An update on Spirit of Cleveland
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 1:02 pm
Thanks to the keen eye of Jack Fellows, we might have finally identified the B-17F Spirit of Cleveland.
I suspect it is actually 42-2964, the first B-17F built by Douglas at Long Beach, which I believe was delivered to Wright Field for tests on July 1, 1942. It would have been a perfect choice to send to Cleveland for the July 4 celebrations and christening.
Not much is known about 42-2964, but In November 1943 it was abandoned by its crew in bad weather over Maryland.
So maybe Spirit of Cleveland, intended as a "gift" for General MacArthur, never went overseas at all.
I suspect it is actually 42-2964, the first B-17F built by Douglas at Long Beach, which I believe was delivered to Wright Field for tests on July 1, 1942. It would have been a perfect choice to send to Cleveland for the July 4 celebrations and christening.
Not much is known about 42-2964, but In November 1943 it was abandoned by its crew in bad weather over Maryland.
So maybe Spirit of Cleveland, intended as a "gift" for General MacArthur, never went overseas at all.