The B-17 Locator: Where Are They?

Complete B-17s

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The B-17 Locator: Surviving B-17 Flying Fortresses

So, How Many B-17s Are Still Flying?

You see that question asked a lot. The answer is….seven, but it sort of depends on what you mean by “flying”? My answer to that question is that “flying B-17s” can be rolled out of the hangar today, have some (actually, lots of $6 a gallon) fuel and oil added, and get airborne. I call those “Operational B-17s.” There are several B-17s that are “close” to flying…but they don’t qualify as “flying” or “operational” because either they have not flown for many years, may be out of annual inspection, or are grounded for major maintenance reasons. My count, as seen below, is there are seven B-17s flying out of 47 existing complete B-17s. Check out the detailed information linked below. There is some good stuff contained there that will answer your questions.

And, I’ll add that the book Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors, available right here on this website, has the in-depth story of each of these 47 B-17 survivors, told both with text and photos. And, there is so much more contained in its 288 pages that you won’t find anywhere else. If you are a B-17 guy, you need to check out the book.

Summary Table of Surviving B-17s

This listing provides a compilation of surviving B-17s. Currently, there are forty-seven intact, recovered B-17 airframes in this wide-world. Of these, seven are currently operational and flown at least occasionally. Another twenty-seven are on static display and available for public viewing. Several of those have been flyable in the past few years, but appear to be grounded now for various reasons. One B-17 is under long-term maintenance to bring it back to airworthy condition. Five B-17s are under some form of restoration and seven B-17s are in storage.

Location and Status of Surviving B-17s

Country	State	City	Location	Series	Identification Sequence	Status	Remarks	Photo Link
Brazil		Recife	Base Area de Recife	B-17G	44-85583, FAB 5402	Static display		December 2003 photo by Andre Dias de Albuquerque (used with permission)
Brazil		Rio de Janiero	Museuo Aerospacial	B-17G	44-83718, FAB 5408	Storage; disassembled		April 2001 photo by Ricardo Hebmuller
France	Alais	La Ferté	Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis Aérodrome de Cerny	B-17G	44-8846, F-BGSP, ZS-DXM, F-BGSP, F-AZDX	Static display	Mother and Country/Pink Lady	Photo via Forteresse toujours volante Association
France		Paris	Musee de l'Air	B-17G	44-8889, F-BGSO	Storage		Photo by James Kightly
UK		Duxford	American Air Museum	B-17G	44-83735, N68269, F-BDRS	Static display		September 2015 Photo by Phil Glover
UK		Duxford	B-17 Preservation	B-17G	44-85784, F-BGSR, N17TE, G-BEDF	Operational	Sally-B	May 2015 photo by Phil Glover
UK		Hendon	Bomber Command Museum	B-17G	44-83868, PB-1W 77233, N6466D, N5237V	Static display		November 2015 photo by Phil Glover
USA	AZ	Mesa	CAF, Falcon Field	B-17G	44-83514, N9323Z	Operational	Sentimental Journey	May 2014 photo by Roger Cain
USA	AZ	Tucson	390th Museum, Pima Air Museum	B-17G	44-85828, PB-1G 77254, N9323R	Static display	I'll Be Around	August 2008 photo by Scott Thompson
USA	CA	Atwater	Castle Air Museum	B-17G	43-38635, N3702G	Static display	Virgin's Delight	August 2017 photo by Scott Thompson
USA	CA	Chino	Planes of Fame	B-17G	44-83684, N3713G	Static display	Piccadilly Lilly II	September 2017 photo by Britt Dietz
USA	CA	Los Angeles	California Air Heritage Foundation	B-17G	44-83387	Under restoration to static	Parts of 44-83316, 44-85643, 42-30681, and 44-83387	2017 photo by Bruce Orriss
USA	CA	Palm Springs	Palm Springs Air Museum	B-17G	44-85778, N3509G	Static display-near airworthy	Miss Angela
USA	CA	Palm Springs	Palm Springs Air Museum	B-17G	44-83546, N3703G	Static display-near airworthy	Memphis Belle	2021 photo by Michael O'Leary.
USA	CA	Riverside	March Field Museum	B-17G	44-6393, CP-627, CP-891	Static display	Starduster
USA	CA	Santa Ana	Martin Aviation	B-17G	44-83563, N9563Z	Static display-near airworthy	Fuddy Duddy	2014 photo by Roger Cain
USA	CA	Tulare	Along Highway 99	B-17G	44-85738	Static display	Preston's Pride	2017 photo by Rick Jackson
USA	DL	Dover	AMC Museum, Dover AFB	B-17G	44-83624	Static display	Sleepy Time Gal
USA	FL	New Smyrna Beach	Collings Foundation	B-17G	44-83785, N809Z, N207EV	Long term maintenance back to Operational at New Smyrna Beach, FL
USA	FL	Polk City	Fantasy of Flight	B-17G	44-83525, N4520(ntu), N83525	Storage		2014 photo by Trevor McTavish
USA	FL	Polk City	Fantasy of Flight	B-17G	44-83542, N9324Z	Static display	Picadilly Princess
USA	FL	Valparaiso	Armament Museum, Eglin AFB	B-17G	44-83863, PB-1W 77231, N6464D, N5233V	Static display		February 2016 photo by Douglas Birkey
USA	GA	Douglas	Liberty Foundation	B-17G	44-83790	Storage	Recovered from Labrador, August 2004	September 2017 photo by Scott Thompson
USA	GA	Douglas	Liberty Foundation	B-17G	44-85734, N5111N, N390TH	Under rebuild to operational	Liberty Belle Left inner wing panel from 42-32076; right inner wing panel from 44-83790	October 2021 photo of aft fuselage under rebuild at Asheville, NC.
USA	GA	Savannah	Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum	B-17G	44-83814, N66571, CF-HBP, N66571	Static display	City of Savannah	September 2017 photo by Scott Thompson
USA	GA	Warner-Robins	Museum of Aviation	B-17G	44-83690	Static display		July 2021 photo by Tim Bivens
USA	HI	Ford Island	Pacific Aviation Museum	B-17E	41-2446	Static display	Swamp Ghost	September 2016 photo by Tim Bivens
USA	IL	Marengo		B-17E	41-2595, XC-108	Under restoration to operational	Desert Rat	September 2017 photo by Ryan Lucas
USA	LA	Bossier City	Barksdale AFB	B-17G	44-83884, PB-1W 77244, N6471D, N5230V	Static display	Miss Liberty	October 2013 photo by Bruce Leibowitz (used with permission)
USA	LA	New Orleans	National World War II Museum	B-17E	41-9032	Static display	My Gal Sal	May 2016 photo by Tim Bivens
USA	MI	Ypsilanti	Yankee Air Force, Willow Run	B-17G	44-85829, PB-1G 77255, N3193G	Operational	Yankee Lady
USA	NE	Omaha	Offutt AFB	B-17F	42-3374	Static display	Homesick Angel	February 2014 photo by Chris Henry
USA	NE	Ashland	Strategic Air and Space Museum	DB-17P	44-83559	Static display		February 2014 photo by Chris Henry
USA	OH	Dayton	National Museum of the USAF	B-17G	42-32076, SE-BAP, OY-DFA, DAF672, F-BGSH	Storage	Shoo Shoo Baby currently being moved to NASM at Dulles Airport
USA	OH	Dayton	National Museum of the USAF	B-17D	40-3097	Disassembled storage	The Swoose	March 2013 photo by Steve Nelson
USA	OH	Dayton	National Museum of the USAF	B-17F	41-24485	Static Display	Memphis Belle	Photo via NMUSAF
USA	OH	Urbana	B-17 Project	B-17G	44-85813, N6694C, N3154S	Under restoration to operational	Champaign Lady
USA	OR	Madras	Erickson Aircraft Collecton	B-17G	44-8543, N3701G	Operational	Ye Olde Pub	photo via Erickson Aircraft Collection
USA	OR	Salem	B-17 Alliance Foundation	B-17G	44-85790	Under restoration to operational	Lacey Lady	September 2017 photo by Bryan Heim
USA	TX	Abilene	Dyess AFB	B-17G	44-85599	Static display	Reluctant Dragon	August 2017 photo by Kedesha Pennant/USAF
USA	TX	Conroe	CAF, Gulf Coast Wing, Lone Star Executive	B-17G	44-83872, PB-1W 77235, N7227C	Operational	Texas Raiders	photo via CAF Gulf Coast Wing
USA	TX	Mt. Pleasant	Mid America Flight Museum	B-17G	44-85718, F-BEEC, ZS-EEC, G-FORT, N900RW	Long term maintenance back to Operational at Madras, OR	Thunderbird	October 2021 photo by Chris Brame
USA	TX	San Antonio	Lackland AFB	B-17G	44-83512	Static display	Heaven's Above	April 2012 photo by Dan Stroud
USA	UT	Ogden	Hill Museum	B-17G	44-83663, FAB 5400, N47780	Static display	Short Bier	August 2000 photo by William Villani
USA	WA	Arlington	Flying Heritage Collection	B-17E	41-9210, N5842N, CF-ICB, N9720F, CP-753, N8WJ, N12355	Disassembled storage	Reported for sale	Photo via Platinum Aircraft Sales
USA	WA	Seattle	Museum of Flight	B-17F	42-29782, N6015V, N17W	Static display	Boeing Bee	August 2017 photo by Scott Thompson
USA	WI	Oshkosh	Experimental Aircraft Association	B-17G	44-85740, N5017N	Long term maintenance back to Operational at Punta Gorda, FL	Aluminum Overcast	photo by Brady Lane/EAA (Used with permission)