B-17G without cheek guns?

[NickV]

Scott,
Yes, I'm familiar with the Robert Mann book, which is helpful on one hand, yet full of holes on the other.

One of the problems I see is that the STNOs don't have any rhyme or reason.
Nick

[terveurn]

Best I can figure, STNO means Storage Number

As the aircraft came into the depot, each group (not individual aircraft) were given a STNO number and is based on the date the aircraft arrived. I have all the STNO for the B-17G-50 thru 60 BO organized.

One of the stranger parts of the STNO is that Walnut Ridge Aircraft generally have two numbers. From reading a book on the selling of these aircraft, it looks like Walnut Ridge aircraft had a discrepancy in the count and needed to be recounted. Thus two different STNO for these ships.

[terveurn]

Hi Terveurn,
Thanks for the info. What does "STNO" stand for?

Someone once said it was the last four digits of the serial number, but that's not right.

And is there a list that decodes the "Project No."?

Thanks for your help. I need it...
NIck

Nick, you have probably already seen this, but Robert Mann's book on record cards states, for STNO:
"Meaning unknown but appears to be a control number for transfer of a plane from RFC to scrapper/salvager"

He also states that a master decode list for project numbers does not seem to exist, for what it is worth.

This is definitely wrong

The STNO was assigned when the aircraft arrived at the storage yard (usually 8 months prior to being sold for salvage)

Attached is the card for 42-102379

[terveurn]

Example of STNO sequence - last column on the right is the STNO number

[terveurn]

Better resolution

[NickV]

Thanks for the higher resolution copy.

Is there any rhyme or reason as to why two or three aircraft would be assigned the same STNO? Was it because they all arrived on the same day?

Very curious,
Nick

[terveurn]

From what I could see, the STNO numbers were assigned to a group of aircraft that all arrived at the same time. Someday, if the RFC records for these aircraft ever show-up, we might find out a lot of history (I know that each aircraft was supposed to have the engine serial numbers, prop serial numbers, hours on each engine, a weight and balance as well as a final maintenance check completed before each aircraft was place into storage). All these records are missing.

[terveurn]

How about a B-17 with double cheek windows

42-5957

42-5957.jpg

[jmkendall]

As far as the mods go, I noticed some of the PFF aircraft were late "G"s and still had the "stinger" type tail gun position. I think a fair assumption is that they did not got to the Mod Center for "Combat" mods, but instead went to another mod center for the radar. Probably doesn't help you, but it goes to show that not all a/c without the "combat" mods, were not retained in the ZOI.

[terveurn]

"As far as the mods go, I noticed some of the PFF aircraft were late "G"s and still had the "stinger" type tail gun position. I think a fair assumption is that they did not got to the Mod Center for "Combat" mods, but instead went to another mod center for the radar. Probably doesn't help you, but it goes to show that not all a/c without the "combat" mods, were not retained in the ZOI."

Cheyenne modification center did not change over all B-17's that came through the line with a pumpkin tail turret, but, they did change over all the cheek guns on the aircraft that came through. If you find a natural metal B-17 with no cheek guns, you can easily state it was a training B-17 that had not gone through the Cheyenne modification center - the exception is the TB-17G's that had been converted to the TB-17H at Rome Air Depot in 1945, they received the cheek guns (but no tail turret).

The Radar mod's I believe were done at Patterson Field (Fairfield Air Depot) after the aircraft had already gone throught the Cheyenne mods' (except for the ex-RAF B-17's that were returned and they were done at Lockheed in Northern Ireland).