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''Texas Raiders'' was an American
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
, a B-17G-95-DL built by Douglas-Long Beach. In 1967, it was purchased by the
Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The CAF h ...
’s
Gulf Coast Wing {{Short description, United States historical air display organization The Gulf Coast Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is a United States historical air display organization which formerly included two sub-groups that participate in the display o ...
"Texas Raiders" group, which maintained and flew the aircraft out of
Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport (formerly known as Lone Star Executive Airport and Montgomery County Airport) is a public-use airport in Conroe, Texas, United States, 37 miles (60 km) north of the central business district of Houston ...
in
Conroe, Texas Conroe is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Texas, United States, about north of Houston. It is a principal city in the metropolitan area. As of 2021, the population was 98,081, up from 56,207 in 2010. Since 2007, the ...
. The aircraft was destroyed on November 12, 2022, by a
mid-air collision In aviation, a mid-air collision is an aviation accident, accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and the likelihood of subsequent impact with the ground o ...
with a
P-63 Kingcobra The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...
at an
air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...
at
Dallas Executive Airport Dallas Executive Airport , formerly Redbird Airport, is six miles (10 km) southwest of Downtown Dallas, in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The airport is used for general aviation and is a reliever airport for Dallas Love Field. In 2013 ...
, Texas, that killed all five occupants and the P-63 pilot.


History of the aircraft


Early history

The plane was built in 1944 by
Douglas Aircraft Corporation The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated as ...
at the
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
, plant under license from
Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
. One of the last 20 B-17s built by Douglas, it was delivered to the
U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
as B-17G-95-DL 44-83872 on July 12, 1945. On July 21, 1945, all 20 were transferred to the U.S. Navy to serve as PB-1W
patrol bomber A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol rol ...
s. 44-83872 was assigned the U.S. Navy
Bureau of Aeronautics The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relate ...
Number (BuNo) 77235. The Navy used PB-1Ws as the original Airborne Warning and Command System or AWACS aircraft, as well as for
electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
,
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
and hurricane hunters. The Navy sealed up the bomb bay doors and installed wing-mounted drop tanks and the AN/APS-20 Seasearch
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
equipment in a bulbous housing below the former bomb bay.
Radio direction finder Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), isin accordance with International Telecommunication Union (ITU)defined as radio location that uses the reception of radio waves to determine the direction in which a radio station ...
(RDF),
instrument landing system In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
(ILS), and long range navigation (
LORAN LORAN, short for long range navigation, was a hyperbolic radio navigation system developed in the United States during World War II. It was similar to the UK's Gee system but operated at lower frequencies in order to provide an improved range u ...
) was also installed at this time. It was not painted, but waxed to prevent corrosion, and kept its original
Browning M2 The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
machine guns. In January 1955, the PB-1W was phased out in favor of the new Lockheed PO-1W and WV-2 (naval versions of the
EC-121 Warning Star The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF). The military version of the Lock ...
) based on the
Lockheed Constellation The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first pressurized-cabin civil airliner series to go into widespread use. Its press ...
. BuNo 77235 was flown to
Litchfield Park, Arizona Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located west of Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,847, up from 5,476 in 2010. History The town of Litchfield Park is a historically af ...
, and placed in flyable storage status until officially retired from naval service on August 25, 1955, with 3,257 hours flying time accrued. Aero Service Corporation bought BuNo 77235 for $17,510 on October 1, 1957. The plane was registered as N7227C and used as an aerial surveying platform in locations ranging from Alaska to Central America to the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. On January 12, 1965, the plane was used as a backdrop at the retirement ceremony of General
Curtis LeMay Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air ...
. It was operated by Aero Service Corporation until it was sold on September 22, 1967.


Commemorative Air Force ownership

The
Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The CAF h ...
(CAF), known as the Confederate Air Force before 2001, acquired the plane in 1967 for $50,000 or $80,000; sources differ. The plane was kept in
Brownwood, Texas Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,862 at th2020 census Brownwood is located in the Northern Texas Hill Country and is home to Howard Payne University that was founded in 1889. ...
, as CAF's home airfield in
Mercedes, Texas Mercedes is a U.S. city in Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo County, Texas. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan area, McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Rey ...
, was too short for a B-17. A CAF photo taken around 1969 shows the plane painted white with a large U.S. flag on the tail. In July 1970, the plane was given its first historical paint job, that of the
366th Bombardment Squadron The 366th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was as part of the 305th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana. It was inactivated on 1 January 1970. History World War ...
of the
305th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, with
squadron code A squadron code is a marking used on a military aircraft to visually identify the squadron that it is assigned to. Squadron codes of the World War II era, notably for Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft operati ...
KY and call letter D on the
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
and tail number 124592, suggested by retired general LeMay. In 1974, the CAF assigned the plane to its three-year-old Gulf Coast Wing. The plane received its ''Texas Raiders'' name around 1973 to honor Texas combat veterans; the name had not been used by any prior B-17. Over about two decades, CAF worked to restore the plane to a B-17G configuration. Tradeoffs made in consideration of budget included disabling
turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
s and the crew oxygen system. In 1977, the plane was repainted in the color scheme of the 533d Bombardment Squadron of the
381st Bombardment Group 381st may refer to: * 381st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 381st Fighter Squadron or 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, squadron of the United States Air Force *381st Intelligence Squadron, intelligence unit located at Joi ...
. The livery was inspired by a real B-17G plane, ''Princess Pat'' (42-97503), including squadron code VP with call letter X, but using the actual tail number of ''Texas Raiders''. At this time, a
ball turret A ball turret was a spherical-shaped, altazimuth mount gun turret, fitted to some American-built aircraft during World War II. The name arose from the turret's spherical housing. It was a manned turret, as distinct from remote-controlled turrets ...
and top turret were added, although the interior was not yet restored. The plane was restored and rebuilt from 1983 to 1986 at a cost of $300,000. This included restoring the interior of the plane to a B-17G configuration including the addition of period-correct equipment such as a
Norden bombsight The Norden Mk. XV, known as the Norden M series in U.S. Army service, is a bombsight that was used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and t ...
,
M2 machine gun The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, wh ...
s (non-functional),
bomb bay The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over th ...
racks, and a chin turret. During 1993 and 1994, the plane repainted and corrosion repaired at a cost of about $180,000. The plane later underwent a lengthy and costly "
wing spar In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles (or thereabouts depending on wing sweep) to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings while on t ...
terminal ends" replacement project, started in 2001 due to an
FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
Airworthiness Directive An Airworthiness Directive (commonly abbreviated as AD) is a notification to owners and operators of certified aircraft that a known safety deficiency with a particular model of aircraft, engine, avionics or other system exists and must be correct ...
(2001-22-06) citing corrosion in B-17 wings. Originally estimated to be a six-month process, the project turned into an -year effort costing nearly $700,000. ''Texas Raiders'' returned to flight on October 14, 2009, and was featured at Wings Over Houston that month as a static display. In March 2010, the plane was moved to the Tomball Jet Center in
David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport is a public-use airport located near the city of Tomball in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. It is northwest of the central business district of Houston. It is the busiest general aviation airport in Te ...
(KDWH) in
Tomball, Texas Tomball ( ) is a city in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 12,341 at the 2020 U.S. census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball for local congressman Thomas Henry Ba ...
. ''Texas Raiders'' rejoined the air show circuit in 2010, just in time to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the B-17. It traveled to the
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin ...
airshow, where it was featured in AeroShell Square. That summer, the plane appeared at Thunder Over Michigan as one of eight restored B-17s, flying in formation with ''
Yankee Lady ''Yankee Lady'' is an Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, owned by the Yankee Air Museum of Van Buren Township, Michigan. Originally delivered to the U.S military in 1945, the plane did not see combat action; it was used by the United States Coast Gua ...
'', movie '' Memphis Belle'', '' Nine-O-Nine'', '' Aluminum Overcast'', '' Liberty Belle'', ''
Thunderbird Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to: * Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture * Ford Thunderbird, a car Birds * Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds k ...
'', and '' Sentimental Journey''. On May 8, 2015, ''Texas Raiders'' flew in the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover in Washington, D.C., an event that commemorated the 70th anniversary of
Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
(VE Day). The Gulf Coast Wing commissioned a complete new paint job and brand new nose art for ''Texas Raiders'' in late 2016, costing $190,000. The plane was moved in March 2017 to General Aviation Services at Conroe North Houston Regional Airport in
Conroe, Texas Conroe is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Texas, United States, about north of Houston. It is a principal city in the metropolitan area. As of 2021, the population was 98,081, up from 56,207 in 2010. Since 2007, the ...
. Beginning in 2018, organizers worked with an Air Force parachute team to conduct demonstration skydives from the bomb bay during air shows.


Destruction

The aircraft crashed on November 12, 2022, after a mid-air collision with a
Bell P-63 Kingcobra The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...
at Dallas Executive Airport while performing during an air show. The P-63 collided with the B-17’s port side on a descending trajectory, severing the fuselage just aft of the main wings. The bomber then fell to the ground, destroying the remaining airframe. All six people aboard the two aircraft were killed. The cause of the accident was immediately placed under investigation.


Notes


References


External links


Commemorative Air Force – Gulf Coast Wing
{{Portal bar, Aviation, Texas Individual aircraft of World War II Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress