The Mid-America Flight Museum has announced a significant milestone in the restoration of its Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, serial number 44-85718, We The People—formerly known as Thunderbird. A freshly rebuilt wing spar has been successfully lowered into the fixture at The Warbird Shop in Madras, Oregon, where the aircraft is undergoing its most extensive structural work to date under the leadership of Jim Martinelli.
As reported HERE by Scott Thompson, during his last visit to Madras, Oregon, the focus of the project has been the aircraft’s inner wing spar tubes, long a critical airworthiness concern for the dwindling fleet of flying B-17s. Corrosion and cracking in these components prompted two FAA Airworthiness Directives (ADs) in recent years, grounding multiple aircraft. For We The People, inspection revealed that complete replacement—rather than repair—of the rear spar tubes in both inner wings was the only viable solution.
This undertaking is unprecedented within the B-17 community. Each spar tube is a 26-foot-long, tapered aluminum extrusion designed to Boeing’s original 1930s specifications, making them incredibly difficult to reproduce. After an exhaustive search, a British aerospace supplier agreed to manufacture new spar tubes, a process that required two years of tooling and production. By late 2024, eight certified units were delivered to Madras, ensuring the immediate needs of We The People and sparking interest from other B-17 preservation groups in commissioning additional sets while the tooling remains available.
Alongside the spar replacement, the aircraft’s fuselage is being reskinned, with new stringers and bulkheads installed throughout. All four engines and propellers will undergo complete overhauls, and the remaining aircraft systems will be treated with comprehensive Inspect and Repair as Necessary (IRAN) procedures. If progress continues on schedule, We The People could be reassembled within two years. When completed, the aircraft will return to the skies in a polished natural-metal finish, wearing standard U.S. Army Air Forces markings. Final decisions regarding nose art and squadron insignia are still pending. With this milestone, Mid-America Flight Museum and its partners are not only advancing the restoration of one B-17 but also setting a precedent that may help safeguard the future of the Flying Fortress fleet for decades to come.
Acknowledgments Special thanks to Mid-American Flying Museum, Jim Martinelli, and the team at Erickson Aircraft Collection for sharing these detailed updates and for their ongoing commitment to preserving aviation history. Many thanks indeed to Scott A. Thompson from Aero Vintage Books for allowing us to share the information published in this article… his book, Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors as well as other titles are the gold standard when it comes to the airframe history it describes!
