In my never-ending search to ID the Paducah B-17G, I found this image on the America Air Museum in Britain's site, credited to the Roger Freeman collection:
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102803) at Gulfport USA, used for training purposes. Image stamped on reverse: 'Air Ministry.'
42-102803 B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/4/44; Gulfport 20/4/44; 4119 BU Brookley 22/11/44; 328 BU Gulfport 24/11/44; 4117 BU Robins 4/1/45; 4104 BU Rome 18/1/45; 3704 BU Keesler 21/6/45.
Not sure where this is, but it sure isn't Gulfport, MS with the desert landscape plus a batch of Vampires and an Avro York! The Fort's engines and turrets are missing, the life raft container is open, and it has a generally derelict look to it... so any guesses as to what's going on here?
Engines and props gone as well as aft crew door.It also has a stinger tail gun.I cant enlarge the photo to see if the adf is still in place.Might have belly landed.
I wanted to suggest that the item hanging below the nose might be a radome but I didn't really want to stick my neck out....your research sure points to that being remains of an H2X.
