Smoke on! 💨 Winding up the Wright R-1820 Cyclones on ‘Sally B’ at Imperial War Museum Duxford #ww2 #ww2history #wwii #B17 #flyingfortress | Daniel J Wheatcroft

Sound of the Cyclone 🌪 B-17 Preservation ~ the Sally B page's B-17G 'Sally B' returns to dispersal at Imperial War Museum Duxford, her Wright Cyclones ticking over beautifully. The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 was one of the most produced aero-engines in the conflict, with close to 50,000 examples being manufactured for use in aircraft such as the Boeing B-17, Douglas DC-3 and General Motors FM-2. #ww2 #B17 #b17flyingfortress #usaf #warbirds | Daniel J Wheatcroft

Twin flypasts straight over the camera followed by landings from two absolute legends of WWII aviation. An original Mitsubishi A6M Zero, still powered by its Nakajima Sakae radial, alongside a Douglas SBD Dauntless running the unmistakable Wright R-1820 Cyclone. This is pure mechanical history — raw radial engine sound, low passes, and the kind of atmosphere you just don’t get anymore. Aircraft that once faced each other in combat, now flying together, sounding incredible, and reminding us how d