Aero Vintage recently shared updates on several noteworthy examples of the historic World War II bomber, the B-17 Flying Fortress, known for its resilience and strategic importance. These updates highlight significant restoration efforts aimed at preserving the B-17’s legacy, covering extensive repairs from structural work and engine overhauls to the meticulous restoration of original instrumentation and interiors.
By Scott Thompson of Aero Vintage
One of the B-17s, known as Yankee Lady, has recently completed a ferry flight westward from Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Registered as 44-85829 (N3193G), this aircraft has served as the flagship of the Yankee Air Museum for nearly four decades. It was acquired last summer by aircraft collector Charles Somers, who stores his impressive collection of airworthy aircraft at McClellan Airport, northeast of Sacramento. However, the plan for Yankee Lady involves disassembly and shipment to New Zealand, where a restoration team will rebuild it to factory-original condition. In the coming years, it is expected to be returned to the United States, reassembled, and ultimately added to the Somers collection.
The disassembly work for Yankee Lady will be undertaken by the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. After a four-day ferry journey, the B-17 arrived there on October 22, with a brief diversion to Redmond, Oregon, due to high crosswinds. A detailed pictorial history of this aircraft is available on the Aero Vintage website, showcasing its past roles, including service as a Coast Guard PB-1G, a civil survey aircraft, and later as an air tanker before its retirement in the mid-1980s. It was subsequently acquired by the Yankee Air Museum, where it remained until this new restoration project began. Simon Brown of Platinum Fighter Sales recently had the opportunity to observe the B-17 wing spar replacement program at The Warbird Shop, describing it as one of the most impressive engineering feats he has seen in warbird restoration. This program promises to extend the flying life of B-17s for generations to come.
While Yankee Lady is set to undergo restoration, another B-17, the Movie Memphis Belle (N3703G, 44-83546), is returning to the skies. Owned by the Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation, and managed by the family of the late David Tallichet, this B-17G arrived at the Palm Springs Air Museum for extensive maintenance in November. Complications, including a new FAA Airworthiness Directive, delayed its return to flight, but three years later, it is now prepared to fly once more. The Movie Memphis Belle will be revealed at the museum’s 28th Anniversary Veterans Air Fair on November 9, after which it is expected to resume active flying. It will remain stationed at the museum, joining another B-17G, Miss Angela (44-85778, N3509G), on static display.
With Yankee Lady grounded for restoration and the Movie Memphis Belle returning to flight, the count of airworthy B-17s in the United States remains at three, with one additional airworthy example, Sally B, flying in the UK. Due to the ongoing challenges in B-17 maintenance and restoration, this number is likely to hold steady for the foreseeable future. Aero Vintage provides regular updates on the status of these rare aircraft. Additional updates include a story on an obscure B-17E, “Nobby’s Harriet Z,” with the nose section still surviving, and an article in Vintage Aviation News by Moreno Aguiari, which covers recent progress in the restoration of a B-17E in Marengo, Illinois, directed by Mike Kellner.
Many thanks indeed to Scott A. Thompson for allowing us to reproduce 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!
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Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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