43-37746 research

[terveurn]

working on this aircraft - unfortunately her card is missing (wondering if it was removed when she was transferred to DOE ?) -- question: was the Yucca Flats B-17's still AF property or DOE property - who where they assigned to (Group etc).

This is where I need Scott's help.

From research, she was supposed to have been parked next to 44-83722 at Yucca Flats during operation Tumbler-Snapper atomic tests (which means some of her might still around as parts).

Looking for any photos of B-17's taken during the salvage of the Yucca Flats which might have 43-37746 visible. Might also be in the background of the salvage of 44-83575 as well.

43-37746 would have the tail markings of the All Weather Flying Service visible on her tail (might also have a NACA Badge as well).

[terveurn]

For Scott;

43-37746

43-37746 m 2.jpg

44-83722

44-83722.jpg

[aerovin2]

Well, I reviewed the photos I have on file from the Yucca Lake salvage in 1965 and see no evidence of a third B-17. There are views of 44-83722 and views of the aircraft that held the most interest, that of 44-83575 being rebuilt to ferry condition and then being flown off the lake. I thought I had a paper copy of the test report of the nuclear testing series on hand also but I guess not. I might have that copy on microfilm on a reel filed away but was not able to pull that box out of, for me, deep storage.

For what it is worth, the good point has been made that if there was a third intact B-17 at Yucca Lake it would seem likely it would have been salvaged also. Available information suggests a total of seven B-17s were used as targets for the test series in 1952 or so. Twelve years later, it appears only two B-17s remained in the 50 ton pile of scrap that was offered for sale as part of a 800 ton lot.

For the record, the bill of sale for 44-83575 documents that the "Atomic Energy Commission Commercial Contract Office/Reynolds Electrical Engineering Company (Property Management Branch), U.S. AEC Nevada Operations Office" was the seller of the scrap. Valley Scrap won the bid for the scrap sale, and the two B-17s were evidently sold out of that scrap bid to Aircraft Specialties.

So, the question remains, what happened to 44-37746? I can't offer more at this point.

[terveurn]

we know there was 7 B-17's

From the videos, thee serial numbers are visible / aircraft are identifiable

Any clue who the other 4 B-17's might have been.

were these aircraft assigned to the AF Test / Drone Squadron or AEC ??

Might have a lead where to find the card for this aircraft see how long it takes MAxwell to respond.

[Phixer09]

4901st Support Wing, Special Weapons Command, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM 30Mar52.
4901st Support Wing, Air Research and Development Command, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM 1Apr52.
Ferried to Yucca Lake airstrip at the Nevada National Security Site. Instrumented and subjected to three atmospheric nuclear tests as part of the Operation Tumbler-Snapper - Vulnerability of Parked Aircraft to Atomic Bombs series, conducted April/June 1952.
SOC as destroyed 2Sep52. Terminated 3Oct52.

[terveurn]

So that fills in the blanks...

Still the question is these tests were done under the Department of Energy, so who had priority regarding usage and maintenance .

42-37746 BB.JPG