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equipment such as the Norden bombsight. Where authentic components were not available, realistic replicas, such as the new-manufacture top turret, were substituted. While the aircraft is about 95 percent authentic, recreating the configuration in 1945 when it rolled off the assembly line, concessions to technological improvements such as a modern radio and avionics suite are incorporated to meet the current airworthiness requirements.
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262:, on 13 August 1944. Veterans of the 398th Bomber Group helped finance the bomber's restoration. Harrison's group restored the B-17 to a near-wartime appearance, although no armament was installed, and flew the aircraft at numerous air shows across the United States. As financing for maintenance and further restoration became difficult, more ambitious plans, such as an around-the-world goodwill flight, were shelved.
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necessitated removing the original radio compartment and floor, replacing it with a strengthened floor. In 1949, Aero
Service Corporation bought the aircraft and turned it back into an aerial photography and surveying platform. In this role, during the next 12 years, the B-17 carried out mapping operations over Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, Iran, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt and Jordan.
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the involvement of many EAA volunteers, some of whom have a personal connection to the period. One of the initial flight crew was Col Harold "Hal" Weekley (ret'd), who had flown the original namesake that was shot down over France. Half-hour flights are also available at all tour stops, with proceeds from the tour helping to keep
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was put on display until 1983, before it began a 10-year restoration. The extensive work involved the rebuilding of all the interior stations, including the radio compartment, waist gunners' stations, tail turret and navigator's station, and replacing the cabin flooring, as well as locating original
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is on tours, flying extensively throughout the United States and Canada, it serves as the EAA's showcase aircraft. During a typical 60-city tour, flights are interspersed with opportunities for visitors to actually walk through the aircraft. The connection to the wartime B-17 is maintained through
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Its next role was in aerial application with first Chris
Stolzfus and Associates in 1962, and then Dothan Aviation Corporation in 1966, where the aircraft had a chemical hopper and spray bars fitted under the wings. After operating as a pest control, forest dusting and fire fighting aircraft, the
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On 2 August 1947, the aircraft was sold to
Charles T. Winters, of Miami, Florida, who, in turn, sold it on 16 August 1947, to Joe Lopez of the Vero Beach Import and Export Company who purchased the aircraft to serve as a cargo hauler, hauling cattle in Florida and Puerto Rico. Its new role
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has become one of the most recognizable examples of the B-17, due to its extensive touring schedule with over one million flight miles accumulated. The overhaul and restoration of the airframe took more than 10 years and thousands of hours by staff and volunteers at EAA Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
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on 7 November 1945 where, stripped of all military equipment, it was sold as "scrap" for $ 750 in 1946 to Metal
Products. The aircraft was rescued when resold shortly after to Universal Aviation, for use as an aerial mapping platform, acquiring civil registration N5017N.
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and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps on 18 May 1945, too late to serve in Europe where most B-17s were destined. Declared surplus and initially stored in New York, the aircraft was sent to
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in
Florida in 1993, the aircraft was prepared for its first tour, which began in 1994. At present, of the 48 surviving B-17s, there are only 9 such B-17s still airworthy, with
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On 21 May 1979, the group donated the aircraft to the
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Aviation Foundation, under the auspices of the B-17 Historical Society.
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171:, as of August 2024 Aluminum Overcast is not flying. It is in the Eagle Hanger at the Experimental Aircraft Museum in Oshkosh,WI. It is awaiting wing spar repair.
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360:(OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft's annual multi-city tour is scheduled for spring through fall, with maintenance scheduled for the winter months.
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In 1978, Dr. Bill
Harrison, heading up "B-17s Around the World", funded the purchase of the aircraft, which had been parked in open storage in
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This article is about a specific B-17 bomber. For the bomber type which has been generically referred to as an "aluminum overcast", see
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airframes in existence. It never saw combat, and it escaped the fate of many aircraft that were scrapped after
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187:(EAA), and, as of 2022, it is still touring the United States and Canada offering flight experiences.
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flying and assisting in the continuing restoration, maintenance and preservation efforts of EAA.
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of World War II, which flew hundreds of missions over Nazi-held territory during the war.
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Thompson, Mike. "The Flying
Fortresses: 75 Years Later – Airworthy B-17s in 2010,"
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commemorates B-17G AAF Serial No. 42-102516, shot down over France in 1944.
336:, the high-time leader, already logging 6,000 flight hours by 1969. When
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258:'s B-17G #42-102516 that was shot down on its 34th combat mission over
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Its paint scheme was redone in 1988 and now features a flat aluminum
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B-17G-105-VE, 44-85740 was built by the Vega
Division of
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577:"B-17 flight sparks memories of 'greatest generation'"
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Through its association as the "flagship" of the EAA,
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484:"Outstanding Lineup Planned for Warbirds in Review."
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167:, B-17G-105-VE, s/n 44-85740, civil registration
690:YouTube video of a flight of "Aluminum Overcast"
254:the name commemorates the 601st Bomb Squadron,
243:aircraft wound up its postwar career in 1976.
710:
8:
1181:Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress
623:, Volume 27, No. 6, September/October 2008.
619:O'Leary, Michael. "Forts on the Sky Road."
956:
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703:
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238:during one of the periodic overhauls, 2005
27:
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356:is based at EAA's Kermit Weeks Hangar in
890:Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident
582:, 6 June 2014. Retrieved: 18 April 2015.
374:
662:, July 2006. Retrieved: 4 August 2009.
7:
1238:Individual aircraft of World War II
648:Thirty-two, September/October 2010.
630:, Volume 37, No. 9, September 2001.
626:O'Leary, Michael. "Last Warrior."
14:
614:EAA handout for flight experience
535:to land in Lawrence this weekend"
529:Ford, Rosemary (16 August 2007).
489:, 2009. Retrieved: 7 August 2009.
185:Experimental Aircraft Association
143:Experimental Aircraft Association
92:Experimental Aircraft Association
641:, Volume 34, No. 8, August 1998.
38:
1:
310:Nose showing art, bombs, and
173:Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses
633:O'Leary, Michael. "On tour:
66:B-17G-105-VE Flying Fortress
1243:Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
448:. Retrieved: 7 August 2009.
287:Denver and the Front Range
274:Nose art was redone in 1988
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908:Windsor Locks, Connecticut
896:North Barrule, Isle of Man
199:carries the colors of the
18:
1215:
539:Daily News of Newburyport
217:Lockheed Aircraft Company
37:
902:Mount Tom, Massachusetts
884:Bakers Creek, Queensland
358:Wittman Regional Airport
256:398th Bomb Group (Heavy)
879:Accidents and incidents
405:Retrieved: 18 May 2007.
250:for two years. Renamed
1130:Thunderbird (42-38050)
1061:Thunderbird (44-85718)
621:Warbirds International
330:Flight Research Center
314:
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49:EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
381:Thompson 2010, p. 26.
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183:. It is owned by the
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51:in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
729:B-17 Flying Fortress
600:O'Leary 2001, p. 44.
591:O'Leary 2001, p. 37.
566:O'Leary 1998, p. 33.
519:O'Leary 1998, p. 31.
510:O'Leary 2008, p. 30.
501:O'Leary 1998, p. 39.
474:O'Leary 2008, p. 29.
462:O'Leary 2001, p. 42.
423:O'Leary 2001, p. 41.
414:O'Leary 2001, p. 40.
350:metallic flake paint
78:Lockheed Corporation
1189:Twelve O'Clock High
1033:Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby
1026:Sentimental Journey
1012:Piccadilly Lilly II
545:on 6 September 2012
487:EAA Airventure News
175:of the 46 complete
80:under license from
57:General information
1219:Boeing B-29 family
437:Sturrock, Gordon.
325:Sent to the EAA's
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304:
296:Centennial Airport
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252:Aluminum Overcast,
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147:Oshkosh, Wisconsin
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1116:Sir Baboon McGoon
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977:Aluminum Overcast
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684:Aluminum Overcast
675:Aluminum Overcast
657:Visits Colorado."
655:Aluminum Overcast
635:Aluminum Overcast
533:Aluminum Overcast
441:Aluminum Overcast
398:Aluminum Overcast
354:Aluminum Overcast
343:Aluminum Overcast
338:Aluminum Overcast
334:Aluminum Overcast
319:Aluminum Overcast
283:Aluminum Overcast
260:Le Manoir, France
236:Aluminum Overcast
205:Aluminum Overcast
197:Aluminum Overcast
192:Aluminum Overcast
164:Aluminum Overcast
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45:Aluminum Overcast
32:Aluminum Overcast
16:Military Aircraft
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1088:All American III
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960:
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953:Notable aircraft
932:Units of the MTO
719:
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660:Airport Journals
651:Valenta, Shari.
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575:Pratt, Richard.
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541:. Archived from
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439:"History of the
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547:. Retrieved
543:the original
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181:World War II
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158:Sept 5, 2017
139:Preserved at
131:First flight
123:Manufactured
99:Registration
73:Manufacturer
47:at the 2006
44:
31:
25:
21:Convair B-36
1102:Nine-O-Nine
1068:Yankee Lady
1040:Swamp Ghost
927:USAAF units
798:CB-17/VB-17
673:EAA's B-17
580:The Gazette
134:18 May 1945
1232:Categories
1217:See also:
1151:Bally B-17
1054:The Swoose
1005:My Gal Sal
791:Transports
682:Flight in
396:"The B-17
364:References
292:tour stop
1173:Air Force
961:Survivors
939:Survivors
922:Operators
856:Airliners
826:F-9/FB-17
177:surviving
1205:Fortress
1160:In media
1144:Replicas
1079:Historic
970:44-83690
944:Variants
549:6 August
113:44-85740
1109:Old 666
1019:Sally B
758:Bombers
403:b17.org
302:, 2007.
211:History
118:History
1207:(2012)
1199:(1990)
1191:(1949)
1183:(1944)
1175:(1943)
916:(2022)
910:(2019)
904:(1946)
898:(1945)
892:(1943)
886:(1943)
872:Topics
835:Drones
731:family
726:Boeing
531:"B-17
169:N5017N
109:Serial
103:N5017N
88:Owners
82:Boeing
810:C-108
775:YB-40
770:XB-38
744:XB-15
369:Notes
847:BQ-7
842:CQ-4
805:C-75
765:B-17
677:site
551:2009
285:for
126:1945
62:Type
749:247
637:."
294:at
266:EAA
1234::
782:PB
559:^
537:.
494:^
467:^
453:^
443:."
428:^
400:."
386:^
352:.
300:CO
298:,
145:,
718:e
711:t
704:v
653:"
616:.
553:.
23:.
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