The final fate of much of our nation’s bomber force – the scrapyard.
This post is meant to be something of a public service.
You see, few subjects are as popular amongst the general public as the Second World War, and this is doubly true of Second World War aviation. While this is a good thing, as popular support is essential for organizations like us, there is often not much knowledge as to where today’s surviving WWII aircraft come from.
Aviation is a young field and it was not until the 1950s that a concerted effort began to preserve our nation’s military aircraft. It is for this reason that most of the aircraft you see in exhibits from the Korean and Vietnam Wars are actual combat veterans – the aircraft being rolled right off the flightline onto display – but few from earlier conflicts can say the same. With their stretched fabric and wood laminates, it is easy for us to understand the rarity of Great War aircraft, but it is much harder to understand why Second World War aircraft are equally as rare.
The answer is simple: we threw them away.
Technology moved at such a rapid pace during the Second World War that the vast majority of service aircraft were obsolete by war’s end. Armed forces all over the world had to downsize after the war, and it made sense to scrap all this antiquated machinery in favor of what was new and modern.
Let us look at heavy bombers for an example. The primary heavy bombers of the Second World War:
Tupolev TB-3
Soviet Union
1932-1939
818 Built
No Survivors
Petlyakov Pe-8
Soviet Union
1941-1944
93 Built
No Survivors
Short Stirling
Great Britain
1940-1944
2,371 Built
No Survivors
Handley Page Halifax
Great Britain
1940-1945
6,176 Built
3 Survivors (All Combat Veterans)
Avro Lancaster
Great Britain
1942-1946
7,377 Built
17 Survivors (4 Combat Veterans)
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
United States
1936-1945
12,731 Built
49 Survivors (5 Combat Veterans)
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
United States
1941-1945
19,256 Built
13 Survivors (3 Combat Veterans)
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
United States
1943-1953
3,970 Built
26 Survivors (10 Combat Veterans – 7 WWII/3 Korea)
Consolidated B-32 Dominator
United States
1944-1945
118 Built
No Survivors
The circumstances of how these aircraft were produced says much. Of the bombers above, only the Lancaster, B-17, B-29, and B-32 were still in production when the war came to an end. And, with the exception of the B-32 (a USAAF mistake), the fact that these aircraft were still on the production floor at the time is what ensured their survival. The Lancaster and B-17 quickly found themselves as aircraft without a purpose, and as such, became government surplus used for whatever odd-job was needed.
This set of circumstances is typical of all Second World War aircraft.
It is for this reason that one should always remember when visiting an aviation museum that the overwhelming majority of aircraft you see from the Second World War era and older are either replicas, or aircraft that never actually saw combat – they are just painted to look like aircraft that actually saw service.
The B-17 is a particularly good example of the latter.
Unlike the other heavy bombers listed above, the B-17 was a relatively forgiving airplane to fly and was fairly easy to maintain given its size. As such, B-17s flourished on the civilian market after the war, the most common use for them in the civilian market being tankers fighting forest fires.
It is revealing to actually list out those B-17s which are still with us today. Of the 49 B-17 survivors, one is a replica, one is a B-17D, five are B-17Es, four are B-17Fs, and a whopping 38 are B-17Gs.
Why so many B-17Gs? A cursory glance at their serial numbers reveals the answer – these were the aircraft that were still on the factory floor when the war came to an end.
By comparison to the war’s other heavy bombers, surviving B-17 combat veterans are just as rare.
Now, I want to make something clear: this is no way diminishes the importance of these survivors. In fact, I would argue that this grants us an opportunity.
B-17s served in a multitude of roles in the postwar years, the most common military use being radio-controlled drones for weapons testing. Happier usages include search-and-rescue aircraft (SB-17s), radio-controlled drone motherships (DB-17s), personal aircraft for general officers (C-108s), training aircraft (TB-17s), and Navy patrol aircraft (PB-1s).
There are multiple surviving examples of each of these still with us, though all but one have been altered to look like WWII veterans. It is worth noting that, in reality, every single surviving G-type B-17 entered service unpainted, with all but one having staggered waist guns and a Cheyenne-type “pumpkin” tail gun. For B-17 enthusiasts, this is a startling fact to ponder.
Flak Magnet (43-37675) and Sleepy Time Gal (42-107112) of the 381BG, circa 1945. Of the 38 surviving B-17Gs with us today, all but one were finished akin to Flak Magnet.
It is true that, with over 60 million dead, one can hardly go too far in remembering the sacrifices of the Second World War. Still, at times opportunities can be lost. For example, two of today’s surviving B-17s saw service as radar-carrying Pathfinders – a very big deal in the history of strategic bombardment. Yet, because they are not easily identifiable to the public, no effort has been made to preserve their Pathfinder status.
This is the reason that we at Hangar Thirteen agonize over accuracy so.
The Department of Veterans Affairs states that 372 veterans of the Second World War die each day. That’s roughly one every four minutes. For us, this means that we have passed the point of simple preservation. Many collectors of Second World War equipment will argue that it only matters if its runs/flies/floats. Not anymore. If we are to truly appreciate the sacrifices of our World War II veterans, we must begin to focus on the little things. Radios, radars, instruments, etc., these are the things that, if we are not careful, may disappear from our collective memory entirely.
Let us get it right before we run out of time.
Prewar B-17s
1934-1940
40-3097
Boeing B-17D
Swoose
14BS/11BG
Being rebuilt by the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Combat Veteran
A replica B-17C is also under construction by the Vintage Aviation Museum in Woods Cross, Utah.
B-17Es
1940-1941
41-2446
Boeing B-17E
Swamp Ghost
435BS/19BG
Wreckage on display at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, Hawaii.
Combat Veteran
41-2595
Boeing B-17E
Desert Rat
Being rebuilt by the Vintage Aviation Museum in Woods Cross, Utah.
41-9032
Boeing B-17E
My Gal Sal
Hanging from ceiling at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.
41-9101
Boeing B-17E
Big Stoop
Being rebuilt by the Liberty Foundation in Douglas, Georgia.
41-9210
Boeing B-17E
Being rebuilt by the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington.
B-17Fs
1941-1943
41-24485
Boeing B-17F-10-BO
Memphis Belle
324BS/91BG
On display at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Combat Veteran
42-3374
Boeing B-17F-50-DL
Painted as Homesick Angel (42-30230, 562BS/388BG)
On outdoor display at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
42-3455
Boeing B-17F-65-DL
Lucky Thirteen
546BS/384BG
Being rebuilt by Hangar Thirteen in Asheville, North Carolina.
Rebuild of Combat Veteran
42-29782
Boeing B-17F-70-BO
Painted as Boeing Bee
On display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
B-17Gs
1943-1945
42-32076
Boeing B-17G-35-BO
Shoo Shoo Baby
401BS/91BG
On display at the Smithsonian Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Combat Veteran
44-6393
Boeing B-17G-50-DL
Starduster
Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
On outdoor display at the March Field Air Museum in Moreno Valley, California.
LTG Ira C. Eaker’s Personal Aircraft (C-108)
44-8543
Boeing B-17G-50-DL
Painted as Ye Old Pub (42-3167, 379BG)
Airworthy with the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.
Pathfinder TB-17G
44-83512
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Heaven’s Above (42-97328, 388BG)
On outdoor display at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
TB-17G
44-83514
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Sentimental Journey.
Airworthy with the Commemorative Air Force in Mesa, Arizona.
DB-17G
44-83525
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Suzy-Q
In storage at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.
DB-17G
44-83542
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Piccadilly Princess (42-37994, 305BG)
On display at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.
DB-17G
44-83546
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Memphis Belle (41-24485, 91BG)
On display at the Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California.
Maj Gen Glenn O. Barcus’s Personal Aircraft (C-108)
44-83559
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as King Bee
On display at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.
DB-17G
44-83563
Boeing B-17G-85-DL
Painted as Fuddy Duddy (42-97400, 447BG)
On display with the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana, California.
C-108
44-83575
Boeing B-17-85-DL
Painted as Nine O’ Nine (42-31909, 91BG)
Airworthy with the Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts.
SB-17G
Lost on 2 October 2019 over Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
44-8846
Boeing B-17G-85-VE
Pink Lady
551BS/351BG
Being rebuilt with the Fortersse Toujours Volante in Paris, France.
Combat Veteran Pathfinder
44-8889
Boeing B-17G-85-VE
On display at the Musee de l’Air in Paris, France.
43-38635
Boeing B-17G-90-BO
Painted as Virgin’s Delight.
On outdoor display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California.
TB-17G
44-83624
Boeing B-17G-90-DL
Painted as Sleepy Time Gal (42-107112, 381BG)
On display at the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, Delaware.
DB-17G
44-83663
Boeing B-17G-90-DL
Painted as Short Bier
On display at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Roy, Utah.
TB-17G
44-83684
Boeing B-17G-90-DL
Painted as Piccadilly Lilly II
Being rebuilt by the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California.
DB-17G
44-83690
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as Miss Liberty Belle (42-31255, 305BG)
Being rebuilt by the Museum of Aviation in Warner-Robins, Georgia.
DB-17G
44-83718
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
On display at the Museu Aeroespacial in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
SB-17G
44-83735
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as Mary Alice (42-31983, 401BG)
On display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England.
44-83785
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Being rebuilt with the Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts.
CIA Skyhook Aircraft
44-83790
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Being rebuilt by the Liberty Foundation in Douglas, Georgia.
44-83814
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as City of Savannah (43-39049, 487BG)
On display at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia.
44-83863
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as Black Hawk (42-30180, 388BG)
On outdoor display at the Air Force Armament Museum in Destin, Florida.
Navy PB-1
44-83868
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
On display at the Imperial War Museum in London, England.
Navy PB-1
44-83872
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as Texas Raiders
Airworthy with the Commemorative Air Force in Conroe, Texas.
Navy PB-1
Lost on 12 November 2022 over Dallas, Texas.
44-83884
Boeing B-17G-95-DL
Painted as Yankee Doodle II
On outdoor display at the Global Power Museum in Barksdale, Louisiana.
Navy PB-1
44-85583
Boeing B-17G-95-VE
On outdoor display at the Aeroporto Internacional do Recife in Recife, Brazil.
SB-17G
44-85599
Boeing B-17G-100-VE
Painted as Reluctant Dragon (43-38133, 305BG)
On outdoor display at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.
DB-17G
44-85718
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Thunder Bird (42-38050, 303BG)
Being rebuilt by the Mid America Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
44-85734
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Liberty Belle (42-97849, 390BG)
Being rebuilt by the Liberty Foundation in Douglas, Georgia.
Test Aircraft For Pratt & Whitney
44-85738
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Preston’s Pride.
On outdoor display at Mefford Field in Tulare, California.
Veteran of Bikini Atoll Nuclear Weapons Tests (DB-17G)
44-85740
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Aluminum Overcast (42-102516, 398BG)
On display at with the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
44-85778
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Miss Angela.
On display at the Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California.
TB-17G
44-85784
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Sally B
Airworthy with the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England.
Test Aircraft for General Electric
44-85790
Boeing B-17G-105-VE
Painted as Lacey Lady
Being rebuilt by the B-17 Alliance in Salem, Oregon.
Gas Station Decor
44-85813
Boeing B-17G-110-VE
Painted as Champaign Lady
Being rebuilt by the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio.
Test Aircraft for Curtiss-Wright
44-85828
Boeing B-17G-110-VE
Painted as I’ll Be Around (42-31892, 390BG)
On display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
Coast Guard PB-1
44-85829
Boeing B-17G-110-VE
Painted as Yankee Lady
Airworthy with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan.
Coast Guard PB-1