What's the story with 41-9137?

[Steve Birdsall]

This photo was used in a Boeing ad that appeared in the major magazines in July 1942. It reveals just enough to prove that 41-9137 was painted in the RAF’s Temperate Land/Deep Sky camouflage scheme in Seattle.

As with the similarly-painted 41-9141, there is no suggestion in any known British or American records that this aircraft was ever intended to go to the Royal Air Force.

The IARC shows that it initially went to the 29th Bomb Group at MacDill in April 1942. There are entries indicating time at Boise, Ogden and Tinker. In early 1943 it was with the 19th Bomb Group at Pyote, Texas and by that time it looked like this . . .



The photo is a frame from a brief scene in the 1943 movie Bombardier and it’s not clear exactly when or where that scene was filmed.

According to the IARC, 41-9137 was recommended for Class 26 at the Amarillo Technical Training School in April 1943 but no details provided.

Any help will be very welcome.

[terveurn]

Steve

Mark me silly, but my impressions is this is French markings for propoganda not RAF. By July 42, the RAF fin flash would have a very narrow white in the middle.

[Steve Birdsall]

Interesting point, but it is a Royal Air Force camouflage scheme and the wider white panel is consistent with that on 41-9141 when photographed in April of 1942 (and 41-2622, which did go to the RAF).

[terveurn]

Interesting point, but it is a Royal Air Force camouflage scheme and the wider white panel is consistent with that on 41-9141 when photographed in April of 1942 (and 41-2622, which did go to the RAF).

Look at the order of the colors on the RAF fin flash vs the order of color on 41-9137's fin flash - they look reversed (9137 is blue / white / red -- RAF is red / white / blue ).

Am I missing something

I know I need a seeing eye dog, but I am not ready for braille bumps (yet).....

[aerovin2]

For what it is worth department:

Sources I looked at said the red part of the RAF fin flash was always forward, so the right side and left side fin flashes are reversed in that order.

I’ve never seen any French markings applied to a pre-delivery B-17E.

This photo was published in July 1942 but when was it taken? Presumably in or about January 1942 when Boeing delivered it.

Since 41-9135, 41,9136, and 41-9138 all went to the RAF, could it just be confusion in the paint shop or a last minute swap for an unknown reason?

[Steve Birdsall]

Thanks Scott, I think that's pretty much the conclusion that Robert Stitt arrived at - confusion or to urgently meet a specific requirement somewhere.

Both 41-9137 and 41-9141 were delivered to the Air Corps on 25 April 1942. (The other plane in the photo, 41-9131 was delivered 23 April.)

I’m still hoping to find later photos of 41-9141 because it was around for a very long time and in a lot of places. First with the 301st Bomb Group at Geiger then Alamogordo, Westover, Wendover, Walla Walla, Topeka, Boise, Gowen, Smyrna, Lockbourne, George, Las Vegas and finally to Albuquerque as an RB-17E in July 1945.

Of course, how long it displayed that RAF camouflage scheme is anyone’s guess.