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2003 B-17 NEWS

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November 2003

• I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with the crew of the Lone Star Flight Museum's B-17G Thunderbird, 44-85718 (N900RW) on a taxiway adjacent to Houston's new runway 8L/26R on Friday, October 30. The B-17G was participating in the opening ceremonies for the runway, along with the FAA DC-3 N34.

  

  The B-17G crew was led by Doug Peoples and left Houston around 11:30 a.m. so it could stage back to home base Galveston before departing for the airshow at Randolph AFB the following weekend. The airplane is to be repainted during the off season but will remain as Thunderbird.

• The Memphis Belle, B-17F 41-24485 is indoors now and being restored, evidently supported by employees of FedEx. The effort is underway to restore the airplane and complete a new display building.

  

• A source with the Collings Foundation indicates that when its annual B-17/B-24 national tour begins in January 2004, B-25J 44-28932 (N3476G), flying as Tondelayo, will join the tour in place of B-17G 44-83575 (N93012). The B-17G is scheduled to undergo some heavy maintenance and repainting. By April 2004, the B-17G should be ready to rejoin the tour. Will all three airplanes then tour together? Will rides be sold on the B-25? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks to Pat Carry for the update.

• Correspondent Helmut Gohle of Wriezen, Germany, noted an error both on this website and in the book Final Cut. Actually, this is a long running identification problem having to do with B-17G 44-6332 and its tie-up with the post war Bolivian registration of CB-88 and CP-588. Mr. Gohle correctly notes that 44-6332 was shot down over Vienna, Austria, on September 10, 1944, and thus could not be the post war airplane as commonly listed. My most trusted listing of Bolivian B-17s, provided years ago by reliable source Bill Lloyd, notes that the "official" Bolivian listing shows this airplane as 42-6332, which ties to a Boeing-built B-29. Historians and serialoligists occasionally make that error-prone jump to conclusions, as was done here, tying it to the obvious B-17 serial. A + B should equal C, but both A and B have to right first of all. Thus, we have to show the identity of CB-88/CP-588 as unknown. Does anyone have any light to shed on this?

• Speaking of B-29s, historian Ed Davies is trying to solicit information on XB-29 41-002, marked as The Flying Guinea Pig. He is trying to located any photographs or confirming information of the XB-29 when it was stored at McClellan Field, Sacramento, California, after May 1947. It was apparently scrapped on the field the following year. If anyone has any information, please e-mail me at the Aero Vintage site and I will pass it along to Ed.

• Glenn Duensing sent along some photos of B-17G 44-85738, marked as Preston's Pride and displayed along Highway 99 in California's central valley near Tulare. As noted below in August 2003 news, a truck hit this B-17 back in May and damaged a propeller, engine nacelle, and the left wing tip. The B-17, on loan to the AMVETS by the USAF Museum, has been displayed along the highway since 1958 and hit several times by errant vehicles. The photo shows the #1 engine and was taken in October.

  

• The effort to restore B-17G 44-85790, otherwise known as Lacey Lady is now presented in some detail at a new website located here. This B-17G is the one displayed over a gas station at Milwaukie, Oregon, since 1947. In the past decade, efforts were begun to restore the airplane, long outdoors and subjected to increasing levels of vandalism and corrosion. In 1997, the nose was detached and sent to Aurora, Oregon, where it was basically rebuilt. However, the effort fizzled due to lack of funds. A renewed effort is now underway, as detailed at the new Wings of Freedom website. Plans are presented for the display building and details the planned formation of a non-profit foundation to tell the story of the airplane and the war it fought in. Check out the website and consider helping to reassemble and finally display this B-17G.

  A word of caution, however, about placing too much faith in the account presented on the website about how this B-17 came to Milwaukie in 1947. After a fair amount of research and discussions with other individuals involved with the story, it is my considered opinion that the version long presented by Art Lacey of his airplane's acquisition and delivery is more fiction than fact. A fuller story is told in Final Cut with other information presented elsewhere on this B-17 News page. Thanks to Pat Carry for the head's up on the new website.

• Russ and Kathy Hoenig visited the crash site of B-17G 42-30762 in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan. They report that there is little left of the airplane at the site but that "a surprising amount is available for viewing local contacts." This B-17G crashed in April 1944 while on a training mission. Russ and Kathy have been researching the history of this airplane and are trying to locate any photos of this aircraft when it was based at Sioux City or at any time in its AAF service. If anyone is aware of photos of this airplane please contact them at bofaus@alltel.net.

• Russell Strong sent in some information about the surviving nose section of B-17F 41-24487. This B-17 was one of the original 35 airplanes assigned to the 306th Bomb Group in 1942 when the group went to England for service with the Eighth Air Force. It became Eager Beaver with the group and flew a few dozen combat missions. Surprisingly, it survived the war and was sent to Altus Field, Oklahoma, for scrapping after the war ended. Instead, it was transferred to a technical school in Pennsylvania. It disappeared from sight afterwards, presumably scrapped. However, the left forward nose section with the name and nose art survived and was donated to the 8th Air Force Heritage Museum at Savannah, Georgia. On July 4th, 2000, the nose section was dedicated and the original 306th Bomb Group pilot of the airplane, Marlen Reber, was on hand as part of the ceremony. A photograph of Eager Beaver at Altus in 1945 is on page 35 of Final Cut. Russell Strong was kind enough to send along copies of 305th Echoes newsletters detailing the story of the nose section.

• Todd Hackbarth sent along an interesting but tragic excerpt from Duncan Curtis' book North American Sabre Dog, Part 2 that details the destruction of DB-17G drone director 44-83680 in 1952. Back then, the drone directors were remotely flying QB-17G target drones for missile tests conducted using F-86Ds at the USAF Armament Center at Eglin AFB, Florida. The DB-17Gs were usually painted with distinctive markings and the drones painted a bright red to make sure the wrong B-17 was not targeted and shot down. The DB-17Gs also controlled the unmanned drones at least a mile or more in trail to avoid mistakes. On August 25, 1952, however, an F-86D made several passes on the drone but radar locked onto the director DB-17 instead, much to the dismay of the DB-17G crew. Those passes were aborted, but on the third pass the F-86 pilot thought he had it right and let twelve rockets go. Inevitably, the rockets targeted the DB-17 instead of the QB-17, and they slammed into the director airplane from the left wing back to the tail section. The airplane began to break up and went into a spin. A number of parachutes were seen to emerge from the stricken DB-17, but only two of the eight man crew survived the episode. There is no indication in the book about what eventually happened to the F-86D pilot who landed uneventfully at Eglin. The account in the book also includes a photo of the DB-17G spinning out of control after the attack.

• A Dominican Republic military website (in Spanish) presents some information and photos of two obscure B-17Gs operated by their air force in the late 1940s. The identities of these two airplanes has been elusive. Until I saw the photos on this website, I was convinced these two airplanes were actually two B-17Es operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force that carried the serials of 9106 and 9107 and were surplus to the RCAF in 1947. These two airplanes eventually ended up in Argentina where they were later scrapped. One of the Dominican airplanes reportedly was also marked as 9106 and it was acquired in 1947.

  

  Presumptuous as it was, it appeared they might be the RCAF airplanes. However, these photos clearly depict two B-17Gs, with one marked as "106." Interesting stuff; however, I suspect these two B-17Gs will remain unidentified. They were probably smuggled out of the U.S. from a post war scrapyard and any identification will probably be based on more speculation. Check it out at this Dominican Air Force website.

August 2003

• Guy Fay passed along a link to a photograph of a YB-17 on file with the Wisconsin State Historical Society that is of some interest to students of the early Forts. It shows some maintenance being done on the airplane.

• The June 2003 edition of Pacific Flyer reported that the B-17G parked at the Tulare Airport as a war memorial since 1958 was damaged in May by an errant truck that missed an offramp curve. The B-17G, 44-85778, carrying the name of Preston's Pride, was knocked off its base and moved several feet. The left wing was damage and one of the propellers bent. Part of the fence surrounding the bomber was also demolished. The B-17G, parked near California Highway 99, has suffered major damage from a truck on at least one prior occasion. Preston's Pride was a late production Vega airplane that never saw combat. After the war it was used as a DB-17G drone controller in the atomic tests at the Bikini Atoll in 1946 and for many years afterwards while based at Eglin AFB, Florida. It was placed on permanent loan to the local AMVETS group in 1958 in recognition of Gen. Maurice Preston, the World War II commander of the 397th Bomb Group, who grew up in Tulare.

• Interesting report passed along by 'Maxum96' about the forward fuselage of a B-17 hung over a bar near Denver, Colorado. It apparently is cut off just forward of the cockpit and extends to a point just aft of the ball turret. The ball turret is installed. No identity or history of this airplane is known. The bar is reportedly called <>The Assembly. There is a thread about this airplane on the Aero Vintage Message Board which is interesting. Any more details on this airplane or even a photo would be great.

• Back in July 2000, Mark Sublette provided some information about a scrapped B-17 he saw at Hurlburt Field (Eglin AFB Aux Field No. 9) in the fall of 1973. As a high school student, he recalls seeing and photographing a whole inverted B-17 wing and center section, including the bomb-bay, at a scrap dump at Hurlburt. The dump was located along the east side of the runways. The scrap airframe and a few other special operation wrecks were eventually used as landfill, covered with dirt, and then graded flat. What stands on the site now is unknown. This report is yet another indication that there are still pieces of B-17s and other vintage aircraft around waiting to be uncovered. Recently, Mark came up with several photos of the B-17, two of which are presented here:

  

  

June 2003

• Todd Hackbarth passed along information about two nice color photos posted at Airlners.net. They are of Portuguese SB-17Gs taken by John James back in 1958 at Lajes and can be seen here and here. No identities can be discerned but there is a good website by J.M. Vidal that covers the Portuguese SB-17Gs located here.

• In May, Nick Blacow took a look at the progress of 44-85734 (N817BR) under restoration by Tom Reilly at Kissimmee, Florida. As noted in the April update (below), this airplane was recently sold to the Liberty Foundation and should be flying again in the next year or two. Here is a photo passed along by Nick, taken on May 9:

  

• Tim Bivens passed along a current photo of 41-24485, the Memphis Belle, in its disassembled state at Millington, Tennessee. This historic B-17F is being readied for a static restoration and eventual display in a new building being purpose-built for the airplane. Much work lies ahead on this airplane.

  

• Showing up at Plane Talking, a Hyperscale discussion group, was this item about a B-17 evidently emerging from a glacier in Austria:

  "Hey guys, just heard from a friend in Innsbruck that a B-17 is starting to be exposed in a Glacier west of the city, so far the gear has been found and some smaller pieces. From what I have heard is that it was landed on the glacier during the war and snow and pressure with time covered it up and crushed part of it. I will be trying to get to the site sometime soon. I know the guy real well who told me this, he found a B-25 up in the Alps that burned up after being crashed at a high altitude flat. He has part of the instrument board to prove it. I am just wondering here if anybody has heard of a crash in this area or where I could get info from the US about missing a/c and airmen. From the way it looks there could be bodies still up in there, there are no formal records in the Bundesland Archives of Tyrol for the crash, like there are in other cases. I'm real curious, Alan in Austria"

• In April, the Collings B-17G, 44-83575 (N93012), operated as Nine-O-Nine, and B-24 both suffered hail damage while on tour at Dallas, Texas. In particular, the fabric covered control surfaces were damaged to the point that the ailerons and elevators needed recovering. The CAF group that operates Texas Raiders, currently disassembled at Houston, were kind enough to loan the Collings group their B-17G elevators, while an old set of ailerons were brought in from Florida to get the B-17 flying again in short order. The B-24 elevators were repaired on site, and both aircraft were flying again within a week. A nice demonstration of cooperation between B-17 operators. Thanks to Jim Harley for the specifics.

• Speaking of Texas Raiders (44-83872 N7227C), this would be a good time to mention that this old PB-1W and first real B-17 "warbird" remains in dire straits as it sits at Ellington Field near Houston, Texas, awaiting funds to complete the FAA mandated Airworthiness Directive requirements issued last year. The CAF Gulf Coast Wing is desperately seeking money; all contributions are tax deductible. Jump here for more information.

• Posted at Barnstormers in April was this classified advertisement:

  "B-17 BOMBER PARTS INVENTORY • FOR SALE!! NOW AVAILABLE... Last of the sizeable Flying Fortress PARTS INVENTORIES remaining in private hands, including: Several pair of Main Landing Gear & MLG Support Assys (unused), Landing Gear System items, Brake System Items, Engine System items and more, all specifically for the mighty B-17 Bomber. This is your opportunity to own a large group of original & extremely rare hardware for one of the most enduring symbols of American military history, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY Respond to this ad via email: depot41@aol.com Contact John Szabo, Owner - DEPOT 41 located Hesperia CA USA. Telephone: 760.947.4142. -- Posted 9 April 2003 -"

• Mark your calendars for August 9th and 10th if you want to see four B-17s together on the same airfield. That's when the Yankee Air Force will host Thunder Over Michigan at Willow Run. As noted below, the following B-17s are expected to attend: Yankee Lady, Sentimental Journey, mock Memphis Belle, and Nine-O-Nine. The Lone Star museum's Thunderbird had been slated to attend but ??? Jump to here for the most current information.

• Bill Stanczak reports on the progress of B-17E 41-2595, the ex XC-108 restoration underway in Illinois. The winter and spring were spent manufacturing new ribs and reskinning about 1/3 of the aft fuselage. As you can see from the photo...

  

  ...it was quite cold, "yet we've managed to reskin about 1/3rd of the waist area, fixing ax and vandalism damage. A longeron was replaced, another was repaired (all on the right side). Similar repairs will be necessary on the left."
  Current status:
  -Forming new ribs to fill in the cargo door area.
  -Put the rear fuselage parts (from the crew entry door to the tail gun compartment) back together, as they had been disassembled. This area (from bulkhead 7 thru bulkhead 11) will need to be 80% new, mostly due to the scrapper's axe, and some to corrosion.
  -Starting to collect parts to restore the tail gun enclosure.
  -Making parts for the waist gun wind deflector.
  

April 2003

• As noted above, the B-17s are coming to town with several tour schedules announced. Go out and support the airplanes and take a look at history! Enjoy them while they are still flying.

• Speaking of still flying, look for an impressive five, count 'em five, B-17s to fly at the Yankee Air Force Thunder Over Michigan show being held this coming summer on August 9 and 10th. Those scheduled to appear: the Yankee Air Force's own Yankee Lady, the CAF's Sentimental Journey, the Lone Star Flight Museum's Thunderbird, the Collings Foundation's 909, and David Tallichet's Memphis Belle. There is a whole slew of other warbirds scheduled to gather, so check out this site for the latest information.

• Thanks to Patrick Carry for an update to the happenings of the real Memphis Belle, 41-24485, currently in the throes of change down in Memphis. This airplane has been through alot since it was delivered from Boeing in July 1942, but it looks as if it has found a permanent display home that will protect it well and keep it available for generations to come. Through the tireless efforts of many in Memphis and the work of the Memphis Belle Memorial Association, a museum building is being funded. However, in the meantime, the Belle is being disassembled for some restoration efforts. After disassembly, the airframe will be moved to Millington, Tennessee. The outline for the restoration includes the following: engines and props are to be cosmetically restored; engine nacelles and cowlings will be cleaned and parts painted; landing gear will be stripped and painted and the struts refurbished; wings will be disassembled and the interiors cleaned and restored; the fuel tanks will be removed; flight controls will be cleaned and inspected; horizontal and vertical stabilizers will be cleaned and corrosion halted; new fasteners will be installed; the turrets will be restored and repainted; the fuselage will have extensive restoration work and repainting completed. All work will be to the USAF Museum standards. It is expected to take until late 2004 for the restoration work to be accomplished. While this work is underway at Millington, the airplane will be available for viewing on a limited basis. After the airplane is moved to its final home, the final reassembly and restoration work will be completed.

• Late news: The April issue of the west coast Inflight Magazine will report, and Tom Reilly confirms, that the B-17G being rebuilt by Reilly at Kissimmee, Florida, and known as Outhouse Mouse has been sold to the Liberty Foundation, a principal of which is Don Brooks of Atlanta, Georgia. This B-17G is mainly 44-85734 with the tail section from 44-85813. The project has been underway for many years and is nearing completion. The basis for the project was the five-engine test bed operated as NL5111N by Pratt & Whitney from 1947 through the mid-sixties to test new engines. Pratt & Whitney donated it to what was then the Connecticut Aviation Historical Association. A 1979 tornado nearly destroyed the airplane as it sat on static display at the museum operated by association. The museum later became the New England Air Museum, and the B-17 remains were traded to Tom Reilly in return for restorative efforts on a B-25H. Reilly and his crew at Kissimmee have been working on the airplane since the early 1990s.

  The airplane has been the subject of much speculation over the years, and the actual owner of the airplane who sold it to Brooks remains a bit of a mystery. There were strong rumors that the airplane was sold to Boeing to be used as a donation to an Israeli air museum. Several years ago the registered owner was changed to the Randsburg Corporation of Portland, Oregon, and the registration was changed to N817BR. Later, the registration was modified to indicate the owner was the Randsburg Corporation in care of Royal Aviation of Mesa, Arizona. Royal Aviation is owned by Bob Reid, thus it is a short jump to think that "BR" in the registration actually stood for "Bob Reid." This is speculation only but Reid also owns a Cessna 525 Citation registered as N525BR. Royal Aviation operates from Falcon Field in Mesa. Reportedly, the airplane was actually owned by a number of individuals, a principal of which was Mr. Reid. Trying to unravel airplanes and companies is difficult at times, especially when it really isn't anybody's business who owns an airplane if the owner doesn't want it known.

  Don Brooks is perhaps best known for contributing a DC-3 to the early efforts to recover B-17s and P-38s from the ice fields of Greenland in 1989, but he has much other vintage aircraft involvement also. He also reportedly has been involved in efforts to recover B-17G 44-83790 from a lake in Newfoundland.

  Reilly indicates that the airplane will be flying within a year, with the major work airframe work completed. Rewiring and completing the systems installation is underway. The airplane will be completed as Outhouse Mouse, an actual 91st Bomb Group veteran, in an AAF camouflage scheme. Later, it will be changed to carry 390th Bomb Group markings (square J), the airplane being a flying memorial to the men of the 390th, among who was Don Brooks' father. The airplane will remain based at Kissimmee after the restoration, but will tour each year similar to how the Collings Foundation's 909 (44-83575) tours. More information about these two airplanes, as well as all the survivors, can be found in Final Cut.

February 2003

• Well, not much going on in the world of B-17s that has been noted in the past two months. A Collings B-17/B-24 tour is starting in Florida, as noted above. Plans are being announced for the coming spring and summer for tours and displays. Keep those 2010 B-17 News
  cards and letters coming and keep checking back. We'll post information as it comes available.

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