Description

Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors (Fifth Edition)

by Scott A. Thompson

About the Book:

Final Cut has been the reference source for the postwar B-17 since the first edition was published in 1990. It was completely revised in 2000 for the new millenium. There were two more updates in 2009 and 2011. Now, with all the changes that have occurred in the B-17 world in the past few years, it has been expanded and updated in this brand new fifth edition. Thirty-two more pages of new material have been added, along with updates to each section that details all of the surviving B-17s. New photos, new appendicies, updates all about. Good stuff.
This B-17 book begins where most others conclude. Here is the story of the B-17’s post-World War II use in roles never envisioned by its designers: air-sea rescue; airborne radar platforms; weather and photo reconnaissance; test beds for engines and electronic equipment; remote controlled drone targets, CIA duties, and other uses. Those B-17s the military no longer needed are shown in the vast post-war scrapyards, awaiting the smelter or, for a lucky few, a civil role. The civil B-17 starred in numerous motion pictures and television shows, carried cargo over the South American Andes, performed for years as air tankers fighting forest fires, sprayed crops and, finally, was memorialized for the war fought a half century ago. All the post-war roles performed by the B-17 are covered in both text and photos. The complete history of each of the individual surviving B-17s is told, illustrated with a wide variety of photos. Also included are six appendices providing particular detail about serials, registration numbers, tanker numbers, and other little-known facts about the post-war B-17. Great for warbird enthusiasts, modelers, and anyone with an interest in the famous B-17.
Complete or update your library today! If you have any interest in the B-17, you need this book! It is the last chapter on the history of the airplane. Softbound, quality paper, perfect bound, 8.5″x11″, 288 pages, about 484 photos. Published by Aero Vintage Books.

What readers say about Final Cut:

“This was a present to my Dad. He is currently flying around on one of these birds. He was very impressed with the book. Can’t get much more of a professional opinion than that.”-Kent Bolke

“SUPERB B-17 book in every way! Highly recommended!!”-Kevin Smith

“It is important to understand what this book is and what it is not. “Final Cut” is not a history of the development of the B-17. It is, however, a highly detailed chronicle of the life of the bomber *after* the War, something very few other books cover. It is not a coffee table book with glossy pictures; none are in color. It’s not eye candy. Rather, it’s something much more substantial, an expertly researched chronology of those lucky few survivors. It is a book for die-hard fans of the Boeing B-17, those of us nerdy enough to want to know about those 48 airplanes. My five-star rating is an indication that I count myself among those B-17 geeks.”-Daniel Berek

About the Author:

Scott Thompson has long held an interest in the B-17 and warbirds in general. He started collecting information and photos on these airplanes when he was teenager, and began writing about them in 1980. He has written numerous articles and seven other books, not including the five editions of Final Cut. He has enjoyed professional flying for more than 40 years, and also built a Vans RV-8 for fun flying. He and his family live in the Sacramento area.