Aero Vintage Books

Check out this photo:



I found it accidentally on an eBay listing for a radio controlled flying model B-17. The plane in the photo sure looks like the photos of Mary Ann, wth the intake, exhaust and nacelle differences. Note that the national insignia still has the red circle, so I don't think it's a still from Air Force. Too bad the tail number isn't shown.

From what information I have, here is the best and most thorough list I can compile of the B-17B aircraft which were modernized, either by Boeing in 1941 OFFICIALLY, or else possibly modernized in the field by cannibalization or other method at bases:

38-211, "18""8211," which was used originally to test out B -17C Radio and Waist gun positions, and finally got a "Bathtub" underneath, (See September 1974 "Airpower" Magazine photo in natural metal WITH the "bathtub), and was used at Sebring/Hendricks during the time Air Force was filmed, appearing in the very first flightline scene after the pilot/navigator/bombardier briefing, and also in the background, seen through the slats in a work ladder/platform, in the first 2 interviews, pilot with crew chief, and crew chief with new assistant radio operator, and which, unfortunately, was in a fatal night time crash in October, 1942, after filming ended;

38-213, which crashed in Fegruary 1942, and was written off in November, 1942;

38-216, which crashed in Nevada in February 1941; likely just waists.

38-218;

38-219, Photo'd in a field in Washington,7/42, "Mildred" crashed 7/42;

38-221, which crashed in October 1942 and was quickly written offf by Panama Command;

38-258, which which was at Sebring during the filming of Air Force and crashed January 1943 written off soon thereafter;

38-259, which crashed in March, 1942;

38-268, which crashed in October, 1942;

38-269 which was at Hendricks/Sebring during the filming of Air Force[/ ;

38-583, which crashed October 7, 1943, and was NOT at Hendricks July-August 1942;

38-584 "10" "Mary Ann" "05564" which may have been assigned to Hendricks and Warner Brothers for the exterior shooting, but seems to have been assigned to Hendricks during this time;

39-001 "15", seen in the background of John Garfield's first boarding of Mary Ann in Air Force, at Sebring during filming June-August 1942; Class 26 at Lowery Field, Colorado, January 1943; photo without wings or elevators in "Boneyard" codes "4-F" painted over "15"s on nose and fin/rudder, named "The Goldbrick" at Lowery, December 1943;

39-006"04," possibly only in formation shots, Crash September 1942, to Reclamation January 1946;

39-007, Aircraft Record Card lists as "Modernized" 1941; at Sebring for Air Force filming; MAAD De-Icers November 1942, to Amarillo July 1943, to Reclamation January 1946. Possibly in distance shots in film Air Force.

IN TOTAL, 19 B-17B aircraft were reported as having been known to be Modernized in the book Fortress In the Sky, by Peter Bowers.

Other aircraft which MAY have been Modernized, and were at Sebring during the filming of Air Force (the air-to air filming, and the ground flightline and ground taxiing scenes show only aircraft to B-17C Standard -- and there was only ONE B-17D. 40-3065, that the Air Force's Historical Office shows as located there at the time, although a yearbook photo shows a possible B-17C)
were:
38-212, at Sebring during filming.
38-260, at Sebring during filming.
38-261, "07" "8261," also at Sebring during filming.
38-262, to Sebring, but Written Off March 1942
38-270, "17" "8270", possibly only in formations, at Sebring during filming.
39-003, At Sebring during filming;

This DOES give a total of 19 aircraft altogether, excluding 38-211"18" which had been fully modified either at Wright Field, or elsewhere:

38-213, 38-218, 38-219 "Mildred," 38-221, 38-258, 38-259, 38-260, 38-261, 38-262, 38-268, 38-269 , 38-270 "17," 38-583,
38-584"10""Mary-Ann""05564," 39-001"15," 39-006"04(?),"
39-007, and possibly 38-212 , 39-003, or maybe 39-006"04?"
this gives 20 aircraft?!? which means that ONE of these aircraft listed here WASN'T "modernized", but may have only received B-17C-type waists.

This is the best I have at the moment (4/22/009\03:37EDT)

Dan Katz

FYI, the sole B-17C/D variant at Sebring during during this time was 40-3065.

B-17B # 38-211 was destroyed in a crash eight miles ENE of Hendricks Field, Florida, on 10-22-42, killing five crewmembers. The airplane crashed while attempting to enter the pattern for landing at Hendricks Field.

The airplane stalled in a climbing turn, fell off into an inverted attitude then rolled back into a "flying attitude" before diving into the ground at a 70-degree angle and exploding into flames, killing all on board instantly. Investigators speculated that the B-17 student pilot stalled the airplane while trying to avoid a mid-air collision with B-17E # 41-9034.

See Page 176 of
FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS
IN THE UNITED STATES, 1941-1945