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2016 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), has winter and spring dates posted for its 2016 Wings of Freedom tour. 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), has schedule dates posted. Jump to here for show dates and ride information.

• The CAF's other B-17G, Sentimental Journey, 44-83514 (N9323Z), has no tour dates currently scheduled but offers rides on a pre-arranged basis from its Mesa, Arizona, base. 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 2016 dates posted. Check for the most current information here.

• The Yankee Air Force out of Willow Run, Michigan, operates the magnificent B-17G, 44-85829 (N3193G), Yankee Lady. Jump to here for their most current information.

June 2016

• B-17G 44-83546 Returns to Geneseo: The Military Aircraft Restoration Corp. B-17G 44-83546 (N3703G), flying as The Movie Memphis Belle left the fold of the Liberty Foundation and moved to its new, old, home at Geneseo, New York, with the National Warplane Museum. This B-17G, which has been rebuilt to resemble a B-17F, had been operated by the Liberty Foundation since 2012 in a lease arrangement. That arrangement was terminated earlier this year and the airplane moved from Douglas, Georgia, to Geneseo in February.

  It can be presumed that there were some behind-the-scenes activities related to the FAA Living History Flight Experience (LHFE) program that allows Federal Aviation Regulation waivers for operating this and other aircraft in ride programs that help offset operational costs. 44-83546 was not approved for the ride program in 2015 and presumably would not be approved for 2016, so the aircraft arrangements changed and the airplane is now operated by the National Warplane Museum. The Geneseo museum has also applied to operate the aircraft under the same LHFE program, so we shall see as that application winds through the FAA review process.

  The LHFE program was placed on hold in 2012 and new applications were not considered as the program was reviewed by the FAA. After May 2015, the program was re-authorized, but there has been some apparent fallout. The gist of the program is that, when approved, warbird operators can sell rides on vintage aircraft under very specific and limited conditions that otherwise would be prohibited by the FARs.

  As for 44-83546, it was a USAF VB-17G that was converted for use as an air tanker through the 1970s. It was purchased by the late David Tallichet and his MARC organization, which still owns the airplane. It spent the early years at Chino but has subsequently spent time based at a variety of locations and operated by numerous entities through the years. It was one of five B-17s used in the 1989 film Memphis Belle and was one of two B-17s used to portray the title aircraft in the filming process, the other being 44-85784 that flies as Sally B from Duxford.

  It was based at Geneseo for many years and from all accounts the museum is excited to have the airplane back in its fold.

• B-17 Filmology Sifted Forth: Bruce Orriss passed along some interesting information about two before-unknown episodes that involved B-17s during the filming of The McConnell Story, the 1955 film about Korean war pilot Capt. Joseph C. McConnell, Jr. Bruce was digging through some film files at USC as research for the upcoming fourth volume in his series When Hollywood Ruled the Skies. Bruce was able to sift out some production details that included involvement of the film's technical adviser, Col. William Orris.

  Apparently, Warner Bros., which produced the film, no longer had a B-17 mock-up on their studio lot for use in filming the World War II combat scenes which McConnell had participated in as a navigator (actually a B-24 navigator, overlooked as an inconvenient detail, apparently). Orris was able to have the USAF "loan" a B-17 fuselage to Warner Bros. for the film. As it happened, Col. Orris had been assigned to a drone squadron based at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, in May 1954 and had been flying DB-17G 44-83597 when one of the engines caught fire, resulting in a crash landing. The airplane was damaged enough that the USAF decided to salvage the B-17 and it was sent off to the base boneyard. Orris arranged for the USAF to turn the wreckage of 44-83597 over to the studio. In November 1954, the studio removed the wings and tail and loaded the fuselage on a railcar and shipped it to its Burbank studio for conversion into a film prop and seen subsequently in the film.

  The USAF record card for the Douglas-built 44-83597 reveals: Accepted for service on April 13, 1945; stored at Patterson Field, Ohio, and deemed excess to needs, but moved to Pyote Field, Texas, for further storage in June 1947, modified to become a DB-17G and made operational in January 1948; with the disposition showing it was terminated at Kirtland in October 1953. That last date does not tie up with the above account, Bruce indicating the crash landing occurred in May 1954. The discrepancy may be a transcriber (me) error or some other date mix-up, but presumably the DB-17G was in the Kirtland boneyard when Jack Warner came looking in late 1954.

  Also of interest is that Col. Orris arranged to have three DB-17G or QB-17s from the 3205th Drone Group at Eglin AFB, Florida, flown to Alexandria AFB (a.k.a. England AFB after 1955) in Louisiana for a brief filming session, presumably air-to-air. The resulting footage was not used in the completed film, however, as the film makers decided to use actual combat footage taken from the 1944 documentary "The Memphis Belle" instead. No specifics have emerged that would indicate which three B-17s were used in this filming.

  Internet sources indicate that the film crew conducted a week of location filming at Alexandria AFB in February 1955, so that may be when this episode occurred.

  No photos of this activity have surfaced either, but one question that comes to mind is whether or not the three drone squadron B-17s had turrets added and/or whether some sort of temporary combat paint and markings were applied. It seems a bit of stretch that the turretless and well marked drone squadron B-17s would have been used unaltered. Perhaps deep within a film vault somewhere is this film footage that would answer this obscure question. All I can say is, "Go, Bruce...".

  Bruce also ends this account with another interesting tidbit that, as Bruce tells it:

  Years later when I was looking for a B-17 fuselage for the Memphis Belle film I asked one of the old timers at Warner Brothers if there was a B-17 still on the back lot. He told me he remembered one that was last used in a TV film called Salvage One with Andy Griffith. He said they used it and a number of other airplane hulks, junk cars, etc to outfit Griffith’s scrap yard in the film. When the film was over they sent most of the planes to the local scrap yard in Burbank. I suspect this DB-17G was among them.

  I was able to find a copy of Salvage One on YouTube and looked with interest at the junkyard scenes. A bunch of junk from a bunch of stuff, but no identifiable B-17 parts jump out. That film, a made-for-TV-effort, tells the story of a man (Griffith) who builds a moon rocket from such junk and sends a mission to the moon to salvage Apollo junk leftovers. You may not remember this movie. Andy was in between Mayberry and Matlock at the time, but I wander.

  We also remember that the 3205th Drone Group provided the squadron of B-17s used in the 1948 filming of Twelve O'Clock High in Alabama, so there may also be tie in between the four B-17s involved in The McConnell Story and the earlier film. Long eluding aviation historians (mainly Bruce) is a definitive listing of the B-17s used in that noted film.

  Much thanks to Bruce Orriss for keeping me in the loop as such little, seemingly unimportant, stories emerge from dusty files. And, you might find the bundled results of such detailed research of interest. If so, take a look at what Bruce has to offer to the aviation film historian right here and support such noble efforts.

• Boeing Store Offers B-17 Merchandise: Kevin Kelly passed along a link to the Boeing Store with a bunch of B-17 related merchandise that helps celebrate the centennial of the Boeing Company. There are some interesting items being offered and might slot into something any B-17 aficionado might want to have. Browse about; the Boeing Store has lots of stuff. And, as a bonus, your purchase can help Boeing stay in business. Thanks to Kevin for passing this along.

• Amazing Story B-17 Model Finally Located Among those mysteries to which few have actually pondered is the fate of the production props used in the filming of a noted B-17 tale, that being the 1985 Amazing Stories TV episode The Mission. The whole somewhat sorry episode is related in some detail right here, but in a nutshell it was a Steven Spielberg effort to create an amazing story about a B-17 that lost its landing gear in combat and was about to make a belly landing with a doomed crewman stuck in a jammed ball turret; the ill-fated man happened to be a pretty good artist and he drew new cartoon wheels for the B-17 and it landed safely. I think this was based on a true story but maybe not; anyways, you would have to agree it was pretty amazing.

  

  But, again, I digress and wander. Christopher Hoage stumbled upon one what is reportedly one of the B-17 models used as a film prop for that effort. The model is mounted up on the wall of the Veteran's Memorial Museum in Fresno, California. Chris notes that it appears to have been repainted (it now sports the nose art Lucky Chuck when it wore Friendly Persuasion in the show. Chris says that the model is mounted too high up to get any photos of the upper surfaces, but the damaged engine nacelles and missing wheels do match up with the model as seen in the episode.

  

  Christopher later found out that the model had been displayed at a local hobby shop until it was donated to the museum for display. Strange how these things turn up up but thanks to Christopher for passing it along.

• Recent View of B-17E 41-9032: Long time correspondent Tim Bivens recently saw B-17E 41-9032, otherwise known as My Gal Sal, hanging from the gallery ceiling at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and sent in this photo.

  

  Not particularly news, but a nice view of the airplane and I updated my B-17 Locator page with this image.

• American Air Museum at Duxford Reopens: Phil Glover passed along some April 2016 photos he took as the American Air Museum at Duxford reopened for public display. Returning to the public eye is B-17G 44-83735, on permanent static display with the museum.

  

  This airplane used to be marked as Mary Alice but was repainted several years ago and remains largely unmarked. It does, however, carry the 'square C' tail markings of the 96th Bomb Group and Phil notes this sign adjoining the aircraft: The aircraft is supported by Mr John F. Bookout on behalf of the 96th Bomb Group. The aircraft carries the tail marking and number of a B-17G of the 96th Bomb Group.

  

  As can be seen, it does not retain its actual serial number, but rather that of B-17G 42-31833. Thanks to Phil for sending in the photos.

• Scrapped B-17 Spars Used to Build Hangar: To file away under the "Yet Another Use for Scrapped B-17s" is this interesting account sent in by Jerry Sorrell that he found in the July 1951 issue of Flying magazine.

  

  It tells of one Dr. Otis McKinley of Detroit, Michigan, who built a new hangar at his Fraser, Michigan, airport using the wing spars and sheeting of 278 B-17s that he purchased as surplus material. When completed, the hangar was 660 feet long. That is a big hangar.

  

  Before anyone runs out to their car to head off to Fraser, Jerry reports the airport site is now a mall. But, it is interesting to read the account of the McKinley Airport on Paul Freeman's excellent and invaluable Abandoned and Little Known Airfields site. The hangar is visible in several of the photos and was apparently still up and being used into the 1980s. One wonders that when the hangar was torn down to put up a K-Mart if those guys realized what they were working with.

• Eglin B-17: Douglas Birkey sent in some February 2016 photos of B-17G 44-83863 in its current state on display at the Armament Museum at Eglin AFB, Florida.

  

  

  

  This ex Navy PB-1W, ex air tanker, has been displayed at the museum since 1975 and has worn a variety of schemes and markings over the forty years since.

  As can be seen, it is currently marked as B-17G 42-30180 with the square C tail markings of the 96th Bomb Group.

  The outdoor display conditions have not been kind, and the aircraft has obvious signs of serious corrosion beneath its many layers of thick paint. It is not a good situation and it is sad to see the aircraft continue its downhill slide despite local efforts to maintain a good display. Thanks to Doug for sending in some current photos.

February 2016

• RFC B-17 #1: Courtesy of some folks on the fine Aero Vintage Forum, I was made aware of two more RFC surplus B-17s that I can add to my WAA/RFC B-17 Listings. The first is B-17G 42-102800, a surplus B-17 that came out of Altus Field, Oklahoma, in 1946 when it was purchased by Jesse Lee Boland of Richmond, Virginia. The RFC sold it for "educational" purposes, though one account says it was purchased fraudulently with a document from an sympathetic but uninvolved educational institution, and it was flown to Byrd Field near Richmond (now the site of Richmond International Airport).

  Boland was an interesting fellow, at least according the this account of him seen in the Virginia Living online article. What is perhaps even more intriguing is that this account states he actually purchased two surplus B-17s, one surplus B-25, and, later, a Boeing 314 seaplane, plus a number of other surplus military aircraft. This account states he kept the two B-17s at Byrd Field while the other airplanes were moved onto his property in Hanover County near Richmond.

  And the account goes on to relate the unusual businesses Mr. Boland was in, most of which apparently involved separating good people from their good money. Among his schemes was selling dubiously irradiated rocks that he suggested would have healing effects. He would fly his airplanes full of the rocks so cosmic rays would give them special powers. The article is worth a good read, for what it is worth.

  That forum posting had several photos of Boland and his B-17, at least one of which came out of the Life Magazine archives. I use it here with a bit of trepedation but I promise I am not making money on any of this. (I wish I were....)

  Here is one with Boland running three engines of his B-17. Though the colorful Mr. Boland was reportedly a pilot, it is doubtful this B-17 (or the other one he may have had) ever flew while owned by Boland, not the least because it was undoubtedly not allowed by his purchase agreement with the government, the airplane was not licensed to fly, and Boland maybe could never get more than three engines to run at the same time.

  c

  And, here is a view of Jesse Boland in the cockpit of his B-17, a photo which leaves no doubt as to the identity of the airplane.

  

  Forum contributor 'terveurn' provided both the photos and the operational history of this B-17 on the web posting, showing it was accepted in April 1944 and used domestically during its military service, being withdrawn from service in October 1945 and sent to Altus for disposal. It appears to have been scrapped in 1950, circumstances remain fuzzy. I have no record of it every receiving a civil registration and little other information has surfaced about this airplane.

  Also fuzzy is whether or not there was a second Boland B-17 and a Boland B-25.

• RFC B-17 #2: The second B-17 was one whose information has been around for awhile but I missed it. It was B-17G 43-37977, a veteran of the 398th Bomb Group where it flew as Miss X. According to this page at the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association's website, this airplane was transferred by the RFC or WAA to the city of Salem, Massachussetts, as a war memorial. It honored a local veteran, Jack Lee, who piloted that specific airplane in combat with the 398th Bomb Group.

  The airplane came to Salem in December 1945, and was displayed in town for a nearly two years, at which time it had been badly vandalized and became what the locals considered an eyesore. According to the story, it was sold to Greenberg’s Auto Wrecking Company in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and was hauled off to the junkyard for scrapping. Later reports indicate it was cut up and buried at that wrecking yard. Efforts in the early 2000s to locate the reportedly buried airplane were fruitless.

  The B-17G was delivered in Seattle in June 1944. The 398th Bomb Group records show it was assigned to the group in July 1944 and remained assigned until May 1945 at the conclusion of the war assigned to the group's 602nd and 603rd Bomb Squadrons. It came back to the U.S. in July 1945 and was stored for several months before being sent on to Kingman in October 1945 for disposal. Two months later is was transferred to Salem as a war memorial .

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