Aero Vintage Books

For Reference

Using photo's, the natural metal Boeing built B-17's with the Olive Drab data blocks ran from 42-32045 to 42-97125; a total of 138 ships.

Or, 2-weeks after the last solid Olive Drab / Grey came off the production line (15 January 1944 to 29 January 1944).

It now my belief that this was NOT excess ships already on the line (as we have all been informed) but a conscious decision on Boeing's part to hedge their bet over the USAAF's decision to go with bare metal. One of the first things you notice with this data block is the changeable information (ie block number and serial numbers) are black.

FWI, the B-29A-1-BN 42-93824 (c/n number 7231) which immediately followed the last G-35-BO (42-32116 c/n 7230 / Hi Ho Silver) and proceeded the first B-17G-40 42-97058 (c/n 7531) was Olive Drab (the first 5 B-29A-1-BN were all OD/G) - the rest of the B-29A-1-BN were all bare metal, but no olive drab data block).

Going to change my theory -- I am now 100% convinced that the olive drab Data Block was a water slide decal and NOT painted on.

You can clear see the Clear Shellac around both the data block as well as the lower decal in this photo. You can also see how the decal has chipped and that the block information as well as the serial number stencil is different in size, type and does not line-up with the decal

The question then gets asked, was this water slide decal used on the olive drab B-17's and when did it start.

If you can, find photos of the nose art saved at Kingman that was or is on loan to the EAA. It's been years since I've seen those fuselage sections, but I do believe that at least a couple of the B-17 sections had the data blocks missing as though they peeled off. This might add to the evidence that these were water-slide decals.

Dave,

I think you have really hit on something here, something I have not seen anywhere else. In Bower's Fortress in the Sky, looking at page 112 it is apparent that it is a decal with all the information save the production block and s/n are on a decal, and the block and s/n are stenciled on. That photo is of a B-17G-15-BO. I guess one question is whether or not this was a Boeing thing or was it also used by Douglas and Vega?

That's a good photo that shows the difference in fonts between the Douglas and Boeing data blocks. I haven't time right now, but we need to find a picture of a Vega block also. I've never given a lot of thought to these being decals but I'm pretty certain you are correct that they're water slides.

Incidentally, the rounded Boeing font still can be seen on some places on the airliners I work on.