Savannah B-17G

[aerovin]

Just posted a mini-update at B-17 News that has three photos of 44-83814 at Savannah. Here is one:



The rest are here:

http://www.aerovintage.com/b17news.htm

[ww2John]

As Always Scott,
Thanks for sharing your connections, photos and insight.
Good to see the rapid progress the 8AF Museum is making.
#1 - get a B17
#2 - bring it to the Museum
#3 - make a BIG hole in the wall to push the plane through
#4 - oh yeah, restore the Fortress!

[mustangdriver]

So is the goal to bring it as close to WWII configuration as possible? Good job guys!!

[APG85]

Must...have...more...pictures...

[Pat Carry]

If they are going to paint the aircraft where it sits now, wont that be somewhat of a problem with other displays so close by?

[mustangdriver]

If they use the method of charged paint, then no problem at all. The NMUSAF s doing it right now, with no problems

[APG85]

Uhh, why paint it? Wasn't City of Savannah natural metal finish? Looks like a good candidate for a high speed buffer...

[Second Air Force]

Uhh, why paint it? Wasn't City of Savannah natural metal finish? Looks like a good candidate for a high speed buffer...

I totally agree with your assessment. In fact, I know of a polishing method they could use that works very, very well. I hope they don't do the OD thing as had earlier been talked about. We've got one of those to complain about already.

Scott

[mustangdriver]

I hope they don't paint it either. Never was a huge fan of that look.

[hang the expense]

The original bird was NMF.It needs to stay that way.After some months in the weather in England I would imagine the sheen was gone off the aluminum anyway.History should be represented as accurately as possible.

[bobbrunn]

So is the goal to bring it as close to WWII configuration as possible? Good job guys!!

Yes. We are on the hunt for turrets and other items needed for the inside. Remember her last job was as a fire bomber so we have allot to do to get the interior right. One step at a time !

[Taigh Ramey]

I can supply replica turrets for your B-17G. I have the molds for the chin, top, ball and Cheyenne tail.

[Dave Hadfield]

I recently organized a reunion of pilots and crewmembers who flew that particular B-17 from 1959 to 1966 (for Kenting, as CF-HBP). I've got their logbooks here at my desk. This is when it flew high-altitude photo survey, before the tanker configuration.

I sure heard a lot of great stories!

Anyway, if it's of interest to the Museum, I can put them in touch. These guys are very sharp, and still have all their marbles -- in fact more than I think I do right now. They could offer insight into how things were set up in 1960, when the airplane was only 15 years old.

Not much use of course, if the focus is purely on a different B-17G which went overseas to the 8th.

Dave

[APG85]

I recently organized a reunion of pilots and crewmembers who flew that particular B-17 from 1959 to 1966 (for Kenting, as CF-HBP). I've got their logbooks here at my desk. This is when it flew high-altitude photo survey, before the tanker configuration.

I sure heard a lot of great stories!

Anyway, if it's of interest to the Museum, I can put them in touch. These guys are very sharp, and still have all their marbles -- in fact more than I think I do right now. They could offer insight into how things were set up in 1960, when the airplane was only 15 years old.

Not much use of course, if the focus is purely on a different B-17G which went overseas to the 8th.

Dave

That's great stuff. I would think the museum would want to keep a record of the actual history of the aircraft. Perhaps they could even host a reunion for those guys eventually...

[bomberflight]

I see that B-17G Liberty Belle is slated to be coming to Savannah at the end of February, to take part in a WW2 Adventure weekend.

The Mighty Eighth Air Force Musuem features in the scheduled program for this event too !

Full details can be found here ~ http://wwiiadventure.com/

Oh for a lottery win ......