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B-17s: Where to find them

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This listing provides a compilation of surviving B-17s. Currently, there are forty-eight intact, recovered B-17 airframes in this wide-world. Of these, nine are currently operational and flown at least occasionally. Another twenty-five are on static display and available for public viewing. Several of those have been flyable in the past few years, but appear to be grounded now for various reasons. Nine B-17s are under some form of restoration and five B-17s are in storage.

The partial remains of at least five B-17s are also held. For the most part, these examples are in storage and may form the basis for future restorations.

Obviously, there are also numerous examples of B-17 wreckage scattered around the world, most of which exist as shards of aluminum and steel. However, they also may contain some usable parts and these will be added to this listing as information comes in.

This compilation is derived from material contained in Final Cut and updated primarily with information provided by Todd Hackbarth and others. For additional information about those B-17s which were carried on civil registries in the post-war world, jump to Civil B-17 Listing.

Summary
Operational8
Long Term Maintenance (back to operational)1
Static Display24
Under restoration to operational6
Under restoration to static2
In Storage6
Total Complete Airframes47
Partial Airframes6
Total Recovered Airframes53

Complete B-17 Airframes

Country State City Location Series Identification Sequence Status Remarks Photo
Brazil Recife Base Area de Recife B-17G 44-85583, FAB 5402 Static display Link
Brazil Rio de Janiero Museuo Aerospacial B-17G 44-83718, FAB 5408 Storage; disassembled
France Alais La Ferté Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis Aérodrome de Cerny B-17G 44-8846, F-BGSP, ZS-DXM, F-BGSP, F-AZDX Static display Mother and Country/Pink Lady Photo
France Paris Musee de l'Air B-17G 44-8889, F-BGSO Storage Photo Link
UK Duxford American Air Museum B-17G 44-83735, N68269, F-BDRS Static display Photo
UK Duxford B-17 Preservation B-17G 44-85784, F-BGSR, N17TE, G-BEDF Operational Sally-B Photo
UK Hendon Bomber Command Museum B-17G 44-83868, PB-1W 77233, N6466D, N5237V Static display Photo
USA AZ Mesa CAF, Falcon Field B-17G 44-83514, N9323Z Operational Sentimental Journey Photo
USA AZ Tucson 390th Museum, Pima Air Museum B-17G 44-85828, PB-1G 77254, N9323R Static display I'll Be Around Photo
USA CA Atwater Castle Air Museum B-17G 43-38635, N3702G Static display Virgin's Delight Photo
USA CA Chino Planes of Fame B-17G 44-83684, N3713G Under restoration to operational Piccadilly Lilly II Photo
USA CA Los Angeles California Air Heritage Foundation B-17G 44-83387 Under restoration to static Parts of 44-83316, 44-85643, 42-30681, and 44-83387 Photo
USA CA Palm Springs Palm Springs Air Museum B-17G 44-85778, N3509G Static (effectively) Miss Angela Photo
USA CA Palm Springs Palm Springs Air Museum B-17G 44-83546, N3703G Operational (static display) MARC; Memphis Belle Photo
USA CA Riverside March Field Museum B-17G 44-6393, CP-627, CP-891 Static display Starduster Photo
USA CA Santa Ana Martin Aviation B-17G 44-83563, N9563Z Static display Fuddy Duddy Photo
USA CA Tulare Along Highway 99 B-17G 44-85738 Static display Preston's Pride Photo
USA DL Dover AMC Museum, Dover AFB B-17G 44-83624 Static display Sleepy Time Gal Photo
USA FL New Smyrna Beach Collings Foundation B-17G 44-83785, N809Z, N207EV Maintenance Back to Operational Photo
USA FL Polk City Fantasy of Flight B-17G 44-83525, N4520(ntu), N83525 Storage Photo
USA FL Polk City Fantasy of Flight B-17G 44-83542, N9324Z Static display Picadilly Princess Photo
USA FL Valparaiso Armament Museum, Eglin AFB B-17G 44-83863, PB-1W 77231, N6464D, N5233V Static display Photo
USA GA Douglas Liberty Foundation B-17G 44-83790 Under restoration to operational Recovered from Labrador, August 2004 Photo
USA GA Douglas Liberty Foundation B-17G 44-85734 Under restoration to operational
USA GA Savannah Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum B-17G 44-83814, N66571, CF-HBP, N66571 Static Display City of Savannah Photo
USA GA Warner-Robins Museum of Aviation B-17G 44-83690 Under restoration to static Photo
USA HI Ford Island Pacific Aviation Museum B-17E 41-2446 Static Display Swamp Ghost Photo
USA IL Marengo B-17E 41-2595, XC-108 Under restoration to operational Desert Rat Photo
USA LA Bossier City Barksdale AFB B-17G 44-83884, PB-1W 77244, N6471D, N5230V Static display Yankee Doodle Dandy Photo
USA LA New Orleans National World War II Museum B-17E 41-9032 Static display My Gal Sal Photo
USA MI Ypsilanti Yankee Air Force, Willow Run B-17G 44-85829, PB-1G 77255, N3193G Operational Yankee Lady Photo
USA NE Omaha Offutt AFB B-17F 42-3374 Static display Homesick Angel Photo
USA NE Ashland Strategic Air and Space Museum DB-17P 44-83559 Static display Photo
USA OH Dayton National Museum of the USAF B-17G 42-32076, SE-BAP, OY-DFA, DAF672, F-BGSH Storage Shoo Shoo Baby Photo
USA OH Dayton National Museum of the USAF B-17D 40-3097 Storage The Swoose Photo
USA OH Dayton National Museum of the USAF B-17F 41-24485 Static Display Memphis Belle Photo
USA OH Urbana B-17 Project B-17G 44-85813, N6694C, N3154S Under restoration to operational Champaign Lady Photo
USA OR Madras Erickson Aircraft Collecton B-17G 44-8543, N3701G (#2) Operational Ye Olde Pub Photo
USA OR Salem B-17 Alliance Foundation B-17G 44-85790 Under restoration to airworthy Lacey Lady Photo
USA TX Abilene Dyess AFB B-17G 44-85599 Static display Reluctant Dragon Photo
USA TX Conroe CAF, Gulf Coast Wing, Lone Star Executive B-17G 44-83872, PB-1W 77235, N7227C Operational Texas Raiders Photo
USA TX Mt. Pleasant Mid America Flight Museum B-17G 44-85718, F-BEEC, ZS-EEC, G-FORT, N900RW Operational Thunderbird; sold from Lone Star Flight Museum in December 2020 Photo
USA TX San Antonio Lackland AFB B-17G 44-83512 Static display Heaven's Above Photo
USA UT Ogden Hill Museum B-17G 44-83663, FAB 5400, N47780 Static display Short Bier Photo
USA WA Arlington Flying Heritage Collection B-17E 41-9210, N5842N, CF-ICB, N9720F, CP-753, N8WJ, N12355 Storage Reported for sale
USA WA Seattle Museum of Flight B-17F 42-29782, N6015V, N17W Static display Boeing Bee Photo
USA WI Oshkosh Experimental Aircraft Association B-17G 44-85740, N5017N Operational Aluminum Overcast Photo

New Build B-17 Airframes

Currently, there are two B-17 projects that are largely based on new build components at this point, but will incorporate parts of original aircraft. It is a fine line these days, but noted here are two forthcoming projects.

Country State City Location Series Identification Sequence Status Remarks Photo
USA IL Marengo B-17C
USA NC Asheville B-17F 42-3455 Under construction; bomb bay of 44-83316 Lucky 13 Photo

Partial B-17 Airframes

There are a number of partial airframes located around the world which may eventually form the basis, or at least contribute parts to, the assembly of complete B-17 airframes. These are listed as follows:

Country State City Location Series Identification Sequence Status Remarks Photo
USA AK Fairbanks B-17F 42-30861 Storage-wings Recovered from Alaska Link
USA CA Auburn B-17F 42-30861 Aft fuselage Recovered from Alaska, to be used with 44-83387
USA GA Douglas Liberty Foundation B-17G 44-83387 Under slow restoration
USA GA Pooler Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum B-17F 41-24487 Display Eager Beaver, nose panel Photo
USA OH Urbana B-17 Project B-17G 44-83722 Incorporated into 44-85813 restoration
USA OH Urbana B-17 Project B-17G 44-83316 Incorporated into 44-85813 restoration Photo

RIP B-17 Airframes

Several B-17s have been lost during the "warbird" years. Included here are those that were essentially destroyed, though one (44-85734) is being reconstructed using new and components from other airframes.

Setting Series Identification Sequence Status Remarks Other
Collings Foundation B-17G 44-83575, N93012 Destroyed by crash, 10/2/2019 Nine-O-Nine Photo
Liberty Foundation B-17G 44-85734, N390TH Badly damaged by fire after off-field landing, 6/13/2011 Liberty Belle
IGN B-17G 44-85643, F-BEEA Destroyed, 7/89

Unrecovered B-17 Airframes

Following is a growing list of unrecovered B-17s. This is included both to indicate the relatively large number of airframes still out there, and also to complete the listing of surviving B-17 airframes. Most of the listed airframes are only a collection of scrap metal, be they buried under several hundred feet of ice in Greenland or underwater off a World War II battleground. Also included are various known crash sites for both military and civil B-17s.

Country State Location Setting Series Identification Sequence Status Remarks Other
Australia Queensland Bakers Creek B-17C 40-2072 Crash site Crashed 6/14/43; 40 KIA Link
Croatia Vis Island Offshore B-17G 44-6630 Underwater Lost 11/6/44 Link
France Corsica Calvi Bay Offshore B-17G 42-31044 Underwater Lost 2/14/44 Link
Greenland B-17E 41-9101 Under ice, wreckage
Greenland Near Narsak Fjord B-17E 41-9090 Underwater Ditched 6/27/42; current reg N3142U; attempted recovery 7/99; not located Link
Greenland Graah Fjord Fjord B-17G 42-97854 Underwater Ditched 4/9/44; current reg N9094V; attempted recovery 8/99; believed located but unrecovered Link
Greenland B-17E 41-9105 Under ice, wreckage
Norway Bygland B-17C 40-2057 (RAF AN 525) Crash site Shot down on 9/8/41 during RAF bombing raid. Link
Solomon Islands Guadalcanal Offshore B-17E 41-2420 Underwater "Bessie, Jap Basher", ditched 9/24/42 Link
Papua New Guinea Swamp B-17E 41-2505 Crash site Link
Papua New Guinea Mountainside B-17E 41-9234 Crash site Blackcat Gap, ex RAF FL 461 Link
Papua New Guinea Near Boga Boga Ditching site B-17F 41-24521 Underwater "Black Jack", ditched 7/11/43 Link Link
Sweden Offshore B-17 Underwater No details Link
USA AZ 10 mi. E Yuma Mountainside B-17G 42-97619 Crash site Crashed 6/28/44 Link
USA CA 35 mi. E Georgetown Mountainside B-17C 40-2047 Crash site Crashed 11/2/41 Photos
USA CA 10 mi. NE Covelo Mountainside B-17F 42-5318 Crash site Crashed 5/30/43 Link
USA CO Deadman Gulch Mountainside B-17F 44-3320 Crash site Crashed 5/13/43 Link
USA CO Haystack Gate Mountainside B-17G 44-83710(?) Crash site Crashed 10/26/48 Link
USA CO Pingree Park Mountainside B-17F 42-6042 Crash site Crashed 10/18/43; mountainside, elev. 10500' Link
USA CO Crownpoint Mountainside B-17F 42-30891 Crash site Crashed 6/14/44; mountainside, elev. 10750' Link
USA ID Clearwater National Forest Mountainside B-17F 42-29563 Crash site Crashed 12/3/43 Link
USA MI Porcupine Mountains Hill side B-17G 42-30762 Crash site Crashed 4/19/44 Link
USA NV 15 mi. NW Las Vegas Desert B-17G 42-31324 Crash site Midair collision, 2/25/44
USA NV 67 mi N-NE Las Vegas Desert B-17G 42-31257 Crash site Crashed 1/4/44 Link
USA WA 6 mi N Marmot Pass, Olympic Peninsula Mountainside B-17G 44-85746 Crash site SB-17G, crashed 1/19/52 Info
USA WA Blue Mountains southeast of Walla Walla Mountainside B-17F 42-5367 Crash site Crashed 2/11/43 Photo
USA WY Bomber Mountain, W. of Buffalo Mountainside B-17F 42-3399 Crash site Crashed 7/28/43 Link

Currently Registered But "MIA" or Long-gone B-17s

Following is a listing of B-17s that are currently carried on the U.S. civil register but are unrecovered, non-current, or mystery airframes. In some cases, recovery groups apparently try to lay claim to unrecovered B-17s by having civil registrations assigned. Two airframes have been on the civil registry since the early 1960s, though the actual airframes no longer exist.
Registration Series S/N Location Remarks
N3142U B-17E 41-9090 Narsak, Greenland Underwater near Narsak, Greenland; ditched 6/27/42; attempted recovery 7/99; not located. As of Jan 06, registration being canceled.
N4960V B-17G 43-38978 None Basically a paperwork airframe; scrapped c. 1962
N5069P B-17G 42-97270 Unknown Unrecovered? As of Jan 06, registration being canceled.
N5236V B-17G 44-83874 None Another paperwork airframe; probably scrapped c. 1963 As of Jan 06, registration being canceled.
N9814F B-17G 44-83811 None Scrapped 8/61. As of Jan 06, registration being canceled.
N9094V B-17G 42-97854 Graah Fjord, Greenland Underwater; ditched 4/9/44; attempted recovery 8/99; believed located but unrecovered

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