Museum of Flight B-17F when it was a flyer

[Fortress17W]

Hello all,

I thought I would post a few photos I've taken over the years of the Seattle Museum of Flight's B-17F 42-29782, N17W, during its time as a flying warbird. Unfortunately, I only managed to photograph N17W flying once, so these are mostly static photos, and some aren't that great of quality.

First are a couple from the mid 1980s, I think 1987. I was still a kid in elementary school then, and N17W was the first B-17 I saw. I still remember touring the interior and meeting Bob Richardson, then the B-17F's owner and operator.





Next is a photo from August 26th, 1990, the day after N17W returned to Seattle. The B-17 had been away for about a year, first for the filming of "Memphis Belle," and then held up in New York for a few months while the ownership was sorted out after Richardson passed away earlier that year. The Museum of Flight purchased N17W from Richardson's estate for $750,000.



N17W's next public appearance was at an open house in November 1997 (or maybe 1996?) at the Boeing Renton Factory where it had been under restoration by Museum of Flight volunteers since 1991. Here the plane was unveiled nearly complete and in its new paint scheme. The somewhat unusual camouflage scheme was donated and applied by Boeing.



N17W returned to the skies on May 9, 1998 with a short ferry flight from Renton to Boeing Field, marking the end of major restoration work on the aircraft. 782 stayed at Boeing Field for a few months before being flown back to Renton.









The Museum maintained N17W as a flyable aircraft between 1998 and 2003. The last flight came on December 12, 2003, when N17W made another flight from Renton to Boeing Field and the B-17 went into storage in the Plant 2 building.

From what I know, N17W wasn't flown very often in the 1998-2003 timeframe. One member of the restoration team told me it was flown maybe six or seven times. I only managed to photograph the May 9, 1998 flight.

Anybody else have photos of N17W they could share, either when operated by the Museum of Flight, or during the Richardson years, or even earlier?


Jon Davis

[spookythecat]

Those are great! Thanks for sharing.

...and Welcome!

[george]

Great pix. I sure wish it was still flying.

[Billy Packard]

Yeah I have some real early pics of that B-17. That was the first B-17 my grandfather tanked. Thanks for sharing.

[Ryan Keough]

Yeah I have some real early pics of that B-17. That was the first B-17 my grandfather tanked. Thanks for sharing.

Hey Billy! Welcome aboard here at WIX! Figured it was a matter of time before ya'll got on here!

Cheers,
Ryan

[spookythecat]

I know spookythecat has more...(hint hint).

They're more current pics of the inside but here they are.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=boeing% ... 3002%40N00

[p51]

Taken in 2003 on her “60th birthday” commemoration at Renton. Never got to see her fly, though. I’m front row far right, kneeling.

Me, far right, same event:

[JohnH]

Only saw it fly twice- August 19 and 20, 1989, at Geneseo- Bob Richardson's last flights in the airplane. I just found a letter to me I've had for a long time from The Museum of Flight from around 1991 that states one of the conditions of it transferring the museum was that it not be flown. I was surprised it flew at all later on in the 90s but thought it was cool none the less.

[The Inspector]

BA, Welcome to WIX! Great to have another Seattle area member, once John Sessions gets up and rolling you'll need to come up to KPAE for a look around there too.

[Pat Carry]

It really looks great now. Thanks for the photos.

[Pat Carry]

It really looks great now. Thanks for the photos.

I agree.....accept for the paint job. The gray underside is too dark and come up too far.

I hope they fix the paint before it goes on display.

Hopefully it wont go on display outside!

[Pat Carry]

I know spookythecat has more...(hint hint).

They're more current pics of the inside but here they are.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=boeing% ... 3002%40N00

Great pictures! They did a nice job on the restoring the interior.

[Ken]

Are the waist gunner enclosures original to the F-model?

[mustangdriver]

Yeah the F model did have windows that could slide in place when the guns were stowed. The Belle has them as well.

[Fortress17W]

Thanks for the welcome, I've been a lurker on the forum for a while now.

Here are a few more from 1998, plus one from last Saturday in the Plant 2 building:














-Jon Davis