EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018: B-1/17th Arrives At OSH

Littlest ’bomber’ wows near the warbird area.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 10:43 AM ET

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The shape and configuration was perfectly pulled off. There’s not a moment’s hesitation in knowing precisely what you’re looking at.

Key Takeaways:

The article features the "Bally Bomber," a meticulously detailed, one-off scale replica of the Boeing B-17, custom-built by Jack Bally and completed in 2016.
This homebuilt aircraft is powered by four 45-hp Hirth two-cylinder engines and boasts functional features like retractable landing gear and a belly turret.
With a span of over 34 feet and a max weight of 2,000 pounds, it cruises at 95 knots, emphasizing its accurate appearance and "fun factor" over performance metrics.

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Coolest thing we’ve seen by Monday? This Boeing B-17 scale replica, a B-1/17^th, if you will. Nicknamed the Bally Bomber, this one-off custom built homebuilt is powered by four Hirth two-cylinder engines of 45-hp apiece and actually has retractable landing gear. The plane was completed by Jack Bally of Dixon, Illinois, in 2016 and was flown to OSH by Richard Kosi. With a span of better than 34-feet, the little B- is no tiny plane, but it is beautifully detailed, with retractable landing gear and a belly turret. With a max weight of 2,000 pounds, the homebuilt Faux-ing is no speed demon, with a max cruise speed of just 95 knots and a munitions payload of zilch. But the fun factor of this baby has got to be off the charts. And we wonder if at a distance, it looks like the real McCoy, just a lot closer than you might think it is.

View more photos of the scale replica bomber by clicking the button below.