Aero Vintage Books

I'm a new member to the forum and currently a volunteer on the Ubana restoration of B 17G, 44-85813 and thought I would share a little trivia on our project with the forum. It is likely that the vertical stab we have can be traced back to DB-17G, 44-83525. After seeing in the book "Final Cut" the number 505 that was on 44-83525 when Paul Mantz owned it, our VS had the number 505 on it when we received it from Tom Reilly. Later during removal of some of the top layer of paint there appeared the 3205th Drone Group insignia. Directly below that was the 3215th Drone Squadron insignia. If my memory recalls me, I believe that the 3215th Drone Squadron was at Patrick AFB. I was assigned to the 3225th Drone Squadron at Holloman AFB when the last BD went to the bone yard at Davis Monthan AFB. The VS that we have definitely came from a DB. Looks like we can probably add another B-17 doner to the B-17G 44-85813 restoration at Urbana.
The VS has since been completly disassembled and rebuilt with new front and rear spars, several ribs replaced, new stringers and new skin.

Thanks for the info!

Is there any kind of timeline for when the project will be complete?

John

PGood,

Thanks for the detailed explanation of it's history! Our we now up to 4 different B-17s going into this restoration?

Through the restoration website, I have noticed a couple of things:

1. Where is the radio compartment? I noticed you did have one in the beginning that looked a bit corroded.

2. Why were non-standard windows cut into the new skin next to the waist windows?

Thanks again for the info.

Just so I understand, the vertical stabilizer had "505" on the tail on top of the olive drab/grey paint and this appears to be part of the "25053" serial number that was applied to 44-83525 when owned by Tallmantz and applied for the movie "1000 Plane Raid"? Does this marking size and color appear to match what you started with?



It is interesting to note, as an aside, that the vertical stabilizer for 44-83316, the VB-17G fuselage also being incorporated, is on display at the CAF hangar at Mesa, Arizona.

Yes, it looks like we have four different B 17s being used to restore 44-85813.

All I can say about a completion date is that the owners are anxious to have it completed and they are providing all the necessary resources in a very timely manner.

We had heard that the vertical stabilizer from 44-83316 was at the CAF hanger at Mesa, Arizona.

We've never had a radio compartment, probably the rear of the of the bomb bay area you may have been looking at. We'll have to build the radio compartment as well as the nose section from station 3 forward.

The non standard windows were in the fuselage from 44-83316 when we received it and were copied by mistake. We'll redo these skins without the windows to the original configuration. It also had a nonstandard passenger entrance door in the aft fuselage in place of the crew entrance door. I suspect that it could have been used as a VIP transport at one time which would explain the windows.

It was late when I wrote the post and I thought I was refering to the last three digits of the tail number when I called out the 505. It should have been 25053. They were exactly as shown on the photo and were in yellow over olive drab/grey paint. The Drone markings were lightly visble under the olive drab/grey paint. The original skin panels have been saved and are on display in our hanger.

Also for those who are not aware there is a web site for the restoration.
B17project.com. Its a little dated but does have some good information.

PGood wrote:We've never had a radio compartment, probably the rear of the of the bomb bay area you may have been looking at. We'll have to build the radio compartment as well as the nose section from station 3 forward.

Here is a link to the picture I was referring to off of the project website. It looks to be in pretty bad condition.

http://www.b17project.com/index.php?set ... _photo.php

Six of the Urbana volunteers went to Douglas, GA last spring and removed the skins from Don Brooks new B 17 project. This is the radio compartment from his airplane and yes, it had lots of corrision. We copied his skins to make a pattern for our radio compartment.

Thanks for the clarification!

One last question: Is the Urbana B-17G going to have a 'stinger' type tail position, or the more common Cheyenne tail turret

I believe it will have the cheyenne tail but I'll verify that next week.

The Urbana tail turret is now planned to be the cheyenne tail turret.

Thanks for the info! You've been most helpful. I look forward to following the progress on the website.

You know:

Since they have to build the radio room from scratch, why not do the aircraft as a YB-40 "Gunship"?

You know:

Since they have to build the radio room from scratch, why not do the aircraft as a YB-40 "Gunship"?

Or, is there no imagination anywhere, anymore?

We don't have the data or drawing package to do a YB 40. Without that it would take too much imagination.