Aero Vintage Books

Well, this just confirms Mary Ann was a B-17B

there was also one early B-17 that burned - do not know if this was the B-17D or the B-17B

I assume this report is for 1943?

B-17D 40-3065 seems to be the only one with a Hobbs connection; per Osborne it was assigned there between November 7, 1942 and April 4, 1943, but was transferred to Patterson Field after that and to the RFC on May 11, 1945. Also per Osborne and AAIR it had a belly landing after running low on fuel near Lebanon, ID on March 26, 1943; but nothing about a fire - are there any photos with this accident report?

B-17B 38-584 - Mary Ann - This report says it was only there in September. It was listed by Osborne as written off October 17, 1943 although there is no AAIR accident listing; Baugher says the same but adds it went to Class 26 at Hobbs on October 29th. Maybe there was no accident report for a plane that was already Class 26?

DryMartini wrote:
Well, that would have saved us a lot of photographic research....

Wouldn't have been nearly as much fun though

A bit late to the table...but what is "Class 26" ?

Basically an aircraft that has been grounded and used for training purposes.

Chris Brame wrote: ↑Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:42 am Basically an aircraft that has been grounded and used for training purposes.

A little bit more then that:

CL-01Z Those aircraft which are not beyond ecnomical repair, transfered to Class 01Z
CL-12 To a museum (aircraft no longer in USAF inventory)
CL-25 Survey/surveyed
CL-26 Mock up (aircraft no longer in USAF inventory)
CL-26 Ground instruction only
CL-26 Those aeronautical items (excluding complete aircraft) which are required or which are placed by order of a surveying Officer as ground instructional training equipment
CL-32 USAF Museum
CL-O1A An AAF property class for complete aircraft
CL-O1Z All complete aircraft assigned for ground instructional training


CL-26 can also include wrecks after salvage