In Part 1, we looked at those B-17s that made it onto the U.S. civil register in the immediate post-war years. All of these aircraft came from government surplus stocks, either from the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (RFC) or its successor, the War Assets Administration (WAA). Only ten B-17s became U.S. civil B-17s in this initial batch. Three of these ten were illegally exported to Israel in 1948, one was exported to the Dominican Republic, also in 1948, one was sold to the Shah of Iran, and one was purchased only as a parts source. So, after 1948, there were really only four B-17s flying on the U.S. civil register. The demand for B-17s, such as it was, did slowly increase in the post-war years, but the supply was limited.

Mining the schools and cities for B-17s

Now, in Part 2, we look at those airplanes that made it onto the U.S. civil register after 1949. As noted above, the active supply was limited to five active civil B-17s. The Air Force had hundreds of new B-17s still held in storage, but it was holding on to these airplanes for future use. There was no other source of airframes…except those B-17s that the RFC transferred to schools for non-flight educational purposes, or to civic organizations as non-flying war memorials. And this is were the next eleven B-17s that joined the U.S. civil register came from in the years between 1949 and 1955. Every B-17 that was added to the civil registry in those years came from these RFC educational or memorial transfers.

The RFC transfer agreements to the various schools and cities were limiting, however. Those B-17s transferred were not legally the property of the receivers; title remained with the U.S. government and the agreements specified the airplanes would be scrapped when the educational or memorial use concluded. The schools and cities either deliberately or accidently worked around the limitations to “sell” the aircraft. The “buyers” of the airplanes no doubt knew there were problems with title in getting these aircraft, but they worked around this problem either by quickly exporting the B-17s out of the country before anyone noticed, or worked out agreements with the U.S. government to obtain title.

The Eleven B-17s Added to the U.S. civil registry 1949-1955

So, here is a list of eleven B-17s that were added to the U.S. civil registry in the years 1949-1955. These are listed in the order of them being sold for use as civil aircraft.

1. B-17G 43-38322 (1949): Transferred by the RFC to the Oklahoma Military Academy at Claremore, OK. Sold to Frank Abel of Wichita Falls, TX, but ownership dispute followed with the U.S. government. Civil registration of N66578 was reserved, and the airplane went through several more U.S. civil owners, the last one being Owen S. Williams of California-Atlantic Airways, who exported the airplane to Bolivia in 1954 with the ownership issue still unresolved. It ultimately was destroyed in a February 1972 crash while being operated as CP-936.
2. B-17F 42-3360 (1950): Purchased from the RFC by Paul Mantz in February 1946 as part of a field of 475 surplus airplanes. Though operated by Mantz, it was not civil registered until May 1950 as N67974. It was sold that month to Owen S. Williams of California-Atlantic Airways, who exported it to Bolivia in October 1950. It ultimately was destroyed in a September 1955 crash while flying as CP-570.
3. B-17F 42-29782 (1951): Transferred by the RFC to the city of Stuttgart, Arkansas, in 1946. Sold to Gerald Francis in 1951, then to Max & John Biegert and Ben Widfeldt at Lincoln, Nebraska, and registered first as N6015V and then N17W. it remained active on the U.S. civil register and is currently displayed at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, Washington.
4. B-17G 43-37650 (mid-1951): Transferred by the RFC to Russel Field, Fort Worth, Texas, in 1946 and displayed at the airport. It was purchased about 1950 by Owen S. Williams of California-Atlantic Airways and registered as N66570. It was exported to Bolivia in November 1951. It ultimately was destroyed in a September 1955 mid-air collision while flying as CP-597.
5. B-17F 42-3470 (1952): Transferred by the RFC to Montana State College at Bozeman, Montana, in October 1945 for educational use. It was sold in agreement with the U.S. government to Owen Williams, California-Atlantic Airways, in November 1952 with the civil registration of N66574. Exported to Peru in August 1954 with numerous subsequent operators in South America. Crashed in 1962 while operating in Colombia as HK-580.
6. B-17E 41-9210 (1952): After serving as a research aircraft bailed to Honeywell Corp. at Minneapolis, it was turned over to the RFC and then assigned to the University of Montana for educational use. The university obtained title to the aircraft in 1952 and then it was traded to Jack Lysdale (Lysdale Flying Service) at Minneapolis. It was registered as N5842N. After a series of civil owners, it was operated in Bolivia for two decades, and then recovered by World Jet in 1990. It was re-registered as N8WJ and then ended up with the Wartime History Museum in Washington. It remains in disassembled storage.
7. B-17G 42-102715 (1952): Turned over by the RFC to a Boy Scout troop at Polo, Illinois, as a memorial in 1946, it was obtained by Owen Williams of California-Atlantic Airways in April 1952. The civil registration of N66573 was reserved but an ownership dispute with the U.S. government precluded an ownership transfer. It was sold by Williams to Fairchild Aerial Surveys who made a payment of $10,000 to gain title from the government. Subsequently operated by Fairchild and, later, as an air tanker. Crashed and destroyed in 1979 while fire-fighting.
8. B-17F 42-6107 (1953): Transferred by the RFC to Washington State College at Clarkston, Washington, in November 1945. Purchased in November 1953 as a derelict by Columbia Airmotive at Troutdale, Oregon, with a release from the U.S. government. It was registered as N1340N and eventually operated as an air tanker. Modified with four Dart turboprop engines in 1970 but destroyed in a crash in August 1970 while fighting a forest fire in Wyoming.
9. B-17G 42-102542 (1954): Transferred by the RFC to American Legion Post 64 at Sioux City, Iowa, in November 1945. Sold in agreement with the U.S. government to Jack Lysdale, Lysdale Flying Service of Minneapolis, MN, in May 1954. Registration of N5845N assigned. Sold to Aero Service Corp. for survey work in February 1955. Destroyed in a landing accident in Saudi Arabia in February 1959.
10. B-17F 42-6073 (1954): Transferred by the RFC to Hancock College at Santa Maria, CA, in 1945. Sold in April 1954 to Jack Lysdale, Lysdale Flying Service, Minneapolis, MN. Registration issued as N7942A. Sold to several subsequent owners and then exported to Bolivia in 1960. Destroyed in November 1968 while operating as CP-686.
11. B-17G 43-38978 (1955): Transferred by the WAA to Oregon State University at Corvallis, Oregon, in November 1946. Sold in March 1955 to Bob Sturges of Columbia Airmotive, Troutdale, Oregon. Registration issued at N4960V. It was subsequently dismantled for parts and essentially scrapped by the early 1960s. The registration file remains active, and the aircraft file has been sold as part of a potential B-17 project.

Honorable Mention (Not on U.S. Civil Register)

B-17F 42-30921 (1950) This B-17 transfer is a bit of a mystery as it evidently went directly from a college to Bolivia in 1950, bypassing the U.S. civil register and any documentation of the transfer. (No…it became N5723N first.) It went from the RFC to Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, in 1946. Sketchy records it was “sold” to Aerovias Moxas in Bolivia in 1950, becoming CB-71 and, later, CP-571. It was destroyed in Bolivia in a 1962 accident. One suspects that Owen Williams of California-Atlantic Airways was involved in the transfer to Bolivia, but nothing definitive has surfaced. (Update: more information has surfaced on this B-17. It went from Carleton College to The Babb Company, where it became N5723N, and then was sold to a Bolivian operator. For more information…see this posting.)

1955 Summary of U.S. Civil B-17s

At the end of 1948, there were four B-17s active or at least on the U.S. civil market. By 1955, that number had increased to eight:

• N1340N
• N17W
• N5017N*
• N5111N*
• N5845N
• N66773
• N68269*
• N7942A

(*Active at the end of 1948)

Coming Up in Part 3

The next group of B-17s that joined the U.S. civil registered came between 1956 and 1960, when the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard all retired their respective fleets of B-17s (or PB-1Ws or PB-1Gs) and made them available through surplus sales. We’ll take a look at this group in Part 3, coming soon to a computer or tablet near you.

And, for some in-depth details about any of these civil B-17s, please check out Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors.