Aero Vintage Books

Again with the eBay finds:

Listing describes it as an armed transport with the 317th TCG, although it looks like it still has the bombsight installed. Anyone have the serial? Baugher and Osborne have only 41-2458 and 41-2497 listed with the 317th, and neither carried that name and nose art.

Censors took the gun barrels off, and #4 is off as well. Also note the composition: Beefcake on top and cheesecake on the bottom...

It's 41-2665, a veteran of the 11th, 19th and 43rd Bomb Groups before its conversion as an armed transport and service with the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron. Wonder what was going through the mind of that censor . . .

Ah. Osborne and Baugher list the name as Lulu - maybe Pretty Baby was the original name? The nose doesn't look repainted.

It was reportedly Lulu in the 64th Bomb Squadron, although I don't think any photos have been found . . . Pretty Baby was its name as an armed transport.



There are quite a few photos of the artwork, but this photo from Peter May is the only one I know of that shows the number 41 behind the cockpit.

I’ve got an article on these B-17s coming up in Aviation History but I’m not sure when they plan to publish it.

Looks like those two photos were taken at nearly the same time...engine #4 is missing and other details seem similar.