A couple B-17Fs at Amarillo

[Chris Brame]

A couple more eBay finds; one with a serial and one without; both at Amarillo from what I've pieced together:


41-24578 Old Reliable:

41-24578 Ass 3675BS/305BG [XK-R/F] Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; tran 547BS/384BG [SU-U] Grafton Underwood 7/10/43; 1 BAD Burtonwood 15/3/44; RetUS Amarillo 21/5/44 (?10/4/44?); WO 28/11/44. Ref: PROBLEM CHILD). OLD RELIABLE.

AAIR lists it as a landing accident, category 3 damage, on November 20, 1944.

No serial on this one; way outdated markings plus some art forward of the insignia. Note the B-17 forward fuselage and wing section next to it:



B-29 Annie, 42-6224, is the second Bell-Atlanta-built Superfortress; Baugher lists it as "Condemned crash landing surveyed Nov 6, 1944". The same seller has a couple more images of the plane with its nose stuck through a curtain between the hangar doors.

Anyone have any ideas about the ID of that B-17F?

[Second Air Force]

Those are interesting photos!

The second picture shows (I'm nearly certain) the apron that used to be English Field before WWII and conversion of the airport to Amarillo AAF. The hangar next to the B-29 really matches closely one of the English Field civilian hangars. This is an interesting timeframe in the life of Amarillo as the transition from B-17 to B-29 maintenance training was still ongoing.

Getting any I.D. on that Fort will be tough unless someone has a picture of that distinctive artwork. Lots of interesting items stored, not only B-17 sections but notice the OD Superfortress fuselage to the left of the B-17.

[Steve Birdsall]

That mystery B-17F could well be this one . . .



Unfortunately I don't have a serial number - the photo came from Lockheed without a caption. Looks like some kind of PR setup - fellows working so hard they didn't have time to shave?

[terveurn]

This is the first Lockheed Built B-17.

The story behind the beards was the guys building the B-17 were not going to shave until the first B-17 was built.

The aircraft was actually delivered early.

So looking at 42-5710

[Chris Brame]

Great sleuthing, terveurn! Thanks!

[Second Air Force]

I'm pretty certain that the guys nailed it! I will still look through all my Amarillo files to see if anything else pops up.

[Chris Brame]

Could this be 42-5711? Per Baugher:

42-5710 ... 42-5724 (EXACT MATCH)
Lockheed/Vega B-17F-5-VE Fortress
MSN 6006/6020. Boeing B-17F built by Lockheed-Vega Airplane Company as part of pooled production
5710 to RFC Walnut Ridge Dec 14, 1945
5711 reclamation completed Amarillo AAF Jun 19, 1945

Osborne has this:

42-5710 Del Cheyenne 16/8/42; Wayne 6/11/42; Tinker 1/5/43; Dalhart 22/6/43; f/l base w/Russell Ford 10/8/43; 500BG Walker 16/8/44; 222 BU Ardmore 6/10/44; 332 BU Ardmore 16/6/45; 327 BU Drew 21/8/45; RFC Walnut Ridge 14/12/45.
42-5711 Del Vega Mod Ctr 94BG 28/8/42; 3701 BU Amarillo 5/7/44; WO 30/9/44; Recl Comp 19/6/45.

[terveurn]

Shows what happens when you are tired.....

Information I have comes form the Book, Production Line to Front Line (pg 75)

Caption states they are in from of one of the first Vega Built B-17F-1 VE - I screwed-up on the serial numbers (I put down a B-17F-5-VE), but damn, I was close

From Baugher: B-17F-1-VE are 42-5705 ... 42-5709

Only aircraft that (seems to fit this criteria) is 42-5709

From Osborn:

42-5709 Del Cheyenne 13/8/42; Wayne 6/11/42; Smoky Hill 29/3/43; 236 BU Pyote 13/7/44; 235 BU Biggs 16/8/44; 231 BU Alamogordo 13/12/44; 4202 BU Syracuse 28/3/45; RFC Walnut Ridge

B-17F-1.jpg