, and was an absolute inspiration. Glad to see the Lancs were mentioned on this list.

[@josephnardone1250]

A salute to your Great Grandfather from an Honorably Discharged Veteran of the US Army and whose father served as a tanker in the US Army in WWII and fought with British troops. Your grandfather like my father were members of "The Greatest Generation."

[@richardforrest8134]

Do you still have his DFC?

[@martin7955]

Poor lads fought against each other was madness look at europe now ,mullahs and africans

[@TheWolfsnack]

My wife's father was Pilot Officer Norman Botting, a Dambuster navigator, lost over Belsen in September of 1943 interred at Reichsawald.

[@stephencox4224]

I guess I am one of the very few people these days that has actually been inside one of Avro's finest and to fly and fight in one I salute all who did, It was one of the narrowest most cramped aircraft I have ever been inside the Bomb Bay is huge and getting around in one in flight took nerve and courage if you had to go past the bomb bay to check on the personnel in the rear of the AC. The cockpit was a little better but the flight deck was still cramped when all said and done you really have to be inside to appreciate what they flew and fought in back then.

[@DK-gy7ll]

What's a terrible shame is the fact that we've lost three airworthy B-17s in the last 12 years due to accidents.

[@petershaver5006]

Accident or incompetence?

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

Outside that timeframe, one was lost in a take off accident at RAF Binbrook during filming of the Memphis Belle. That's four .

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

@@crazybrit-nasafanthat name rings a bell (no pun intended) what’s the movie about?

[@moappleseider1699]

@@goldenfiberwheat238 The first crew in the 8th Air Force to complete 25 missions so they can go home.

[@moappleseider1699]

@@goldenfiberwheat238 Its a great movie even though it was made in 1991. The practical effects (mostly) hold up today.

[@phillipellis2119]

On this Veterans Day in America, I'm remembering my Dad and his generation. Dad was a radio operator/gunner on a B-17 with the 379th Bomber Group. We just discovered he received three bronze stars among his commendations. He never mentioned his exploits. Thank you, veterans, for saving us from fascism. And thank you, Mark, for keeping critical history alive.

[@josephstevens9888]

Typical of WW2 veterans. They answered the call to arms, served the nation honorably, and returned home to build their lives without any mention of their wartime experiences. My brother-in-law's father served as an infantryman with the 3rd Infantry Division. He participated in combat in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, where he received his "million dollar" wound at Anzio. I have no doubt if he wasn't wounded he would have participated in the Invasion of Southern France. He never spoke about his experiences to my brother-in-law or his siblings, but later in life he opened up to me (I think he felt comfortable around me since I was serving in the military myself at the time). I bet your Dad would have no doubt had some interesting stories to tell! Take care and good luck.

[@cameronkedas3375]

My great gpa was a paratrooper in the 504-82nd Airborne in WWII at Sicily, mainland Italy (Naples-Foggia Campaign), and Anzio. He was transferred to the 101st Airborne and parachuted into Normandy and later Holland as part of Market-Garden. He was ordered to Bastogne with the rest of the 101st in the Battle of the Bulge. He entered Germany as part of the Central European Campaign in 1945. After the war he became an Army railroad operator and stayed in Europe until 1947 or ‘48. He came home with a Walther P-38 and a Luger which I got to shoot goth of them when I visited my grandparents two years ago. I remember the Luger having a lot of recoil and jammed after 3 shots. The P-38 was a lot smoother and I liked it better than the Luger. In my Native American tribe, the Choctaw Tribe, one guy was a tail gunner on a B-17 and flew over 54 missions over Europe. His brother is known to be the first man on Omaha Beach serving with 2nd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. Van T Barfoot, another Choctaw, earned the Medal of Honor fighting at Anzio with the 45th Infantry Division. He was apart of the 3rd Infantry Division sometime after his service in WWII. You can look him up if you want to. There are a lot of Choctaw Indians that served in the military and another started the Native American Warpaint & Mohawk look adopted by the 1st Demo Section in the 101st Airborne. Congratulations if you made it this far in my comment that was a lot.

[@kevinlutz5994]

My uncles were tail gunners.

[@bryansammis998]

My late dad was a radar navigator/bombardier on a B-17F/G with the 482nd BG. See that brought a tear to my eye!🥲

[@kawythowy867]

Wow. No kidding. Amazing story. Thanks for sharing.

[@Ksweetpea]

I had the opportunity to ride in a B-17 at a local military airshow, which was super awesome and fun, but what made it absolutely incredible was one of the other passengers. He was a belly gunner in ww2 and hadn't been in a B-17 since he came home from the war. He was 96

[@terrym3837]

Based at Alconbury during WW2 and USAF still there

[@bryansammis998]

@@Ksweetpea many years before dad died, we were at an air show and we saw a B-17F/G flying and eventually land. Dad listened to it engines like a love song! When they shut off the engines and people were filing to it, dad came up to it and started caressing the fuselage. I saw a man in love ❤️🥲👍

[@bryansammis998]

@@terrym3837 right 😉👍

[@CloveDiary]

It's crazy because since it's Rembrance Day/week, one of the 2 airworthy Lancasters you mentioned has been flying around my city here in Canada for the past week and I would've never thought of it's significance til now. Lest We Forget. Thanks Dr. Felton.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

From 🇬🇧 : I thought Canada had x2 flying examples, one of which flew over here a few years back and which, in accompany of the BoB flight example, overflew the air ready example at East Kirkby airfield, (Whitehall strictures, paper pushing document multipliers, ever keeping her ON the ground).

[@FilthyTheDog1]

@@suzyqualcast6269 Only one is flying in Canada at the moment and that's the one from the Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. I heard rumours that there's supposed to be another being restored somewhere in Canada, possibly at Trenton, but whether that will be a static display (together with their Halifax) or a flightworthy example, I'm not sure without delving deeper. The one that flew in the UK is the one from Hamilton and the British Lancaster she flew with was the one from the BoB Memorial Flight.

[@grmcdorman]

It's my understanding that the other Lanc being restored - the one said to be a few years from flying status - is in Britain. I have not heard of one in Trenton.

[@fus149hammer5]

​@@grmcdormanYes, Just Jane at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre will hopefully take to the air again in the next few years.

[@geecee2526]

I do believe a group is attempting to build a second airworthy Lanc in Canada.

[@StarWarsandStockCars]

A few years ago, I was working in my yard when I heard what sounded like a large helicopter flying low. I looked up and, to my astonishment, saw a B-24 Liberator flying overhead with all 4 engines running. It is absolutely amazing to see a WW2 heavy bomber in flight.

[@gplutt]

Are you in Seattle? I was going to say the exact same thing. I have seen B-17s many times (relatively), but that Liberator flying low over my house gave me goosebumps.

[@StarWarsandStockCars]

@gplutt I'm in Virginia. It was a good 7 to 8 years ago. Was flying a little above treetop level. I imagine it was heading to an air show.

[@spikespa5208]

Those old radials have such a distinctive sound. Even an old Stearman going over gets my attention.

[@jonbowman7686]

It is amazing! A few years ago I unexpectedly saw a B29 flying over Boise, Idaho and quickly googled it, finding it was only one of 2 B29s in existence. It was also flying alongside a WWII fighter plane. Possibly a P51, but can't remember for certain.

[@Aethelgeat]

I looked up September of last year and saw a B-17 in profile. That Boeing tail is quite distinctive, even at a distance. I then found out they were visiting the local airport and offering rides (for a price) along with a B-25. I opted for the B-25, which turned out to be the more fun ride as the pilot did several strafing runs over a nearby reservoir. These folks were CAF out of Arizona.

[@i_____am_____realitybroski6421]

I live near a plane crash that occurred on Achill Island on June 16, 1950. The plane was a converted Handley Page Halifax Bomber operated by the RAF and was on a routine meteorological survey. The aircraft headed due South along the coast of Mayo, but due to thick fog the aircraft crashed into Croaghan Mountain I’ve climbed up only recently and only the engines remain, all 8 crew members died.

[@J.C...]

I live near an atomic bomb crash/event. A plane from the local AFB was taking off and crashed past the end of the runway with at least 1 bomb on board. I don't recall the exact details. They apparently buried everything where the crash was. I'd have to look the year up. It was the late 40s or early 50s I believe.

[@J.C...]

It was 1959. A C124 Globemaster II crashed with atomic weapons on board. They buried the wreckage and kept it a secret for over 50 years. They had the area protected by men with automatic rifles and traffic was backed up for miles, they say.

[@cocaine9148]

I stole the apples from. Some three. In 1996. I thought no one ovns the tree.. But it's nothing.. It was different times. 💔

[@i_____am_____realitybroski6421]

@@cocaine9148 I think you should have laid off the cocaine rather than naming yourself after it.

[@legendofman12]

@@cocaine9148You should either stop drugs or start taking them

[@toughspitfire]

The first picture of the Halifax is from the Museum in my hometown of Trenton, Ontario. It was actually a varient used to drop supplies to resistance groups in Europe rather than a conventional bomber, which is why it doesn't have a top turret. It crashed in a lake during a mission in which only the tail gunner survived and remained there until I believe the 90's when it was raised. It eventually made its way to the RCAF museum in Trenton where it was slowly restored almost completely through volunteer work.

[@nozecone]

I just made a post inspired by that Halifax.

[@grmcdorman]

@@MrDaiseymay That Lanc is now one of the two flying ones; it's owned by the Canadian Warplane Museum. Call sign VRA ("Vera"). The shots of the flying Lancs in Mark's video are of the time it made trip to Britain a number of years back and flew with the other flying Lanc, which is owned by the RAF.

[@johnanon6938]

Two of them flying together happened in 2014 over the skys of the UK and it was the first time 2 Lancasters flew together in 50 years. Also "Vera" did a fly-pass over cenotaph's in the Kitchener-Waterloo area today for the Remembrance Day ceremonies.

[@sarge245]

​@@grmcdormanVRA is a Mk X that was on display in front of the Legion in Goderich Ontario until 1977, finally being restored to flying condition in 1988. The Lanc that was on display at the Toronto waterfront was FM104, which is now undergoing restoration in Victoria BC.

[@toughspitfire]

@@grmcdorman I've seen it fly sometimes when I'm up in the Niagara region. You can actually pay to ride in it but its crazy expensive.

[@jonathanenglish9146]

My grandfather T/Sgt.Wilmot Chamberlain was a flight engineer and waist gunner on a B-17 until his aircraft was shot down over Verona Italy. He spent 13 months as a POW until he was liberated by a British unit. He was awarded two Air Medals and a Purple Heart in addition the normally service medals given to soldiers in European Theater.

[@miketeeveedub5779]

I was very fortunate to have seen and heard one of the last flying Lancasters here in Canada for an local airshow. The 4 Merlin engines made a wonderous cacophony of sound that shook the glass windows of the nearby office budlings. Magnificent song by a magnificent aircraft - glad I was there to experience it!

[@stevetournay6103]

She was in the air today for the Remembrance Day ceremonies at CWH.

[@Dorgpoop]

I saw one of them up close only the other week doing a flyover of Nottingham castle.

[@Tomeohara]

I get to see that beauty all the time. She literally flys right over my home.

[@pfdrtom]

Thank you for keeping history alive, Dr. Felton. On weekends when my son and his two sons are around we watch your videos and discuss things. I wonder if you ever imagined your work would be cause for generations of a family to sit together and talk about the stories you tell. Thank you from Mason, Texas.

[@michaelmangano1732]

One Liberator is being restored in Melbourne, Australia. I visited the volunteer museum and team rebuilding it a couple of months ago.

[@markwebster4996]

Yankee Lady, a flying B-17 now from Willow Run airport in MI! Still giving rides and flying at many US airshows. A real beauty! The 2 B-17s that crashed in the last decade were tragic losses.

[@lapurta22]

So good to know she is still flying, The Yankee Air Force deserves a unit commendation!

[@scottrae7473]

The Lancaster at the warplane heritage museum in Hamilton Ontario Canada flies quite regularly, and is in the air on remembrance day every year. Its a wonderful bird and the sound of 4 Rolls Royce merlin engines is unmistakeable!

[@robertpearson8798]

One of the two flying Lancs flew over my house this morning just as the two minutes of silence was ending at the ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. I’m lucky to see and hear it flying several times each summer and I’ve been inside of it twice.

[@chadlegionary3748]

Being a proud resident of Hamilton, home of the Canadian Lancaster, I am overjoyed to see it presented in this video. Thanks mark for another amazing video!

[@craigw.scribner6490]

Thanks, Dr. Felton. It's hard to believe we've lost two B-17's in the past few years, along with most of their crews and passengers.

[@snotnosewilly99]

Felton list 4 airworthy B-17s.....one crashed in 2019 due to pilot error and one crashed in 2022 an airshow midair with a P-63 WW2 fighter. 12,000 were chopped up and melted down to make a small gob of aluminum.

[@traveldoc1234]

The Nine-0-Nine. 😥

[@turdferguson4124]

It’s hard to believe there are only 4 B-17’s in flying condition. I would have guessed there were 10-15 flying B-17’s. Tragically, many B-17s have been lost in crashes.

[@Masterfighterx]

@@snotnosewilly99Last years crash was the P-63 pilot being incompetent going off course

[@blue95m3]

I mourn the loss of Nine-O-Nine and Texas Raiders. There are some others that will be airworthy in the near future after they get restored or their wing spars replaced so hopefully we will see more in the air soon. as info, the P-63 pilot was not incompetent, the airboss controlling the display was and told TR to move into the slot where the P-63 was in too. As the P-63 was banking the B-1 was completely invisible (basically underneath the belly). It was a tragic and preventable accident that can be blamed by someone on the ground.

[@dianeduffcroop8158]

I live here in Seattle Washington about 30 miles south of Everett where the Boeing B-17 and B-29s were built. Occasionally we'll see one flying for an air show in the area. Beautiful plane and really loud! My parents were both World War II veterans and my mom was part of a WAC unit that ferried B-17s from the Everett plant down to Southern California for deployment to the Pacific. To her dying breath, she loved her B-17s!

[@coldcommander5023]

I had the pleasure of being able to ride about "FIFI" about 2yrs ago. It was a fantastic experience that I shared with a Korean War veteran who told us he had been a tail gunner during the war. It was a great ride and a gorgeous aircraft!

[@erikverstrepen3373]

Those Lancasters 😍. That sound,….memorable indeed

[@GoBlueGirl78]

I love it! I hear it all the time!

[@nozecone]

When my father (RCAF) and I visited the air-force museum in Trenton, Ontario, and saw a Halifax on display there, I asked him if he had ever flown in one. He said no - then said, "I did once: when the war had just ended, I caught a lift across the channel from France in one. In the tail-gunner's seat." RIP, Dad, and thanks for doing your part ......

[@TheChonaman]

Thanks as always, Mark. These feats of aeronautical engineering, despite their frightful purposes, deserve to be remembered.

[@fazole]

The sound of the radial engines on a B-17 are awe inspiring and then imagine HUNDREDS of them flying on their way to Germany. I had the privilege to experience about 20 B-25s come in for landing during a commemoration of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. It was breathtaking. The roar of just those 20, a few hundred yards away, forced you to shout to be heard by your neighbor!

[@paulhoffman6371]

Almost every day I see the Martin Bomber Plant now part of Offutt Air Force Base, Bellevue, NE. Last year the remaining WWII taxiway between Building D and the active runway was removed.

[@larsrons7937]

2:10 - No. 8. - Boing B17 Flying Fortress - 12.731 built, 45 survivors, 4 still airworthy. 2:45 - No. 7. - Boing B29 Superfortress - 3.970 built, 22 survivors, 2 still airworthy. 3:12 - No. 6. - Avro Lancaster - 7.377 built, 17 survivors, 2 still airworthy (plus 2 more in taxable condition). 3:48 - No. 5. - Consolidated B24 Liberator - 18.188 built, 13 survivors, 2 still airworthy. 4:27 - No. 4. - Heinkel He-111 - 6.508 built, 5 survivors, none airworthy (only counting German built). 5:03 - No. 3. - Avro Lincoln - 604 built, 4 survivors, none airworthy. 5:34 - No. 2. - Handley Page Halifax - 6.176 built, 3 survivors, none airworthy. 6:03 - No. 1. - Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 Marsupiale - 727 built, 1 exists (as static exhibit in museum). Heavy bombers _not_ in the video, as none are surviving intact: _Short Stirling, Heinkel He-177, CANT Z.1007 Alcione, Consolidated B-32 Dominator, Dornier Do-217, Farman F220, Mitsubishi Ki-21 'Sally', Mitsubishi Ki-67 'Peggy', Nakajima Ki-49 'Helen', Petlyakov Pe-8, Piaggio P.108, Vickers Warwick, Armstrong-WHitworth Whitley._

[@garyfasso6223]

B-25's? I remember quite a few at the Air Museum in Ontario, CA in the late 70's, still with the "Catch 22" paint.

[@larsrons7937]

@@garyfasso6223 Interesting, thanks for sharing the info. The B-25 Mitchell was considered a medium bomber (thus not included in this video).

[@garyfasso6223]

@@larsrons7937 That thought crossed my mind... until I saw the 111.

[@mcgarrettsmerc]

On this US Veterans Day, I am privileged to be able to say I have flown in a B-17, B-24 and B-29 and each was a profoundly breathtaking experience that I will never forget. Freedom isn’t free. You need to sacrifice, you need to pay a price for your liberty.

[@alexander1485]

if you didn't get pictures or videos or both, then it will only be remembered in the head.

[@outofturn331]

I had to bribe the jail guards

[@RedXlV]

It's kind of shocking how few surviving B-24s there are, seeing as it was the most-produced heavy bomber by far.

[@frankanderson4176]

I've wondered that, too. The B-17 seemed to get much more notoriety, perhaps why fewer B-24s were saved.

[@docvideo93]

@@frankanderson4176 The Imperial War Museum KZbin channel did a wonderful video on the B-24. There were complaints about it be a tough aircraft to handle. The video will describe more.

[@timorvet1]

I think its because at the end of the war it was dropped from the inventory almost overnight and scrapped, as there was no real post-war use for it. Unlike the B-17 which soldiered on in many military roles and later civilian use which accounts for many of the survivors today.

[@markfinlay422]

It's amazing that any of these planes are still airworthy. A huge amount of work is required not only to repair them in the first place - basically building a new aircraft from scratch - but also keeping them in the air. Amazing.

[@kemperdurand7801]

I’ve had the honor of being in two of the flying planes you highlighted: a B-17 and a B-24. Thank you for your consistently awesome videos!

[@IgN5P]

Two rare wrecks have been found in the Trondheim fjord in Norway recently. One of them is a true rarity, that there were made less than 10 of: A transporter Blohm & Voss BV 222, six engines, 46 metres wing span.

[@theWanderersnotebook]

In regards to the section on the Avro Lancaster there is one at the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, Alberta that occasionally does engine runs and has been painstakingly restored to her former glory through the efforts of the museum and history buffs in Nanton.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Sounds similar to to the Lincs East Kirkby example, readied for air service since the 98 Rivets Appeal.

[@Whitpusmc]

I thought several of the bombers on this list are medium bombers vs heavy. But a very good video, thanks.

[@terrym3837]

Two Lancs flying and one I know of close to flying

[@theWanderersnotebook]

@@terrym3837 That would be something to witness in person.

[@bandwagon240]

My late grandfather was an Army Airforce pilot and flew a lot of the bombers both Allied and captured Axis. Always so nice to see the planes he talked about when I was a kid in a video.

[@ryanwalters5290]

A flight museum really close to where I live, Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas, has a surviving He-111/CASA. It also has a Spanish-built Me-109, both in excellent condition. Beautiful aircraft!

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I was lucky enough to see the BoBMF and Canadian Lancasters flying together in 2014. They flew west to east down the Calder Valley where I live, before turning and heading in the direction of the Derbyshire dams where the Dam Busters practiced for their famous raid. The sound of eight Merlins together was something I'll never forget. Hoping to see Just Jane return to the air and hear that sound again !

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Wasn't that the visiting Canadian example in flight with the BoB flight Lanc? That same time said pair overflew East Kirkby where the airfields own Just Jayne has remained ready to fly WITH them, but, seemingly ever grounded by continual Ministry new, new, new, ministrations.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

@@suzyqualcast6269 Yes, it was. I had no idea they were going to be in the area, and I was in the attic when I heard _that_ sound. My first thought was "Merlin ?". Then "More than one Merlin ???". Then "LOTS of Merlins !!!" Sticking my head out of the attic window I was greeted by the sight of the Lancasters flying down the valley, close enough to make out the crews in the cockpits. 😊

[@borderlands6606]

The Battle of Britain flight including the Lancaster used to perform low passes over summer fetes and galas well into the C21st. They haven't done this for some years and I assume it's now forbidden for the safety of aircrew and observers. In my teenage years I had a girlfriend whose mother was a driver for top brass at a US airbase in Britain during WW2. She had some fascinating stories.

[@Trek001]

@@Kevin-mx1vi You should have heard *NINE* Merlins as a Hurricane did a recon flight to assess the conditions before hand I watched it from the left of the Dam and to see two Lancs flying at low level on the final flypast with their engines at full power was a sight I will never forget - I remember it not just for the sight but also the many car alarms that were set off

[@davidreichert9392]

Those of us in Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe area are regularly treated to the sight of one of the Lancs (known as VeRA) flying along the shore of Lake Ontario, and it makes a regular annual appearance at the CNE airshow. I would love nothing more than to see the still airworthy Lanc in the UK come over to fly alongside as VeRA did in the UK a few years ago. Lest we forget.

[@tonydagostino6158]

I happen to live in Midland Texas, where the Commemorative Air Force is HQ'd, when the B-29 Fifi was undergoing an extensive restoration. I recall being absolutely blown away by the garbage-can size of each piston in those monster engines. We saw her in the skies over Midland many times

[@ericawollmuth5055]

Wright R-3350's on a B-29.

[@dungeonrat]

Mark you produce some of the finest historical videos around. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@mattkaustickomments]

As a teen, I climbed to the roof of our 2 story house and watched B-29 “FiFi” fly fairly low overhead on her way to land at a local air show. It was an amazing experience. My dad got to ride on one of the remaining B-17s a few years ago, another amazing experience.

[@MrHiBeta]

Has any bomber served longer than the B-52? True, not a WWII aircraft, but to this day, continues to serve in significant numbers.

[@nicholai1008]

The IL-28 is still used by North Korea. It first flew in 1948, predating the B-52 by four years.

[@MrHiBeta]

@@nicholai1008 might want to check dates of first flight for each aircraft

[@nicholai1008]

@@MrHiBetaFair enough, I guess I just misremembered. The IL-28 still stands.

[@Trek001]

@@nicholai1008 If you want to be really bloody minded, the Lancaster in the BBMF has it since it never officially left RAF service since it was taken "on strength" at 1.25pm on May 31st 1945 so that must take the trophy to mount above the Officer's Mess at an impressive 78 years, 5 months, 11 days as of today's date

[@paulpowell4871]

Love the BUFF. fitted her out with Jamming Systems from 1989- 2016 Love that bird

[@alanjones6359]

My dad served in bomber command in a Halifax, few years back we visited Hendon Air museum we were looking at the Heiknel dad cheekily stepped over the rope went up the ladder on the bottom of the aircraft said I've always wanted a look inside one of these!

[@stephenschroeder6567]

Thank you for this well done presentation. I had the privilege of flying in a B-17 (the Nine O Nine) operated by the Collings Foundation on 27 September 2019. It was a magnificent experience. It was shocking and immensely sad to learn that same plane crashed and burned just a few days later on a similar flight out of Bradley International Airport in Connecticut with significant loss of life. I cannot help but think of how close I might have come to my last day on my flight.

[@jthbjr]

I had the opportunity to fly in a B-17. One of my clients had given money to an air museum and he got 3 slots to fly from San Antonio Texas to Austin. Just seeing the plane circle and land was amazing. On take off I sat in the radioman's seat. After we were at 2500 feet we could move around. Most people got air sick so my associate and I were able to spend a lot of time in the nose cone bomber's seat. The bomb sight was still optically operational. I was able to look through the bomb sight as we flew. Wow. That will never happen again. It was the Collins Foundation plane which has since crashed. In 1970 the US Army gave me the opportunity to take off but not land in another historic plane, a C-119 (The Flying Boxcar).

[@johnmark0312]

Get rid of Ancient Aliens and get this gent on the History Channel! Thank you sir!

[@hennrysmustache]

There were 5 B17s until an air collision las year in Dallas resulted in its destruction and total loss of crew for both aircraft involved. Truly a sad event 😢

[@AmogusInMyWalls]

That accident also caused the loss of the last surviving (of two built) P-63F Kingcobra's...

[@DavidCasebeer-wf8by]

In 1985 I had the opportunity to reenlist one of my sergeants in RAF Duxford's B-17G. We actual got to go into the cockpit (stripped clean) to do the ceremony. The B-17 was still under restoration at that time, and as I understand we were the first of many USAF to do that. Also, we both had an opportunity to assist the restoration team with the Bristol Blenheim.

[@kennysherrill6542]

Thank you again Professor Felton, American Bombers are a favorite subject to me, we have one on display in Tulare, California. It was built at the Douglas plant in Long Beach, California in mid 1945. My Grandmother worked there nearly the whole war and started out as a parts sorter until they learned she was a welder, her father was a Blacksmith who taught her everything, before the war was over she was an inspector. Happy Veterans Day to all.👍❤️🇺🇸

[@KenR1800]

I've seen one of the surviving B-29s at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. A truly amazing sight.

[@rhinely850]

The Mighty Eighth Air Force (Army Air Corps) museum in Savannah, GA has a stunning exhibit of planes, WWII displays, and artifacts. Well worth at visit, and very near to Interstate I-95 and I-16.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

There is an Avro Lancaster B Mk 7 ( Modified to a B Mark 3 ) at the Museum of Transport and Technology here in Auckland, New Zealand. Sadly she didn't actually get to bomb the Good King's Enemies, but she does have the distinction of having served in the French Pacific Airforce.

[@johnstirling6597]

MOTAT has a great display of aircraft.

[@md11b777]

Thanks! Great work

[@420BulletSponge]

I got to see Franco's He 111 do a very low flyover at the memorial service for Werner Seitz in the 90's. I didn't realize it was now no longer airworthy.

[@catcannon9064]

it crashed in 2003

[@420BulletSponge]

Dammit, figures :(

[@Snausages32]

I flew on a B17 last year, and it was an amazing experience. My uncle flew in one during 40's... lower ball turret gunner - 2.5 confirmed kills, and survived the war

[@Bayan1905]

I had the privilege of seeing the last flying HE-111 copy, the Casa 2.III that was part of the CAF here in the US and was Franco's own personal plane. It was repainted like a German HE-111 but still retained the Rolls Royce Merlin engines the CASA had compared to the BMW's of the HE-111. I still have photos of it from 2001, sadly it crashed and killed the aircrew in 2003.

[@rowdied9829]

I also have pics of that plane. RIP the crew that died

[@patrickporter6536]

Only early prototypes had BMW engines. The rest had Junkers Jumo.

[@lowellwhite1603]

@@patrickporter6536The HE 111P series, used early in the war and visually identical to the HW111H, unless you look very closely, had Daimler Benz DB 601 engines. They needed the 601 engines for fighters so they went to the Junkers Jumo in the more numerous H series.

[@patrickgillespie8370]

I also have pictures of that plane when it came to Kingston, Ontario many years ago. I got to climb aboard. My dad was ex-RAF and didn't want to see it.

[@58Rev]

Fairly old fart here, came here to comment on the He-111 thumbnail and the "heavy bomber" designation. Checked the specs, the aircraft would carry 2,000kg internally over 1,400 miles. The B-17G would carry the same load over 800 miles, with a 3,600kg lift but only on missions up to 400 miles. So the Heinkel was indeed a heavy bomber and I'm quite glad I didn't chime in with my "informed" two cents. Fun post, Mark, my preconceived notions regarding the -111 have had a much needed update.

[@garylawson5381]

Thanks again Mark Felton Productions for a great documentary about these awesome aircraft of WW ll. Happy Armistice Day and from the USA, Happy Veterans Day!

[@larsrons7937]

"Veterans Day"? It must be amazing for the still surviving veterans to see some of these birds still flying.

[@gate7clamp]

3:03 I got to see one of them flying at the airshow at Andrews Air Force Base in 2017 the one called Doc

[@matthewfriday2979]

If you ever get a chance to fly on one of these old birds, do it. I've flown on the B-17 Yankee Lady twice... it wasn't cheap but absolutely worth every penny. The second time I flew on her was with my dad, a Vietnam era veteran who hadn't flown on any aircraft since he came home. So if you get the opportunity, jump on it. You won't regret it.

[@dcl97]

My dad helped with the restoration of the still flying B17-G "Yankee Lady". I remember spending my weekends one winter exploring all over the plane while my dad was working, of course I was unaware at the time what an incredible privilege it was. She still flies fairly frequently and I catch her every now and then over my house or on my way to work. My dad died years ago, but every time I see that plane it's like seeing a piece of him up there in the clouds.

[@BlueRibbonWinner]

A classic tale and worth being re-counted. A British Airways Aircaft was waiting to taxi onto a runway from a line up, the Tower called this Aircraft into line and there was some confusion as to which runway was to be selected, causing the Tower to question the Aircafts pilot, It goes like this "TEMPELHOF TOWER TO BAA 131 USE RUNWAY 4!!, HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO BERLIN BEFORE?" "BAA 131 TO TOWER, YES I HAVE, BUT IT WAS AT NIGHT AND YOU HAD THE LIGHTS OUT"

[@yaboyed5779]

1:04 don’t know whether it was the short fade to black that made this so sad and hit different. Just filled me with unexplainable sadness.

[@erikskanes5552]

I seen a restored Lancaster fly today as part of a rememberance day ceremony. You can see it in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

[@MacHooolahan]

My dad's uncle Fred was a tail-gunner in a Halifax during WW2 (a fact of which I'm immensely proud). After the war ended he never got on a plane ever again. There's a lovely surviving one in the museum at Elvington near York, and a nearby display about the gunners, how they were seated in the plane and the heated outfits they wore. You wouldn't get me in either - good lord the exposure.... Brave guys x

[@Thermopylae2007]

The Lanc at the Canadian Wareplane Heritage Museum has flown over my place on several occasions. It's really neat to hear the engines roaring overhead!

[@MikeBabsBC]

I was ssoo lucky to see a He-111 and B-17 in Calgary back in the 90's. Got to tour around them and watch them both take off, didn't realize how rare of an event that would be come.

[@stevenharsono9911]

The 11th is Focke Wulf FW-200 Condor maritime bomber , which had been fully restored and displayed at Berlin Airport

[@angeledduirbonesu1989]

I believe that plane is restored as original airliner.

[@neinnein9306]

@@angeledduirbonesu1989 It's a kind of hybrid. It has original parts installed with original military paint. The chassis is also from the navy version. The only thing missing from the outside is the gun ranges. Because of the silver color, it is strongly reminiscent of the civilian version (which, however, had black stripes).

[@irish3335]

Fantastic video Dr Felton, I am glad to see that some of those old survivors are still airworthy! Thanks for another great history lesson

[@tropifiori]

There was a B-17 that was flying excursions in Virginia. I flew out of a rural airport in Virginia around 2005. A visiting B-17 was on the tarmac. A little boy looked at it and asked his father, “ what are those bent crosses painted on the plane”. They were shoot down markers. I replied,” son, if it wasn’t for those planes that bent cross would be on a flag in front of your post office.” Frank

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

Marks quality and quantity of content is insane. It’s nice when I don’t watch for like a month and come back to 5 new videos

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

👍Thank you for video. Sad and a little surprising there are no Stirlings. Notable as the first 4-engine heavy to enter RAF service in WW2 and served as glider tugs during D-day.

[@henrymp6295]

Thanks again Dr. Felton. As a youngster in the sixties, I recall the Forest Service in Northern California using B-17s as tankers to drop fire retardant. Sad there are only 2 airworthy out of so many manufactured.

[@TCK71]

I visited the RAF Duxford air show this year for 2 days and saw the B17 and Lancaster both flying and in the museum, it was an absolute privilege and if you are interested in air craft a "must" to see on the bucket list.

[@willy_wombat]

Duxford is truly amazing !!!

[@thediddymen1408]

I was lucky enough to see both airworthy Lancaster's fly together around the UK for the 'Battle of Britain' memorial flight. A fantastic experience seeing them together.

[@MapleHillMunitions]

I always make time to visit any new WWII aircraft that lands locally. The Texas Raider crash was a God awful event.

[@skwalka6372]

Awful event indeed, but not nearly as awful as Texas' slavish subservience to Trump.

[@kurancy]

Chronic TDS.@@skwalka6372

[@queuedjar4578]

@@skwalka6372 Is this somehow relevant to what's being discussed?

[@rogerkay8603]

@@skwalka6372 troll

[@c1ph3rpunk]

@@skwalka6372this doesn’t have any place here.

[@829smith]

I was fortunate to take a ride in a B17 at the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport (Near Detroit MI) in Sept '19. It was an amazing experience. The airmen that flew those were fearless. I strongly recommend it as these beasts won't last forever. You just have no idea what it could have been like unless you are inside one. My ride in peacetime with no one shooting at you in broad daylight was somewhat terrifying to start with. Imagine that flight with flak in the air with machine guns clattering spitting their venom. Gives you the chills just thinking about it.

[@mwp1088]

I saw both b29s this summer flying, pretty cool stuff. You should do a video on some of the bombers that no longer exist, pretty wild designs in there.

[@Derek-n2d]

Thanks!

[@louisriverin2295]

Toujours des sujets des plus intéressants et méconnus. Merci Docteur Felton !

[@vincentlefebvre9255]

Oui il est littéralement un extra-terrestre ! Il est fantastique !

[@davidparadis490]

Witchcraft liberator is at the american heritage museum/collins institute in Massachusetts and can be viewed in action every summer...plus several other planes and operational tanks

[@fordfairlane662dr]

I really like aviation history on this channel the best!❤❤❤❤

[@OverlordGrizzaka]

Mr Felton I can personally attest that there are more than 4 flying B17s. Most just happen to be in winter maintenance currently. Off the top of my head I can name Sally B, Sentimental Journey, Aluminum Overcast, Yankee Lady, Ye Olde Pub formerly Madras Maiden formerly Chuckie and the movie Memphis Belle.

[@ukrainiipyat]

It really incredible when the very few living WWII veterans can see these birds fly.

[@larsrons7937]

Yes, that must bring back memories for them. Btw. I find it interesting that the Avro Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft (1949), successor to and developed from the Avro Lancaster, Avro Lincoln and Avro Tudor (airliner), could be seen flying on active NATO duty (reconnaissance flights over the North Sea and North Atlantic) as late as 1991.

[@kingninewillnotreturnvilla2]

The flying B-29 footage was taken at Gillespie Field in El Cajon California "Wings Over Gillespie"

[@rumpstatefiasco]

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. The overall lack of vision in regards to preserving now-extinct or even near-extinct airframes leaves me gobsmacked.

[@kawythowy867]

I had no idea that many were built. Wow. Germany had NO chance w this kind of production. Amazing.

[@jerrydickerson1111]

In the early 2000s I got to look around on the inside of a almost complete B25 at a small private airstrip in Tennessee. we where driving back to NC from a family vacation when I spotted the old war bird on the tarmac. Being the Huge history buff I was was I forced my father to whip the car around and go inside and talk to the owners of the airstrip to let me go onto the tarmac to see it in person. To my surprise the man that I was talking about the history of the aircraft was the owner of the skydiving/airstrip and the owner of the B25 it just so happened that they had pulled the aircraft out of one of the hangers to clean it a few minutes before we drove by. Getting to crawl inside the gunners mounts of the plane next to meeting the crews of the Apollo mission and Neal Armstrong was one of the happiest times of my life. The owner explained that the B25 was his favorite aircraft as a kid he watched them fly and practice from a base near to where he grewup he was also a passionate modeler and had many models proudly hung from the front of his his main building for the public to see. I often wonder what became of that old man and his plane I wonder if he ever got it flying or did he die and is it languishing in some private hanger only shown at parties.

[@Chris_Lohmann]

I have personally laid eyes on the “Enola Gay”. It can be found at the United States Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Annex Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport in Virginia, USA. It was surreal to see up close the actual B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Edit: That same museum also has in its possession the only surviving example of the Dornier Do-335 and what’s left of the Horton Ho-229 “Flying Wing”. Definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.

[@trent847]

Thanks again Mark Felton for another wonderfully informative video!

[@rileyuktv6426]

Shock and Awe Felton style ❤

[@davidpope3943]

Back in the 1980’s I was fortunate enough to fly in the B17 ‘Sally B’ on a short hop from Southend Airport ~ where I worked in ATC ~ to Duxford. The undoubted highlight for me was being in the bomb aimers position in the nose as we did a low level pass over Stansted Airport, although I have to say that the subsequent drive back to Southend in a Ford Cortina driven by the late, great Pete Treadaway was one of the more terrifying episodes of my life. Pete subsequently lost his life in a Dragon Rapide he was flying whilst displaying at Audley End in 1991, when according to the AAIB report, a buckle on his seatbelt got tangled with the flying controls. That was a very sad day and a great loss.

[@RA76951]

Regarding the SM.82 - The Italian Air Force Museum (Museo Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare) is located at Vigna di Valle by Lake Bracciano and has a fantastic collection surrounded by beautiful scenery - one of Europe's top museums, well worth a visit.

[@deniseroe5891]

My dad was a flight mechanic on the B 17, B 36 and another I don’t remember due in WWII. He was in the USAAC in the Aleutian Islands. I remember as a kid seeing a Stratofortress at an airport close to where I grew up. They were impressive machines.

[@2ndcomingofFritz]

Imagine seeing 100s of those B17s flying over the ruhr

[@jonclassical2024]

Very interesting and enjoyable, thanks Dr. Felton for this work!

[@Thedaleb1]

My great uncle Archibald Lynn Blue was a B-17 pilot in the 8th he flew his 25 and volunteered to stay he survived the war

[@southernbythegraceofgod6524]

I have had the privilege of flying on the B-24 featured in this video. Flying on “Wicked” was an amazing experience. I sat in the nose gunners position. It was like hanging off of the nose of the aircraft. So thankful to my family for surprising my with that birthday gift!

[@trekkiepro]

There would be 5 B-17s still flying if it wasn't for that one screw up. :( Still feel like puking whenever I think about it.