B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies Aktuelle Einträge in der Datenbank

Last B-17 as drone director held at MASDC 1967, the last B-17 handled at Davis-Monthan scrapyard; bought by Tallmantz Aviation in 1968, Civil 4250, at Tamiami, Fl 1989; Used in film “1000 Plane Raid”, as BALLS OF FIRE. Now dressed as 366BS/305BG Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire., UK, by Tom Reilly at Kissimmee, Fla, at Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, Fla. as SUZY Q. (Was damaged by Hurricane Andrew in Fla.)

Delivered USAAF 3/45, too late for Europe, then after VJ Day remained in storage. Eventually assigned as RB-17G photo-mapping at Clarke Field, Phillipines; tet US 1950 converted to DB-17P and Assigned 3215th Drone Squad at Patrick AFB, Fl. Taking part in Operation Greenhouse as drone in nuclear tests as a “mother ship” ; transferred storage at davis-Monthan 1959, before being ‘demobbed’ and sold, used as tanker with Areo Union, Chico, Cal (N9323Z) as a borate bomber, necessitating several internal modifications; then in 1978 to CAF and preserved in 457BG Glatton, Northamptonshire, UK. colours at Boeing Museum, then after numerous modifications, including many parts, including a Cheyenne tail gunner’s section, obtained world wide to revert back to WW II status, made airworthy, to Confederate Air Force, Falcon Fd, Mesa, Arizona, as SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY.

Delivered Tulsa 22/3/45; Patterson 14/5/45; 53 RCN Sq McChord 10/1/46; 53 RCN Sq Buckley 11/3/46; 503 BU Grave Pt 31/3/46; 53 RCN Sq McChord 11/4/46; 62 BU McChord 30/5/46; 53 RCN Morrison 29/8/46; re-ass 31/3/47; 53 RV Morrison 2/6/47; 67 BU Robins 9/11/47; 4117 BU Robins 16/2/48; 535 BU Ft Peperel 9/7/48; 1225 AB Ft Peperel 1/10/48; AMC Olmstead 14/1/49; 1225 AB Ft Peperel 23/8/49; AMC Hill 6/6/50; 3700 IND Lackland 11/9/50; Recl Comp 26/9/50. Was on display as PRINCESS PAT of 381BG Ridgewell, Ex. UK, but still at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas, as 457BG, Glatton, Northamptonshire., UK., as static HEAVEN’S ABOVE.

Delivered Lincoln 30/1/45; Grenier 15/2/45; Assigned 15AF 28/2/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 6/11/46; Returned to the USA Fairfax /52 then storage /56; Norton, Cal /59 as part of possible museum, but base CO scrapped idea; dismantled Chino, Cal 30/7/67; Spearfish, SD; Ocatillo, Cal 1988; in the film “12 O’Clock High”; latterly used as Hangar Queen. Latterly with Kermit Weeks, at Aero Traders, Borrego Springs, Cal.

Assigned 8AF but remained in Europe after war, then sold to French IGN 12/8/54 as {F-BGSO}; displayed Le Bourget Air Museum since 8/9/76; now at Musee de l’Air, Le Bourget, France. (condition unknown).

Delivered Cheyenne 17/1/45 where an AN/APS-15 radar unit was fitted instead of standard ball turret; Hunter 12/2/45; Grenier 25/2/45; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-M] Polebrook 25/3/45; {6m} transferred 365BS/305BG Chelveston 23/5/45 but remained in Europe as RB-17G at Weisbaden and Tripoli, Libya before moving on the Port Lyautey, Morocco, on mapping duties. Transferred to 45Recon. Sq in 3/49. Eventually sold to French I’Institut Geographique National as {F-BGSP} 7/12/54, then became airworthy as F-AZDX 5/85 at Fortresse Toujours Volante, Paris, France, as MOTHER & COUNTRY (pilot’s side) and PINK LADY (co-pilot side).

Delivered All Weather Flying Centre Clinton 17/10/44; from Wright-Patterson with Warren Dennison 12/2/45; transferred as ETB-17 on weather recon/electronic countermeasures at Wright Fd 1949; on a daily mission to Andrews Fd, recording weather; had red tails, engines cowls and noses; Assigned Federal telecommunications Corp, Teterboro, NJ mid 1950s with wing-tip antennas fitted; released from USAF in 1959 and became as N3710G Breckenridge, Tx 1986; was a crop duster and freighter at Fort Worth 1988; now restored as airworthy as 486BG, Sudbury, Sfk., UK, colours at Vintage Flying Museum, Meacham Fd, Fort Worth as CHUCKIE.

Delivered Kearney 22/7/44; Grenier 8/8/44; Assigned 97BG Amendola 20/8/44; depot 21/8/44; Sal; Returned to the USA Bolling 5/45; 4112 BU Olmstead 3/46; used by Gen Ira Eaker as STARDUSTER from Bolling 3/48; 18 MSG Clark Fd, Phillipines 9/48; 1130 SAG Nanking, China; US Embassy in Canada 11/49; 3510 FTW Randolph 2/53; Davis-Monthan 9/55; to Aero Boliviano as CP-627 & CP-891 freight-carrier 6/56; crashed La Paz, Bolivia, but rep; Returned to the USA 1980, restored now in 15AF Museum as 2ND PATCHES, now in March AFB Museum, Riverside, Cal. as RETURN TO GLORY.

Delivered Cheyenne 27/8/44; Hunter 19/9/44; Grenier 26/9/44; Assigned USAAF for research work until 1959, then as civil N3702G as fire-bomber; restored on static display at Castle AF Museum, Atwater, Cal 1989 wearing 94BG colours, Rougham, Sfk., UK as VIRGIN’S DELIGHT.

Delivered Denver 24/1/44; Cheyenne 28/1/44; Gr Island 6/2/44; Presque Is 29/2/44; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-E] Bassingbourn 23/3/44; Missing in Action 23m Posnan 29/5/44 with Bob Guenther, Co-pilot: George Havrisik, Navigator: John Lowdermilk, Bombardier: Leon Peterson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Shoesmith, Radio Operator: John Bigham, Ball turret gunner: Nick Premenko, Waist gunner: Harry Nicely,Tail gunner: Harry Teems (9INT); flak, three engines out, force landed Bulltofta Afd, near Malmo, Swed; Missing Air Crew Report 5354. Used as Swedish airliner SE-BAP, the sold to Denmark for $1 and called STIG VIKING, later to STORE BJORN on African routes; bought by IGNF as F-BGSH for geographical work before retiring at Creuil, Fr; sold to USAF for 20 cents and re-stored at Wright-Patterson in over 60,000 man hours. Now static in AF Museum, Dayton, Oh., as SHOO SHOO SHOO BABY.

Delivered Denver 27/5/43; Gore 15/7/43; force landed Dyersburg with John Perdue 12/8/43; with John Ferreter force landed Neosho Fd, MO 1/3/44; never went overseas and was Written off 8/9/44. Sat at Chino Apt Museum before moving 1981 and restored at Beale AFB 1988, now on display at Offutt AFB, Neb.. (Now wearing 42-30230 of 562BS/388BG of Knettishall, Sfk., UK. as HOMESICK ANGEL).

Delivered Cheyenne 17/2/43; Blythe 4/3/43; McClellan 16/5/43; Moses Lake 15/6/43; crash landed 20/9/43 with Reid, main wheel came off, repaired and used as training aircraft in US; Returned to the USA Drew 2/4/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 5/11/45. Used as tanker N6015V, then crop sprayer N17W Yakima, Wa; Lansing, Mich 1953; on display at Stuttgart, Ark 1947-53. Was at Mesa, Az 1961, Dobbins, Ga. 1963; took part in films Memphis Belle, The 1,000 Plane Raid & Tora, Tora; now in Museum of Flight, Renton, Seattle, Wa. (actually airworthy but unlikely to fly again); as BOEING BEE aka THE GREAT WHITE BIRD

Delivered Minneapolis 21/5/42; Wright for avionics work 30/6/42; Minneapolis 11/10/42; Wright 5/3/43; Midland 21/6/43; 1454 BU Minneapolis 21/9/43; 4000 BU Wright 30/5/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Minneapolis 29/10/45. Canada CF-1CB (Civil 9920N/5842N); Bolivia CP-753 at La Paz for freight haulage 23/7/64; Returned to the USA as N8WJ to Fort Lauderdale for restoration in 1990. Currently with Flying Heritage Collection, Arlington, Va., for a possible flying restoration project.

Delivered MacDill 341BS/97BG; Presque Is 31/5/42; en route to UK escorting six P-38Fs crashed Greenland ice cap 15/6/42 with Staples & crew rescued-10RTD; found in 1987 crushed under 250ft of snow; DO DO.

Delivered MacDill 314BS/97BG 13/4/42; en route to UK escorting six P-38Fs crash landed east Greenland ice cap 15/6/42, with Lt Hanna & crew rescued-10RTD (the aircraft was later found in Jan 1989 under 250 ft of ice); BIG STOOP.

Assigned 414BS/97BG Presque Is; from Goose Bay, force landed Blue West One, Greenland en route UK 26/6/42, with 2Lt.Ralph H.Stinson, Co-pilot: 2Lt. Wilson N. McGough, Lt Kenneth Bright, TSgt John R. Patrick, Radio Operator: SSgt Tomas K. Laskowski, Radio Operator: Cpl Wayne S. Heckhendorn, G-Chas Chapman, Gunner -Steven K. Brening, Gunner -Harvey Gordon, pass-Capt Wendell Freeman, (10 Returned to Duty); Salvaged. MY GAL SAL. Remains were brought out in 1995, to USC, Cincinnati, Ohio, for a static restoration. Formerly at Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial, Blue Ash Airport, Cincinnati. On January 1, 2017, on static display at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA. MY GAL SAL.

Delivered MacDill 28/2/42; 97BG Sarasota 29/3/42; Ogden 7/7/42; 383BG Ainsworth 19/3/43; Wright-Patterson Fd 17/8/43, modified in 1944 to XC-108A experimental cargo a/c, bomb doors were sealed shut, armament removed, solid hinged nose piece and a large cargo door cut into rear fuselage; this took 19,000 man hours and program halted for others. It was based in India and used for flying material over the Hump and Returned to the USA in 10/44 ending up in pieces on the dump at Dow Fd in Maine. It was virtually complete and eventually sold for scrap to Mike Kellner 1985 at Galt, Ill, for restoration, now complete at Lake Bluff, Marengo, Ill., Destined to fly again. THE DESERT RAT.

Delivered Cheyenne 30/5/42; slated RAF but Assigned 5AF 6/8/42 then 19BG Hawaii 21/8/42; transferred 65BS/43BG Port Moresby; Missing in Action (13m) on convoy bombing mission off Lae 8/1/43 with Ray Dau 9th mission), Co-pilot: Don Hoggan, Navigator: Peter Hudec, Bombardier: Albt Cole [wia], Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lloyd DuMond, Radio Operator: Bob Albright [wia], Waist gunner: Francis Caldwell, Waist gunner: Henry Blasco,Tail gunner: Henry Bowen (died of wounds) (9 Returned to Duty); (2 died of wounds)hit by flak and force landed Black Cat Pass, east of Wau, New Guinea. Written off. Was intended as Lend Lease for RAF Coastal Command as [FL461] painted with RAF roundels, which were covered by USAAF insignia. Wreck still intact, although USAAF insignia has worn off still showing RAF roundels.

Delivered with John Haig to Fort Douglas 6/12/41; Sacramento SAD 8/12/41 for armament installation Assigned 14RS/19BG; with Capt Fred Eaton to Hickam 17/12/41, then to Wheeler and att. USN for search missions, bomb. Sgt J.J. Trelia went sick and replaced by Rich Oliver; 11/2/42 and trans. 22BS/7BG, Garbutt, Aus 20/2/42; transferred 14RS/19BG Hickham); on mission from Townsville to attack Japanese shipping at Rabual, with Capt Fred Eaton, Co-pilot: Capt Henry Harlow, Navigator: George Munro, Bombardier: Rich Oliver, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clarry Lemieux, Radio Operator: Harry Soresen, Waist gunner: Russ Crawford, Waist gunner: Bill Schwartz,Tail gunner: John Hall; suffered battle damage, ran out of gas and bellied in Agaiambo Swamp, Papua New Guinea 23/3/42 on its first mission; days later the crew battled its way through jungle and back to base by 1/4/42. After a long litigation process with PNG government, including collector David Tallichet, it eventually returned to USA June 2010, to “Planes of Fame“ at Chino 8/12/10, by Jan 2013 the fuselage was readied for Hawaii and back to US. Curator of Pacific Aviation Museum, Ken DeHoff, is confident the $5 million dollars will be obtained for restoration. SWAMP GHOST.

LONGEST SERVING B-17 in USAAF.