a really stupid question about tail numbers

[Randune]

I have been collecting WW2 photos for a awhile now. But really never was interested in researching them until recently. How can you look up tail numbers? I just got a nice B17G photo I'd like to research, but I cannot find anything.

Help!


Randy

[bipe215]

There are various websites, such as Baugher's
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html

But the bible for B-17 ID is Freeman & Osborne's 'The B-17 Flying Fortress Story'. All 12,731 B-17s listed with #, Delivery Location, Group,
Squadron, crash location, scrap location etc. You might find a copy on amazon. Also, Wallace Foreman's 'B-17 Nose Art Directory' lists over 8,000 ships with some # and group info.

Steve G

[Roger Cain]

Another hint, when you go to Baughers website, using the picture of your plane's tail number, chances are the first "4" wasn't used.
Example:
Your B-17 shows "3-38111"
It would actually be "43-38111"

[mrhenniger]

Joe Baugher's s/n lists would be my first stop, however I would suggest using the search engine for his lists...

http://users.rcn.com/jeremy.k/serialSearch.html

Using Roger's example if you had a B-17 marked "3-38111" you could enter "38111" in the "Serial Number" category and "B-17" in the "Description" category and the possibilites would be reduced to a short list for you very quickly.

Mike

Last edited by mrhenniger on Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

[cadet77]

If you know the year and serial number, just looking through the long lists of aircraft on the J. Baugher site is worth the time spent.
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html
The number of aircraft, pilots and crews is hard to imagine today in our reduced forces.

[bipe215]

This is another site with tons of info. Shows accidents (non combat) both overseas and stateside. The sheer number is staggering. When you consider there were over 15,000 fatalities in TRAINING during WW2, just in the Air Corp, not counting naval aviation, the scope of the war was incredible. Can you imagine media reaction to numbers like this today?

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AFrptsMO.htm

[mike furline]

What is the tail number?

Regards,