Aero Vintage Books

First I'd heard of it, but there is to be an "unveiling" of sorts of Swamp Ghost, the famous B-17E recovered from New Guinea in 2005 but only now landing in the U.S. A joint press release put out by Aero Archaeology and Specialty Restaruants announces an event to be held at The Reef restaurant parking lot at 880 Harbor Scenic Drive in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, June 11 at 10 a.m. John Tallichet (son of David), Alfred Hagen, and Linda Oliver (widow of bombardier Richard Oliver) will be on hand for the event. Among the highlights planned: a P-51 and P-40 flyover and the unveiling of a "remarkably intact B-17E front fuselage".

Of note, the press release indicates that the Swamp Ghost "will be restored, possibly to flying condition, for display at an aviation history museum in honor of America's veterans." No confirmation in the press release of the rumor that it is going to the Pima Air Museum at Tucson for restoration.

The press release also notes that the B-17E is "widely known as the Holy Grail of military aviation," something else I guess I did not know.

So, bottom line, the airplane is somewhere near Long Beach and is a Holy Grail.

Maybe they had to slay a dragon to get the B-17 out of New Guinea.

TM

Glad to hear the Swamp Ghost has arrived. I hope I get out to Pima to see it some day.

I saw that Indiana Jones movie, I remember the Nazi's and the flying wing... but no B-17...

Perhaps Monty Python and the Holy Grail might be appropriate... beware of false Holy Grail sign at Castle Anthrax.
Anybody on this forum going to this event? I'm a three quarters of an hour away by freeway.