Vintage Aviation News

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B-17E “Desert Rat” Restoration Update – Winter 2024

October 25, 2024 Moreno Aguiari 0

We checked in on the restoration of the rare B-17E “Desert Rat” currently being brought back to life by Mike Kellner and his team of volunteers in a hangar in Marengo, Illinois. […]

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B-17E “Desert Rat” Restoration Update – July 2023

August 7, 2023 Moreno Aguiari 4

As many readers will be well aware, there are a number of Boeing B-17s under restoration to fly right now. Perhaps the boldest of these projects is Mike Kellner’s effort in Marengo, Illinois. He and […]

B-17E “Desert Rat” Restoration Update – November 2022

November 7, 2022 Moreno Aguiari 5

B-17E “Desert Rat” – March 2021 Restoration Update

March 11, 2021 Moreno Aguiari 1

Mike Kellner and his team of volunteers in Morengo, Illinois have been steadily working away on the restoration of Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2595 for much of the past four decades, and we have covered […]

B-17E “Desert Rat” – June 2020 Restoration Update

June 15, 2020 Moreno Aguiari 0

B-17E “Desert Rat” – October 2017 Restoration Update

October 17, 2017 Richard Mallory Allnutt (Chief Editor) 1

As many readers will be well aware, there are several different Boeing B-17s under restoration to fly right now. Perhaps the boldest of these projects though is Mike Kellner’s effort in Morengo, Illinois to restore Boeing […]

B-17E “Desert Rat” Taking Shape

March 2, 2017 Moreno Aguiari 5

By Austin Hancock Woods Cross, UT – The B-17E “Desert Rat” project has come a long way in recent years. Once a “mystery Boeing in a barn,” the project has since teamed up with the […]

B-17E “Desert Rat” – April Restoration Update

May 16, 2014 Moreno Aguiari 2

WarbirdsNews has received a few details about the ongoing restoration of B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2595 known as “Desert Rat”. We thought our readers would be interested in seeing some photographs of their latest progress. This […]

B-17E “Desert Rat” Restoration Update

January 13, 2014 Moreno Aguiari 5

A new benchmark has been reached for the Desert Rat, B-17e Flying Fortress restoration. The “turtle deck” is now fully sheathed in aluminum. Due to extremely cold temperatures, work in the hanger has slowed, […]

B-17e “Desert Rat” Restoration Project Update

October 3, 2013 Moreno Aguiari 6

Mike Kellner, with much assistance from Chris Gibson, has just completed the arduous task of installing the top turret shroud on the Desert Rat. The tolerances required were exacting. In combat, the flight engineer manned […]

B-17E “Desert Rat”