Sometimes you can still make incredible finds (B-17 panel) !

[airmanual]

At first, i didn't believe it : an original B-17 instrument panel (well at least the most important part of it).

But after closer examination, yes there it was : the original central instrument panel of "Wulf hound", a B-17F of the 303 BG that a made a forced landing in the Netherlands in December 1942 and who became the first B-17 captured intact by the Luftwaffe and thouroughly used by them to better assess weak points of the "Flying fortress". It was later transfered to KG 200.

As my German is close to zero, i only understood from seller it was found with other aircraft parts (unfortunately scrapped) close to Berlin around 2 years ago during a cleaning operation carried out by the army in an ex military base.

So we better keep searching !!!!

Laurent

Last edited by airmanual on Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[ZeamerB17]

Holy Crap!! What a great find. Congratulations!

Dave

[fotobass]

Sorry...I'm confused. Did you buy this, or find the auction somewhere?

*Useless Trivia Alert* She beat the Memphis Belle outta the factory by 101 aircraft.

[Ztex]

That's amazing!

Z

[Django]

Wow!!

[airmanual]

Sorry...I'm confused. Did you buy this, or find the auction somewhere?

Bought it at a flea market in Germany. Unfortunately seller knew what he had.

Laurent

[APG85]

Box that up and send it straight to the NMUSAF, pronto

[Jesse C.]

Hey, its just a beat up old pice of aluminum with holes.

Just send it to me and I'll send you a shiny new piece with no holes at all!! So, we got a deal?

All kidding aside, that is a really cool find and it goes to show that there is still stuff out there, just have to stay alert!

[Richard W.]

Very cool find.

I see the German annotations on the panel, but is it the radio call sign tag that proves that it's the Wulf Hound?

[sdennison]

Wie fiel kostet es?

[Former Member]

You da man!!!!!!

[daveymac82c]

That's totally awesome. What a great find!

Cheers,

David

[Larry Kraus]

That's an amazing find.I got to know Paul Flickenger pretty well when he flew a TBM airtanker out of Santa Barbara for TBM Inc. in the 1960's.He was the pilot of Wulfhound when it was forced down in occupied territory.He told me that he always felt guilty because his was the first B-17 that the Luftwaffe was able to capture in a flyable condition.He said that the crew was attempting to destroy the airplane by stuffing a parachute into a fuel tank and then firing a very pistol flare into it.Unfortunately,the Germans arrived before they could get a fire started.He ended up as a P.O.W. three times,I believe,and escaped twice.At least that's what I remember of his stories.He was quite a guy.

[airmanual]

Very cool find.

I see the German annotations on the panel, but is it the radio call sign tag that proves that it's the Wulf Hound?

Yes it is : 124585 is corresponding to SN 41-24585. Here is for example what Joe Baugher excellent site tells us about this plane :

41-24585 Boeing B-17F-27-BO Fortress c/n 3270/3324
24585 (360th BS, 303rd BG, *Wulf Hound*) force-landed in France on Dec 12, 1942, after attacking Rouen Sotteville marshalling yards, while in service with 303rd Bomb Group, Molesworth.
Recovered by Luftwaffe. After flight testing at Rechlin, it was used for demonstration visits to Luftwaffe Jagdgruppen as DL+XC, before being assigned to I./KG200 in Sep 1943 as A3+AE.

Laurent

[fotobass]

Any images of her nose art anywhere?