Warbird Information Exchange

Hello all, I'm brand new here, but I already was hoping to enlist your help.
My grandfather was a side gunner on a B-17 and after the war would take my mother, aunts and uncles around to see Fortresses if there was one nearby to where they were travelling. My uncle sent me the following photo that my grandfather took, and we're trying to ID the aircraft.

http://www.bigdis.com/andy/b-17_photos/mystery_forts/2003092600_2.jpg
I'm told that it was taken in 1964 in or near Barstow, CA.

I spent a ton of yesterday trying to do some detective work, and I _think_ it must be 44-83684 (aka "Picadilly Lilly II"), but I'd love a second opinion and/or confirmation.

Also, if you're feeling really brave, try this one (supposedly also taken in the same area of California in 1964):

http://www.bigdis.com/andy/b-17_photos/mystery_forts/2003092603.jpg

Thanks,
Andy

Sorry about that, I fixed the links.

Contacting PoF is actually a really good idea that hadn't occurred to me earlier, thanks! I'll try that angle and see what transpires.

Hi Andy and welcome to WIX!

You should also try posting these to the aerovintage.com forum, as Scott Thompson is the guru of postwar B-17s. I believe his book Final Cut has a closeup of the 0-4864 serial on PL II, and I recognise the paint scheme on the second plane but I don't have the book in front of me.

Any more B-17 photos you have would be most welcome!

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Thanks for the suggestion. I've sent an email to Scott and we'll see what he has to say.

Yep, the top photo is of 44-83684, though I suspect is is a view from 1961 as it had a civil registration number on by July of that year, and USAF markings were gone.

The second one is probably N5226V as operated by C'Air at Long Beach, though it could also be sister ship N5225V. Both were based at Long Beach from 1962 to 1964 and modified for use as sprayers. Both ex Navy PB-1Ws that came out of the derelict bunch at Love Field.

_________________
Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

Scott, thanks so much for the quick ID. The issue with the year is interesting, but considering I wasn't born until 1973, I was just going with what my family said.

TriangleP, my grandfather (John Kolafa) flew with the 600th Bomb Squadron 398th Bomb Group out of Nuthampstead, England.