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2011 B-17 NEWS

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We're including this page as an update point for B-17 news. We'll post information garnered from any variety of sources, and notate that source at the end of the item. If anyone has anything they'd like to add, please let us know.

B-17 Tour Information

The Collings Foundation B-17G Nine-O-Nine, 44-83575 (N93012), is in the midst of its 2011 tour, spending the balance of October in Virginia. For the most current information, jump to here for schedule information.
The Commemorative (ex-Confederate) Air Force's B-17G Texas Raiders, 44-83872 (N7227C), is flying again and offering rides and appearances. Jump to here for show dates and ride information. Looks like Texas dates for June and July.
The CAF's other B-17G, Sentimental Journey, 44-83514 (N9323Z), has information and dates posted for 2011. The Arizona Wing's page can be found here for the only Wing information posted for Sentimental Journey.
The Experimental Aircraft Association's B-17G Aluminum Overcast, 44-85740 (N5017N), has a fall tour underway with dates in the south central U.S. Check out the most current information here.
The Yankee Air Force out of Willow Run, Michigan, operates the magnificent B-17G, 44-85829 (N3193G), Yankee Lady. Rides are being scheduled on the airplane from the YAF base at Belleville, Michigan. Jump to here for their most current information.
The Lone Star Flight Museum's Thunderbird, 44-85718 (N900RW), based at Galveston, Texas, offers a ride program. The B-17 has ride dates scheduled. Check out the most current schedule at right here.

October 2011

As a long sad summer for warbirds and related airshows draws to a close, it is hard to understand the string of seemingly unrelated but stunningly tragic accidents and incidents that has beset the industry, not the least of which was the loss of a B-17 but, at least fortunate in that incident, without the loss of life. Not so with so many accidents this year. It seems more than just a bad string of coincidences but what else could it be? Too careless, too aggresive, too confident? I would presume a good number of people will be looking at ways to make things a bit better in 2012.

....just a few items from the files this time around....

Work Continues on Picadilly Lilly: Bruce Orriss advises that progress is being made on the restoration of a bunch of B-17 parts, the majority of it being B-17G 44-83387. This airframe is under a static rebuild, with the fuselage work being done at Auburn, California, and the wings being worked at a facility in Los Angeles. It is slated for display at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans when completed.
This is the fuselage section that had been a movie prop and was hanging in a bar at Greely, Colorado, until recovered by Orriss. It is being combined with the remnants of several other airframes to create a complete B-17. The inner wing sections, now a rarity among available B-17 parts, has been the missing link of the project, but parts recovered long ago from a crash site will apparently be usable as the basis of some rebuilt inner wing sections, so that hurdle is being addressed. Can't say much more and I have yet to get ahold of any photos, but it is nice to see that progress is forthcoming.
Tail Section Correctly Identified: In July's update (see below) I had queried about this tail section found in a hangar at Kissimmee back in 1995:

Dave from England passed along that this is actually the remaining tail section from B-17G 44-85643 (F-BEEA) that had crashed in 1989 during the filming of Memphis Belle at RAF Binbrook. Yep, a close look shows matching antenna and paint, especially when compared to this photo Dave took of the wreckage being removed from the accident site.

Intersting to note the location of that part (with Tom Reilly) in 1995 and one wonders where it is now. One wonders. Thanks Dave for keeping me honest.
March Field Museum B-17G Under Repaint: Mentioned in the June update was the appearance of the March Field B-17G, STRONG>44-6393. Chris "mustangdriver" Henry took a road trip that just happened to pass by the airplane, and he posted this recent photo of the airplane. It appears to be undergoing a repaint. It is not known if the markings will change with the new paint.
New Book on the Israeli B-17s: Haven't held one in my hands yet, but notable is a new book by Alex Yofe entitled B-17G Flying Fortress in Israeli Air Force Service 1948-1957.

I've heard from a few guys that have seen this book that it covers the obscure subject quite well and has many never-before-published photos. The book description on the Amazon.com listing informs
96 pages. 217 b/w photos and 15 color profiles (3 with upper planform views and opposite sides). Detailed visual history relating the Flying Fortress' service in the fledgling IAF. While early clandestine acquisitions lacked many of the distinctive features seen on the Boeing bombers while in the USAAF, improvisations restored the fight to the surreptitious long-range aircraft, and they became a much needed equalizer during the early years of the Heyl HaAvir. Provides the reader with all aspects of the B-17's Israeli service history - from the first mission on 15 July, 1948 by a single aircraft over Cairo to retirement in 1957 in anticipation of newer jet bombers. Highlights include B-17 actions during War of Independence operations Yoav and Chorev, interwar years, Suez Crisis operation Kadesh and IAF colors and markings.

I look forward to getting it when I can and will review it at some point when I do.
Boeing Model 299 Crash Site? There has been an interesting on and off discussion about where the Boeing Model 299 crashed on Wright Field on October 30, 1935.

The airfield has changed considerably in the intervening seventy-six years, but Dik Shepherd sent in a photo that would suggest an excellent possibility of the accident site. This view shows one of the Y1B-17s flying over Wright Field in 1937, and the area behind the left wing in the photo view appears to be the accident site, based upon the layout of the airfield at the time and piecing together the witness accounts. Also, obviously, there appears to be recently disturbed ground in the photo.

Closely comparing this current Google Earth view of Wright Field and tying together several prominent landmarks in both photos (railroad line, several remaining hangars or buildings), I think this marking on the photos comes very close to where the marking is on the 1937 photo. As can be seen, the probable crash site is about 1,000 feet southeast of the current National Museum of the USAF complex.

July 2011

Sad times for B-17 folks with the loss of Liberty Belle, but a few things have accumulated over the past month. Plus, I had to update the numbers...now ten B-17s airworthy and 47 existent survivors...sad to see the number drop.

Liberty Belle Update: Not much more to say at this point. The wreckage of B-17G 44-85734 (N390TH) was removed from a cornfield to, reportedly, a hangar at the Aurora airport. Nothing concrete on its fate, though there is thinking that the Liberty Foundation will acquire the parts from the insurance company for incorporation in the restoration of B-17G 44-83790.
Liberty Foundation chief pilot Ray Fowler issued a lengthy statement on June 14 that is posted on the Liberty Foundation website. It fills in some details of what happened. There is also a place to make donations to the foundation for a future restoration.
Also, the NTSB has issued a preliminary report on the incident, which can be found right here. Notable is the omission of any speculation on what caused the wing fire to develop in the area behind the number two engine. The report is reproduced in its entirety:

On June 13, 2011, about 0947 central daylight time, a Boeing B-17G "Flying Fortress" airplane, N390TH, experienced an in-flight fire and performed an emergency landing near Oswego, Illinois. One passenger sustained a minor injury. The 3 crew members and 3 other passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged as a result of a fire that ensued after it was on the ground. The aircraft was registered to and operated by The Liberty Foundation under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a repositioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR), Aurora, Illinois at 0938.
The accident airplane departed ARR with a North American SNJ-4, N299FM, as a flight of two airplanes. About 6 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the SNJ airplane informed the flight crew of the B-17 that they had an in-flight fire. The SNJ pilot subsequently advised the B-17 crew to execute an emergency landing to a field.
The flight crew of the B-17 reported that they smelled smoke and were attempting to locate the source when they received the call from the pilot of the SNJ. They had already shut off the electrical generators in an effort to isolate the problem. Once they determined that the fire was on the left wing, they elected to shut down the number 2 engine and discharge the fire bottles. Following the advice from the SNJ pilot, the B-17 flight crew performed an emergency landing to a corn field about 8 miles southeast of ARR.
The B-17 came to rest near the east end of the corn field. The crew and passengers exited the airplane as the fire persisted. Emergency crews responding to the airplane were hampered by muddy field conditions, and the fire ultimately consumed the fuselage and inboard portion of both wings.

On the warbird forum sites, speculation and theories abound about what happened, why it happened, how it could have been different if only (fill in the blank), what will become of the wreckage of Liberty Belle, and a not-unusual insistence by forum contributors to make other people's plans and spend other people's money on another B-17 restoration to replace the fallen Fortress. 'Nuff said.
Extensive Work Underway on Duxford's Mary Alice: The B-17G displayed at the American Air Museum, 44-83735, was pulled from display in April 2011 and transported to a conservation hangar for some major maintenance, corrosion removal, and repaint. To get the airplane out of the museum it had to have its wings removed. The fuselage moved in mid-April and the wings moved in late June. Work has progressed to completely strip the paint from all the external fuselage surfaces and remove underlying corrosion, to be followed by metal preparation, primer, and new paint. Wings and tail section to follow. Some great photos of the process are shown at this WIX forum topic, a sample of which is shamelessly borrowed from the documenter of the process, Peter Green (aka "bomberflight") and shown here:

No word yet on whether it will again become Mary Alice or perhaps another B-17. Mary Alice was originally suggested by 8th Air Force historian Roger Freeman because it was one of the few B-17s that flew with the Cheyenne tail guns and had a camouflage scheme. We await with anticipation the decision of the museum.
Boeing Bee on Display at Museum of Flight: As promised, B-17F 42-29782 is on outdoor display at the Boeing Field Museum of Flight facility in Seattle effective June 30, 2011. The airplane has been held in storage by the museum for numerous years but it was evicted from the last place that held it, the old Boeing Plant #2, which is now being demolished. It spent the winter and spring in one of Clay Lacy's hangars across the field. Now it is on static display at the museum through at least the rest of the summer. After that? Well, there might be room in the inn.
Progress on Picadilly Lily II at Chino: Alan Doner sent some photos in taken recently of B-17G 44-83684 (N3713G) undergoing a slow outdoor restoration at the Planes of Fame facility at Chino. Much work has been accomplished, but much more to do. These photos show the airplane with the remounted vertical stabilizer, new markings, and the remounted Cheyenne tail gun compartment featured in June while still across the field at Aero Trader.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm thinking this B-17G is going to be finished as 42-97158 and carry 96th Bomb Group markings. Jack Croul, he of warbird fame, happened to be a navigator on a wartime B-17 carrying those markings. And he is helping sponsor some of the work. Call me psychic.
And, here is a view of the radio room.
1997 Views of B-17E 41-9210: Jim Madleblatt sent in a bunch of photos he took in February 1995 and March 1997 of B-17E 41-910 (Now N12355, then N8WJ) while it was undergoing some heavy maintenance to put it into airworthy condition at the World Jet facility at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This first shows the forward fuselage:

And then here is one of the aft fuselage.

And, okay, here is one of the middle fuselage.

This airplane had been returned from 'meat hauler' duty in Bolivia in 1990 by Don Whittington of World Jet. It was in pretty rough condition but flew north from Bolivia. Over the span of several years it was rebuilt, not necessarily restored, back to a somewhat airworthy condition and, in 1998, sold to the Flying Heritage Collection. It disappeared into the bowels of that organization. It was disassembled and a good part of it expertly restored, but it remains to this date is disassembled semi-storage. It may someday fly again if the Vulcans so desire. (N12355 technically owned by Vulcan Warbirds, thus the sly and somewhat witty reference...this is good stuff here.)
And, a bit intriguing is this photo of the tail section and part of the dorsal fin of an unidentified B-17. No idea what airplane this is in the World Jet hangar in February 1995. If anyone has any clue, please let me in...

I'm pretty sure it is not part of 41-9210. Possibly a B-17 part picked up in Bolivia and returned to Ft. Lauderdale with the B-17E.
Surplus B-17G Used as Airport Marker: I've held a mini-research project on the back burner long enough to forget about it, but when looking at some RFC disposal photos in my files it jumped out. These photos show B-17G 43-37650 being used as an airport marker in the early post-war years at Russell Field at Fort Worth, Texas. The photos appeared in a Boeing employee magazine at the time to show how the old B-17s were being used. I suspect it was transferred by the RFC to the airport for use as an educational display for a nominal fee.

Russell Field was a small airport located in the Fort Worth area that is now covered by a Holiday Inn. The fascinating and well-documented website Abandoned and Little Known Airfields has quite a bit of material on the airfield located right here but nothing on the B-17. I'll pass this information along to that site to help tell the whole story.

And the B-17? Well, it was one of many scooped up by Owen Williams, he of California-Atlantic Airways. He bought the airplane probably about 1950 (from the airport that didn't own it) and sold it, then registered as N66570, south to Bolivia for use as cargo airplane. It was reported destroyed in a 1955 mid air collision with a DC-3.
Kissimmee B-17s in June 1998: Andy Whiteside sent in a series of photos he shot at the Tom Reilly facility at Kissimmee in June 1998. At the time, Tom had two B-17s, a large amount of remains of a third B-17, and probably a smattering of parts of a couple of others.
First off, is Kermit Weeks' DB-17P 44-83525 that was at Reilly's shop for some insurance sponsored repairs after the 1991 Hurricane Andrew fiasco at Tamiami that destroyed a large part of the Weeks' collection and nearly destroyed his B-17.

This airplane remains in deep storage at the Fantasy of Flight facility at Polk, Florida.
And then we have a photo showing part of the fuselage of 44-85734, then on its way to becoming the Liberty Belle a decade hence.

This airplane is the one that was lost in the Illinois cornfield on June 14, 2011.
And, finally, the remains of a third B-17G, this being 44-85813 (N6694C) that crashed in North Carolina in 1980 while operating as an air tanker. The forward fuselage and a wing section were pretty much destroyed by fire in the crash, but the remainder of the airplane was recovered by Reilly a few years later.

These airplane parts are the basis of the restoration project underway at Urbana, Ohio.
There you go.

June 13-14, 2011

Liberty Belle Goes Down; Crew and Passengers Safe

(Posted at 1536 Pacific Daylight Time...updates to follow)

(Update posted below on June 14 at 0600 Pacific Daylight Time...more updates to follow)

Good news as a part of terrible news today. At approximately 0945 Central Daylight Time, B-17G 44-85734 (N390TH), which was on a repositioning flight from Aurora, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, was forced to make an off field landing due to a fire. The three man crew and four passengers were able to evacuate the airplane before it became engulfed in flames, with most of the structure ultimately destroyed.

Kudos to the flight crew, as yet unnamed, who made the hard but correct decision to put the safety of those aboard the airplane ahead of the airplane itself and got the airplane on the ground when the fire was observed and presumably spreading.

Details remain rightfully sketchy but it would appear that this much is known: the airplane suffered a fire in the wing area in the vicinity of the number two engine, possibly engine caused, possibly not. The number two engine was shut down and the propeller feathered. The crew decided to make an immediate landing in a cornfield and the airplane was safely landed gear down. The crew and passengers safely evacuated the airplane with one minor injury suffered by a passenger.

It is important to note that this was not an aircraft crash. It was a successful precautionary off field landing.

However, even though emergency fire crews were on hand quickly, the airplane was consumed by the fire.

In an effort to avoid posting any sensational or incorrect information I will add updates to this site when more definitive and/or authoritative information becomes available.

This was very bad news but it could have been so much worse. Again, kudos to the crew for some good decision making and resource management.

(Update below posted on June 14 at 0600 Pacific Daylight Time)

Details have emerged in the aftermath of the precautionary landing and subsequent fire that destroyed the B-17:

A photo (see #14) of the airplane taken from the ground of the B-17 overhead shows flames emerging from the lower wing aft and slightly outboard of the number two engine.
Media reports that the crew and passengers on board the aircraft smelled smoke and were seeking the cause when an T-6, pilot and aircraft as yet unidentified, flying alongside the B-17 reported to the crew the flames emerging from the left wing. It is presumed that at that time the #2 engine was shut down and the propeller feathered.
The airplane was landed in the corn field and the three man crew and four Liberty Belle volunteers evacuated the B-17. One volunteer received a minor injury leaving the airplane resulting in the need for several stitches. Presumably, a cut or gash received hurrying out of the plane.
Photos taken immediately after the plane landed shows the inboard left wing area burning, the rest of the airplane undamaged. In a very short time, the airplane center section and inboard wing areas of both wings are completely engulfed by an intense fire.
Media reports suggest that fire crews found it difficult to get their heavy trucks and equipment to the airplane due to the very soft and mushy condition of the cornfield.
Photos of the airplane after the fire was finally extinguished show the fuselage burnt out from the nose to the area just forward of the horizontal stabilzer, and the wings badly damaged or destroyed from inboard of each aileron. The engines and propellers on both wings appear relatively undamaged or burnt.
The NTSB had a team at the crash site as is its routine and is conducting and investigation that will eventually result in a preliminary and then a final report.
The crew and passengers as yet remain unidentified in the media, and though we have a good idea of who was onboard we will wait until that information is available from the Liberty Foundation. We await also information on the T-6.
Don Brooks of the Liberty Foundation spoke to the media and made a statement that basically noted the tragic loss of the airplane but that the people on the airplane were safe and that was the important thing.
Informative story this morning from the Aurora Beacon-News.
Lots of photos and information out there in the Chicago Tribune and other area newspapers. Some stories contain some significant inaccuracies, not unexpected given the nature of the story, but the photos are very dramatic and hard to look at.
Comment: some postings on the warbird forums about cause, effect, and the future of the Liberty Foundation and the other airplane it has under restoration are premature and unnecessary.

More updates to follow as appropriate

June 2011

Chuckie Gleams: B-17G 44-8543, now owned by the Military Aircraft Museum at Virginia Beach, Virgnia, spent the spring in Florida at the shops of American Aero Services at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A chin and ball turret were added along with a waist gun on the right side. Some previously deferred maintenance was also completed. The aircraft had a mini debut at the Warbirds Over the Beach show put on by the museum during the weekend of May 21 and 22. Bill Scheuerman shot this nice photo and he let me use it:

While it was held at Fort Worth at the Vintage Flying Museum, there was a concerted effort by museum volunteers to reinstall a "pathfinder" radar unit in place of the ball turret, as that is the aircraft's actual heritage. Those plans have been shelved, however, by the new owner and it now carries standard B-17G armament. All in all, the airplane looks very impressive.
Aero Trader Stuff #1: Some Cheyenne tail stuff going on at Aero Trader. First off is the Cheyenne tail off of B-17G 44-83684 parked across the field at Planes of Fame. This B-17G is undergoing a slow restoration back to flight status again, and here is the tail compartment coming back together.

Nick Veronico sent this photo and a whole bunch of other photos in after it was sent to him by Robert Nishimura.
And, speaking of the old Picadilly Lilly, it recently had its vertical stabilizer remounted, a big step in making the airplane look right again. Jump to this link to read a recent update on the progress. Sadly, the restoration effort is somewhat hobbled by funding problems so the major systems have yet to be addressed...like engines and electrical systems and propellers and the like. As usual, all you need is bucks, and a little help from some friends. Kind of a little Beatle thing going there, get it?
Aero Trader Stuff #2: And speaking of Nick Veronico, he has his own Cheyenne tail compartment coming back together, something that's been mentioned here a few times. It has been sorta restored a couple of times before but it is getting the best treatment yet as it comes back to original specifications. Looking at this view, also taken by Robert Nichimura, one can see the way the original Boeing stinger tail was modified by the Cheyenne kits by the United Airlines Modification Center to create the better tail gun position.
New Book Review Posted: I added a book review of the new book on the Swedish B-17s by Jan Forsgren to my Review Page. Good book....check it out.

Some interesting photos included, plus some aircraft profiles, that you won't find anywhere else.
RFC B-17 Photos Surface: I've made a determined effort to try and document those B-17s that went from the Reconstruction Finance Corp. or its successor, the War Assets Administration, to educational institutions in the post war period between 1945 and 1948. I've accumulated a listing of about twenty such B-17s, which can be visited right here. Most of these airplanes are not all that well documented. We have information on those that were later civil airplanes, but I suspect there were quite a few that went to educational institutions or communities for war memorials and were later just scrapped, to disappear into history. One airplane we knew about was B-17G 43-38322, which was sent to the Oklahoma Military Academy at Claremont, Oklahoma, in (probably) late 1945. It was "sold" by the academy in 1949, even though it didn't own it, and it went through several civil owners and was the subject of federal government legal proceedings to deny the sales. In the end, it was sold south to Bolivia where it flew as CP-936 until a February 1972 accident.
In any event, I have never been able to locate a photo of the airplane in all the years of my research. Then, a few weeks ago, Nick Veronico finds this photo in a box of pictures owned by photographer Gerald Liang.

Yep, that's the airplane, parked next to an as-yet unidentified P-51C (at least I don't have the identity). This photo apparently came from P-51 guy Dick Phillips who either took it or added it to his collection at some point. Awaiting confirmation here. Interesting photo, though. It is obviously on display at the airport, and the B-17 has been stripped of turrets. As per its Army record card, it was used for training purposes, which also might suggest for administrative transport. It's nice for these kinds of things to pop up, and thanks to Nick for keeping his eyes open.
Wierdest thing, though. That same week this photo became available on ebay:

It would appear this photo was also taken at the Claremont Airport but the P-51C is not visible. It give a good idea of the condition of the airplane also...plus a view of its last set of military markings, or lack thereof. It actually looks factory fresh except that the turrets are missing. Very interesting and a bit strange to me that two photos of an obscure airplane would pop up at the same time. I'm thinking the CIA might be involved. I did try and buy the photo, by the way, putting my $20.01 bid in, and was beaten in a last second frenzy of several bidders that drove the price to $58 (!!). A couple of guys really wanted that photo, I guess. Oh well. And, thanks to Dik Shepherd for making me aware of the photo on ebay.
(The Movie) Memphis Belle : Can't say it's officially "newsworthy" (but what is around here?), but Jim Mandleblatt sent me this photo taken last summer at Andrews AFB, Maryland. It's a nice photo, so I updated my locator link to use this photo.

Jim has a particular interest in this airplane as his father flew it, yep, it, during the Korean War. That's a bit unusual in the B-17 world these days. Here, just because, is a fairly rare photo of that airplane at that time.

This B-17G is still operated by MARC and remains based at Geneseo, New York.
March Field B-17G: Alan Doner went to visit the March Field Museum B-17G at the end of March, and sent in a few photos of the airplane; here is one of them.

Sadly, it is looking a bit neglected...the paint is starting to go again. I empathize with these museums, trying to keep a large collection in good condition under outdoor display conditions...just about impossible. Nonetheless, it is also hard to see so many of the NMUSAF B-17s, and there are about sixteen in its inventory, in marginal condition.
Perhaps to clarify a bit, I count eleven NMUSAF B-17s on loan to USAF base museums or other museum facilities, and of these, seven are displayed outdoors often in harsh or abusive climates and the airplanes suffer. Not sure what the answer is except lots of money and volunteers and maybe a bit of official help to get these airplanes inside and protected.
USAF Armament Museum B-17G Repainted: As if on cue, here is another of the NMUSAF B-17Gs, this one on display at the Armament Museum at Eglin AFB, Florida. It has enjoyed the application of new paint and markings, for which I will let the view judge on his (or her) own terms.
First, here is a photo of the airplane back in March after it had been stripped and/or sanded in preparation for the new paint. This photo was sent in by Scott Doremus.

And John Kerr sent in some photos of the airplane taken in early May after the painting was nearing completion.

These guys tried very hard and they get an "E" for effort. However, it doesn't take much of a close look to see corrosion issues not addressed, leaving alone the shortcomings of the actual paint scheme applied and the manner in which it was applied.

No name yet. Just as well. This used to be a Navy PB-1W, by the way. Wouldn't it be nice, eh? A PB-1W on display somewhere. Maybe the National Naval Air Museum. Dream on. The Navy can't even spell PB-1W. Even though the PB-1W did pioneer EWACs and airborne early warning radar. Not important.
Media Alert!: The Boeing Frontiers magazine had an article in it February 2011 edition about the recovery and restoration of one of the Boeing wind tunnel models used in the B-17E development program in late 1940.

The article was done by Mike Lombardi, one of the archivists at the Boeing Archives and definitely a friend of B-17 historians. I'm posting this link of the article to a pdf file on my server on the chance that I won't be sued for a gazillion dollars by some Boeing legal weenie... Jump to not a copyright infringement if you dare. Just our little secret, but interesting reading, eh? Thanks to Kevin Kelly for the head's up and the impending legal headaches.
Tillamook B-17 Parts: The Tillamook Air Museum held a cache of B-17 wreckage, mostly from B-17E 41-9032 but also from B-17F 42-30861. As passed to me by Sean O'Brien, it's not there anymore. I should know where it went, but I don't. Suspect possibly to some Gary Larkins storage place; I guess I should find out. More to follow.
Another B-17 Movie: Nick Veronico also identified another B-17 movie to throw on my B-17 Movie pile found right here. He sent in this promotional still from the movie:

This one is Fury In the Sky which, according to the excellent IMDB resource, was a reissue of the 1944 film Ladies Courageous, a film about the WASP ferry pilots of World War II. You wouldn't necessarily get that from the movie still illustrated above. Still, I have added it to my listing and someday, when I am dead and have more time, I will expand and add a mini feature page on this film to the movie page. Someday.
You Tube Alert #1 !!!: A nice video put together by Chuck Derer that covers some stuff with the EAA's Aluminum Overcast (44-85840) and, particularly, an interview with Mike Kellner regarding the restoration of the B-17E Desert Rat (41-2595). Check it out.
You Tube Alert #2 !!!: An interesting video showing the current state and situation of the stored Brazilian SB-17G 44-83718. Forget the jungle wrecks; this is the airplane to go after.

April 2011

Note to visitors: I'm off to a bit of a slow start for 2011 due to some time demands, one of which is explained below. I hope to get back on track with more regular updates through the rest of the year...no promises, just hopes.

Final Cut 4.0 Put To Bed: Yep, the 2011 update for Final Cut: The Post War B-17 and Survivors is done and off to the printers. I'm going to start selling it right.....now..... It will be available for shipping in early April. This is the landmark, eagerly anticipated, Fourth Edition. Looks good to me. Every time this book is redone it gets a bit better, at least in my humble opinion.

For those who don't care, skip over this part, but a bit of background. First edition in 1990, second edition in 2000, third edition in 2009, and now the fourth edition just two years later? What's up with that? Well, a couple of reasons. First, numerous changes in the B-17 World in the past few years, from a few moving around (Chuckie, City of Savannah, Swamp Ghost) to some coming back to the air (i.e. Texas Raiders) and some being grounded (i.e. Pink Lady). Plus, some amazing progress on some ongoing restorations...all in all more than enough to warrant a revision. Plus, in the book world, the coming of the digital age means that a revision costs pretty much the same as a reprint...and it was time to reprint Final Cut as we were sold out....not a bad thing unless you wanted a book. So, I turned the easy task of a reprint into a much bigger deal of a revision...added sixteen more pages and updated many sections. Added some more photos and other content. Corrected those very few (?) errors. So, now 256 pages, over 400 photos, still black and white content with the same style of cover (except now it has a little blue triangle in the corner that says "Fourth Edition" instead of the little orange triangle that said "Third Edition"...pretty clever, eh?) Still high quality coated paper stock, still softbound, still packed with stuff. And still the same price: $24.95. Not a good time to raise prices even though production costs have increased a bit.
I could tell you more about the travails of book production but that will have to await, alas, another day. Suffice it to say that these things don't come easy, cheap, or fast.
But, if you want to be the first in your household to get your hands on this fine book, just shoot over to the dedicated webpage to read about this fine book and find ordering details.
Swamp Ghost Update: In the course of updating the section of Final Cut (see above) on B-17E 41-2446, better known these days as Swamp Ghost, I had the pleasure of talking to Fred Hagen who's company, Aero Archaeology, is the legal owner of the airplane. He was the driving force that got the airplane out of the Papua New Guinea swamp back in 2006, and who fought the fight to allow it to be exported to the U.S. As readers of these pages know, it did arrive on a ship at Long Beach Harbor in May 2010, and it is now in storage at Chino. The forward fuselage is on display at the Planes of Fame facility on the airport.
But, it was quite interesting to speak at some length to Mr. Hagen because so much good and bad has been written and said about what transpired to get the airplane back to the U.S. and what lies ahead for the airplane.
I won't repeat what I wrote in the book update, which I think lays out the story in a forthright manner without some of the emotion that has followed this story. But, for this update, I will note that as of my discussion with Hagen, it is unlikely any attempt will be made to restore the airplane to flying condition. As has been noted, this would basically require the destruction of the historical value of the airplane.

At this point, I think Mr. Hagen would like to have the airplane restored to represent its resting point in the Agaiambo Swamp between 1942 and 2006. When and where that display might be is still open. Several museums, including the Pima Air and Space Museum at Tucson, Arizona, the National Museum of the Pacific War at Fredericksburg, Texas, and the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island in Hawaii have all expressed serious interest in displaying the aircraft. Also, Hagen is exploring the creation of a new museum at the site of NAS Willow Grove, near Philadelphia, after the base is closed, that would contain his collection plus, possibly, parts of other aircraft collections.
B-17 Fuselage Sections Moved to Auburn, California, for Restoration: The nose and cockpit of the airplane that will probably end up at the World War II museum at New Orleans, 44-83387, was moved in early March from a warehouse in Los Angeles to the Gary Larkins shop in Auburn, a town located thirty miles northeast of Sacramento in northern California. The fuselage sections are going to be reassembled by Gary and combined with the tail section of B-17F 42-30861 to create one complete fuselage. (Here's an oldie but goody photo of the tail section.)

Bruce Orriss, who owns the parts, plans to ship the bomb bay and radio room compartments in April. Gary is currently hard at work on the aft fuselage, having just installed the ball turret and finishing work on the tail compartment. When the aft fuselage is completed it will be shipped back to Los Angeles for final work, while Gary turns his attention to putting the four sections of the forward fuselage back together, not a minor task given the way they were disassembled. The process is somewhat simplified in that this is a static restoration, but there is still some major structural work required. Bruce is still diligently searching for inner wing panels to allow a complete B-17 to be assembled for eventual display in New Orleans. The inner wing sections have become a rare and sought-out commodity for restoration projects. The wings will be restored by Gary once the components are available. You'd think I'd have a current photo of what's going on as Auburn is, like, ten miles from where I live in Lincoln, California. Sadly but, no, I don't.
12 O'Clock High B-17s: Speaking of Bruce Orriss, he is making a concerted effort to identify the dozen or so B-17s in the 1949 filming of the movie. The operational scenes were filmed at Ozark Field (now Fort Rucker) in southern Alabama, right on the Florida state line. At least some of the B-17s were ex-drone B-17Gs used in post war atomic testing and came from a drone group at Eglin Field. Reportedly, some other B-17s may have been pulled from a depot at Brookley Air Depot. In any event, only one B-17 has been definitively identified: drone controller DB-17G 44-83592 that was used by Paul Mantz for the crash landing scene.

The other eleven or so B-17s are unidentified, and the aircraft record cards for possible airplanes haven't revealed much. Several B-17s are known to have been assigned to the drone unit at the time. One, 44-83612 is a candidate, and the dozen plus Operation Crossroads airplanes are known. Trying to tie them together with the film has proved elusive, so if anyone has any information that could help here, please send it on it. Like, for example, your grandfather was the crew chief of the group when the film was made and has a log sheet with all the airplane serial numbers on it...things like that.
Museum of Flight B-17F: The Museum of Flight B-17F, 42-29782 (N17W), evicted from the Boeing Plant Two at Boeing Field in September 2010, is currently stored in a Clay Lacy FBO hangar on the north side of the airport. It is slated for outdoor display at the Museum of Flight ramp beginning in July, probably remaining on display into September.

So, check it out while you have the chance. Chances are it will return to storage for the indefinite future after the good weather of summer...good weather in Seattle in summer being when it is either raining, about to rain, or just stopped raining, as opposed to winter when its raining. How about the big new display building being built at the museum? Well, it will most likely hold a Space Shuttle the museum is trying to obtain. Still no room for a B-17 in the museum. Maybe someday, maybe not.
Eglin AFB Armament Museum B-17G Getting Some Attention: The ex Navy PB-1W displayed at the USAF Armament Museum in Florida is undergoing a repaint, as shown by some photos sent in by Scott Doremus. The airplane has had its ups and downs. Nice to see it getting some attention.

No word on if the markings will be changed. It was last marked as the 388th Bomb Group's Gremlin's Hideout.
Don't Mess With Texas: Floating around in an EAA webletter was a reference to the 1992 filming of of the Texas Highway Department anti-littering commercial. They used the (Arizona-based) CAF B-17G 44-83514 (N9323Z) but we won't tell anyone. Anyways, check out the commercial as it was run. And, then, check out how it was filmed.
Dominican Air Force B-17s: I have had some correspondence with Luis Puesan, a gentleman writing a book about the Dominican Air Force in Spanish. There have always been some questions about the two B-17s used by the Fuerza A�rea Dominicana or, at the time, the Cuerpo de Aviaci�n Militar Dominicana (AMD). These two B-17Gs carried the serials of AMD2301 and AMD2302. I've mentioned this several times in past sections of B-17 News. I am of the opinion that one of the B-17s operated was the B-17G interned by the Portuguese in the Azores while it was being ferried to Israel in 1948, thus making it 44-83842. Not much substantial to tie this together except the dates match up and it explains the disappearance of the interned B-17. There are rumors that it became AMD2301...just nothing definitive. One grainy photo I've seen shows the two airplanes as obviously B-17Gs equipped with top turrets and chin turrets. No guns are evident. These two Dominican B-17s have always been a bit of black hole of information so it is good that some specific research is being done.
Some reports show the two B-17s as being acquired in 1947 and released in 1958, and they carried the prior serials of AMD 106 and 107. Again, no information about from where them came or where they went.
Mr. Puesan provided excerpts from a logbook kept by a Dominican pilot by the name of Sanchez Perez, and it shows him flying AMD2302 between January 1954 and April 1955. He shows his first B-17 flight in 1951 in an unidentified B-17 and his last in AMD2302 on April 18, 1955. The nature of the flights were test flying, bombing practice, and patrol. There were ten flights listed in his logbook for B-17 flights.
Mr. Puesan feels that, based upon this information and other research, that AMD2301 was used as a parts source to keep AMD2302 flying until 1955 or 1956, and that both were then sold to an American cargo company around 1956, though he has one indication the date of disposal was 1957.
My records show no such acquisition by a U.S. company of two B-17s in 1956 or 1957 under such circumstances, but they could have been purchased for parts only or they might have been sold actually to a South American operator, possibly Bolivian. There remains at least one unidentified Bolivian B-17. Interesting stuff (to me) and something that bears further research. Holy Grails being what they are, etc.
Buried B-17F Found: From Dennis Coley comes the word of a B-17 uncovered in Florida (thanks, Chris and, later, Tim), one that crashed in 1944. Dennis passes along the following, slightly edited:
I just confirmed it's identity Saturday. It is B-17F 42-5958. Wet Dream. It bellied in at Avon Park on April 18th 1944. The wreckage was found (or re-found, long story there) last summer, and the base archaeologist has been working on it since then. It appears that the plane was stripped, disassembled, blown up, and then buried. The wing spars are now buried parallel to the bomb bay section of fuselage that has been partly excavated. I found an engine dataplate that I was able to match to the #1 engine for a positive I.D. of the plane. There are no engines at the site.

So, here is a photo Dennis sent in of the crash landing:

And here is part of the wing section uncovered.

There is still a whole lot of stuff out there.
Media Alert: Pilot Building 1/3 Scale B-17: Pat Carry passed along this link to a story in Pacific Flyer about this dude building, sure enough, a 1/3 scale B-17 in Illinois. Check it out. It's been noted before but this is an update.
Bomb Group Website: Gregg Heilman was kind enough to pass along this website dedicated to the 11th Bombardment Group, elements of which were at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941. A nice addition to the B-17 Links page.