Aero Vintage Books

There was a batch of images of Rapid City based 17s on eBay. I only got one, but I think I got the best one. I figured with a good scanner, which I have, I could pull a bunch of good 17s out of the formation image. I'm hoping you stateside 17 experts can add some history to these birds.

The original shot, followed by the individual 17s scanned out of the image.

First three

Three more

three more

Interesting to note the mix of tail position types, waist windows, nose glass, top turrets etc. At least one of the Fs has has a G type top turret on it.

3 more

And the last of them. Posted here to share so save all the copies you want.

A trainer treasure trove! Thanks a million for posting them!
EDIT: Holy mackerel, do you realize what you just found? The plane Dana Andrews visited at the end of The Best Years of Our Lives!!

Dan Johnson wrote:

Congratulations!

All you guys rock with this stuff. Attention to detail and some sleuthing. Thanks much for your continued contributions to this little researched area.

most of these aircraft have blue cowling, so they should be Section D-II

What criteria are you using to search e-bay....

Wow, Dan--that is a GREAT photo!

I grew up in northeast Nebraska and older folks used to tell me of the large formations of training Forts and B-24s that often flew over. We had lots of 2nd Air Force fields in the Midwest and these stories and a visit to Fairmont when I was a kit really lit my fire to learn about CONUS training programs. So, when I saw your new photo it took my breath away--Rapid City B-17s and the terrain is some I've probably flown over myself.

Great history and I'm glad you've saved it (and shared it with us)!
Scott

Glad you gents enjoy the photo. I must admit I was sweating that one out as I knew it had lots in it to share and this would be where it would go. Chris, That was a great catch on 463. I'd have never spotted that. Scott, my mom grew up in South Dakota and talked about how they'd be driving in a car and training planes would try and run their wheels along the roof or they would do touch and goes right in front of the car. Must have been something to see.

Terveurn, I search lots of stuff, usually starting with Army Air Corps. That's where these showed up. Sometimes just going into photographs and typing 'airplane' turns up stuff that isn't labeled. It's really just luck sometimes. I wish I could have gotten some of the others. I kind of figured I was going to be bidding against one of you guys on those

Nothing worthwhile to add but I just wanted to say that's a truly remarkable photo Dan, and thank you for sharing it.

Love the formation shots

I usually search "B-17 photo" and once I wade through all the reprints of the Movie Memphis Belle , there's sometimes good stuff. Frankly, I didn't spot these because the word "photo" wasn't in the description!

These are from the seller's Sold listings:

42-107142, AAIR listing says 2-28-45 accident date (taxiing accident, ground loop)


42-30399, 8-2-44 (forced landing, engine failure 28 miles NE of Rapid City AAF - written off)




42-97894, 6-29-45 (fatal, taxiing accident, mechanical failure - caption under photo said "Faulty brakes") (note tail of 42-5400 in background of first photo)


43-37651

I had no luck on those but did get the one that I thought had the most historical value with all those 17s Can't win em all I guess