A wrecked former World War II B-17 bomber has been miraculously transformed into one of the world’s strangest gas stations.
For the past 70 years, a retired World War II airplane has sat atop a giant 48-pump gas station in Milwaukee, Oregon, wowing passersby with its unique appearance.
Petrol station owner Art Lacey made the bold choice to launch a bomber into the air in 1947 after successfully bagging it himself for just £10,000.
Lacey found an old retired Boeing 17 at a bargain price and went to pick up the former U.S. military bomber.
In a 1967 interview posted on YouTube, he said: “When I bought this first B-17 of his, I tried to fly it myself and was able to fly it successfully, but in one daring attempt I decided to take it for a spin. Trip.
“I took off and raised the landing gear, but when I went back to re-engage the gear, I couldn’t lower the landing gear, so I lowered the tail, raised the nose, and landed on my belly.
“We skidded for about a half-mile, then the plane went straight down the runway, crabbed and swerved to the side, and there was another B-17 sitting there, and then one B-17 that crashed. -Instead of 17 I got 2.
He later bought a second car for just under £1,000 after the seller admitted that the accident had been caused by a “wind failure”.
Art said he had “a couple of boys from Portland” help him get the plane back home.
However, he was unable to obtain permission to move the large plane across the country to Milwaukee, and encountered more problems when returning home.
To solve this problem, he split the plane into four parts and loaded them onto four different trucks.
He then sent the truck driver out onto the road surrounded by men on motorcycles as his personal escort.
Art instructed the drivers to flee the scene and throw away the plane parts as soon as they were stopped by the police, but fortunately all four trucks arrived overnight.
After repairing the battered bomber, Art stuck it atop a gas pump along Highway 99E, and the B-17 quickly became popular with locals.
Hundreds of people gathered at the now famous gas station, claiming to have filled up their cars, trucks and motorcycles with a slice of World War II history.
My father was the kind of person who, if you said, “No, you can’t do anything,” he was going to prove you wrong.
punky scott
Lacey’s daughter Punky Scott recalled talking to her father about the idea and said it all came about as a bet with a friend.
She said: “His friends said, ‘What a stupid idea, we would never do that.’
“Well, my father was the kind of guy who, if you said, ‘No, you can’t do anything,’ he was going to prove you wrong.”
She explained that they said to each other, “I bet you can” and “I bet you can’t,” before shaking hands for a small bet.
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Despite the obviously positive reputation the gas station brought to the area, it also had a huge impact the goal About the business of art.
Many people, nicknamed “Lacey Ladies” after their wise founder, decided they wanted a piece of the success and came to steal parts of the plane.
However, the plane was aging due to Oregon’s intense heat, and the repeated theft attempts were just the beginning of the problem.
As a result, the cost of keeping the Lacey Lady in good condition became too high, and it rusted and deteriorated rapidly.
In addition to increased maintenance, it was closed to the public in the late 1950s after a young boy fell from it.
Lacy decided to start a bomber restaurant and a motel separately. Next Doors were opened to gas stations, and the new business quickly became more profitable than gas stations.
It was then closed in 1991, and by 1996 the bomber’s nose cone and four Wright Cyclone radial piston engines had been removed for restoration.
However, the Lacey family ran out of money during this process and it was never reinstalled.
In the early 2000s, Art Lacy passed away and the B-17 fell into further decay, becoming a habitat for local birds and wildlife.
For the next 14 years, the aircraft remained untouched and underappreciated until the entire plane was disassembled, removed, and taken to a museum for repair.
Long and detailed restoration work is currently underway.
More than 12,000 B-17s were built, but more than 4,700 were lost during the war, leaving them as priceless pieces of history.