(Download a higher resolution picture
by clicking on any picture below.) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Tankers |
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Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses were once widely used to fight forest fires. In recent years all the surviving B-17 tankers have been restored to stock military configuration. Many of them remain airworthy.
B-17G-105-VE, N621L tanker c64 at Falcon Field, Arizona in April
1971. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-85774. It was converted to a VB-17G VIP transport. After spending some
time in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, it was transferred to the Bolivian
Air Force on June 22, 1956. It was converted for civilian use by Hamilton Aircraft of
Tucson, Arizona. Lloyd Aero Boliviano of La Paz registered it as CP-621 in December 1956.
Aircraft Apecialties of Mesa, Arizona bought it and registered it as N621L in December 1968.
It appeared in the movie Tora Tora Tora and
was destroyed in a crash in July 1975.
B-17G-85-DL, N93012 Yucca Lady was being
cannibalized for parts at Falcon Field on May 7, 1971. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-83575. It was converted to a TB-17H trainer and then to an SB-17G Search and
Rescue plane, acquiring yellow, high visibility stripes in the process. It was used as a static
test target for atomic bomb tests in Nevada in 1952. It was rebuilt at the Nevada test site,
registered as N93012, and
ferried to Falcon Field on May 14, 1965. It was stripped for spares until being converted to
a tanker by Aircraft Specialties Incorporated of Mesa, Arizona in 1977. It flew as Lady Yukka, tanker
#99 until it was purchased by the Collings
Foundation in 1985. It was restored to stock configuration by Tom Reilly
Vintage Aircraft and is now painted as B-17G-30-BO, 42-31909
Nine-O-Nine.
B-17G-95-DL, N809Z tanker c71 at Marana Airpark, Arizona on February 11,
1972. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-83785. It was converted to a TB-17H trainer, then to an SB-17G Search and
Rescue plane, and then back to a TB-17H. Atlantic General Enterprises of Washington,
D. C. acquired it on September 1, 1960. It was operated by Intermountain Aviation
(a front for the CIA) from October 4, 1962. It had a chute for agents to slide
out the tail and a scissors mechanism installed on the nose to pick up infiltrated agents.
It reportedly dropped a pair of agents onto an abandoned Soviet ice station drifting
in the Arctic Ocean. It appeared in the movie Thunderball. It was converted to
a tanker in July 1969. It was purchased by Evergreen Helicopters on March 1, 1975, which
changed its registration to N207EV on March 6, 1979 and
operated it as a tanker until 1989. Then
it was restored to stock configuration and named Shady Lady. It is currently based
at the Evergreen
Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon
B-17G-95-DL, N809Z tanker c71 at Marana Airpark, Arizona on February 11,
1972. The chute in the tail has been crudely plugged.
B-17G-85-DL, N9563Z tanker c24 at Falcon Field, Arizona on May 4,
1974. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-83563. It was modified to a CB-17G cargo transport and then to a VB-17G
VIP transport. It was acquired by American Compressed Steel of Cincinnati, Ohio
on August 18, 1959. Aero American Corporation of Tucson, Arizona acquired it on May 9, 1960
and gave it its current registration. Columbia Pictures Incorporated of New York leased
it on October 11, 1961 to use it in the movie The War Lover. In the movie
it portrayed B-17F, 41-27742. It departed the United Kingdom on May 16, 1962. It spent
some time in storage at Ryan Field, Arizona. Aviation Specialties Incorporated
of Mesa, Arizona bought it
on February 2, 1963 and operated it as tanker e24, c24, #24, and #89. It was flown to
Hawaii in January 1969 to appear in the movie Tora Tora Tora. Globe Air Incorporated
of Mesa, Arizona acquired it on February 18, 1981. The National Warplane Museum at Horseheads, New York bought it in October 1985.
It is now named Fuddy Duddy and carries serial number 42-97400.
B-17G-105-VE, N621L tanker c64 at Falcon Field, Arizona on May 4,
1974.
B-17G-110-VE, N3193G tanker 34 at Falcon Field, Arizona on May 4,
1974. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-85829, then transferred to the U. S. Coast Guard as PB-1G, BuNo 77255
in September 1946. It served at NAS Elizabeth City, North Carolina until May 1959.
Ace Smelting Incorporated of Phoenix, Arizona bought it on May 11, 1959, gave it its
current registration, then sold it to Fairchild Aerial Surveys of Los Angeles, California
the same month. Aero Services Corporation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania acquired it
on August 2, 1965 and sold it to Beigert Brothers of Shickley, Nebraska on October 1, 1965.
Aircraft Specialties Incorporated of Mesa, Arizona bought it on March 19, 1966 and flew
it as tanker c34 and later tanker #34. It was flown to
Hawaii in January 1969 to appear in the movie Tora Tora Tora. Globe Air Incorporated
of Mesa, Arizona acquired it along with B-17G-85-DL, N9563Z on February 18, 1981.
It is now named Yankee Lady and flies for the Yankee Air
Force at Yspilanti, Michigan.
B-17F-70-BO, N17W tanker 04 takes off from Runway 25 at
the Santa Barbara Airport, California
on September 12, 1979. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 42-29782. It remained in the United States and served in training units
until November 1945. It was placed on display in Stuttgart, Arkansas in 1946.
It was acquired in non-flying condition by Gerald Francis of Stuttgart in 1953. He sold it
to Max & John Beigert of Lincoln, Nebraska, who registered it as N6015V in April 1953.
It was converted to a sprayer and given its current registration in March 1954. Central
Aircraft Corporation of Yakima, Washington leased it in 1954 and 1955. Abe Sellard of
Stafford, Arizona leased it in 1960 and 1961. It was converted to a tanker in May 1960.
Abe's Aerial Service of Stafford, Arizona bought it in October 1961 and flew it as tanker e84.
Aircraft Specialties Incorporated of Mesa, Arizona acquired it on April 17, 1963 and
flew it as tanker c84, c44, #44, and #04. Globe Air Incorporated
of Mesa, Arizona acquired it along with B-17G-85-DL, N9563Z and B-17G-110-VE, N3193G
on February 18, 1981. Portage Bay Incorporated of Seattle, Washington bought it on
June 11, 1985 and sold it to the Museum
of Flight in Seattle in September 1990.
It appeared in the movies Thousand Plane Raid, Tora Tora Tora, and
Memphis Belle. It is hangared at the Renton Municipal Airport.
It is the only airworthy F-model B-17.
B-17F-70-BO, N17W tanker 04 over Winchester Canyon, California
on September 12, 1979.
Robert L. Simmons photographed B-17F N17W at Peachtree DeKalb airport in Georgia in 1962. It was spraying Myrex as part of the fire ant eradication program. This photo was provided by his son, Robert Simmons.
B-17F N17W at Peachtree DeKalb airport in Georgia in 1962. This photo was provided by his son, Robert Simmons.
B-17G, N9563Z tanker 89 fires up its number 4 engine at
the Goleta tanker station at
the Santa Barbara Airport, California
on July 30, 1980. It was formerly tanker c24.
B-17G-85-DL, N9563Z tanker 89 taxies out of the Goleta tanker station on July 30, 1980.
B-17G-85-DL, N9563Z tanker 89 taxies out of the Goleta tanker station on July 30, 1980.
B-17G-95-DL, N5237V tanker 65 at the Goleta
tanker station on November 28, 1980. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-83868. It was transferred to the U. S. Navy as PB-1W, BuNo 77233.
American Compressed Steel Corporation of Dallas, Texas acquired it in December 1957 and
gave it its curent registration. It sat unconverted at the Dallas-Love Airport for two years.
Carstedt Air of Long Beach, California made an unsuccessful bid to purchase it,
reserving the registration N6466D for it, but never taking it up. Aero Union
Corporation of Chico, California bought it in 1960. Butler Farm Air (later
Butler Aircraft Company) of Redmond, Oregon
acquired it in 1963 and flew it as tanker e15, f15, and #65. TBM Incorporated of Sequoia,
California bought it in 1979. It was restored to stock configuration at Sequoia
and flown to Royal Air Force Bize Norton England in 1983.
It arrived at the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon, England on December 9, 1983.
B-17G-95-DL, N5237V tanker 65 at the Goleta
tanker station on November 28, 1980.
B-17G-95-DL, N5237V tanker 65 at the Goleta
tanker station on November 28, 1980.
B-17G-95-DL, N5237V tanker 65 at the Goleta
tanker station on November 28, 1980.
B-17G-95-DL, N5237V tanker 65 at the Goleta
tanker station on November 28, 1980.
B-17G-95-DL, N207EV and a Lockheed P-2 Neptune at Marana
Airpark on December 30, 1981. N207EV was formerly registered N809Z and carried
tanker #71.
B-17G-105-VE, N3509G tanker 102 at the Mojave Airport, California on
July 3, 1982. It was delivered to the U. S. Army
Air Corps as 44-85778. It was converted to a TB-17H trainer and then to a
VB-17G VIP transport. Ace Smelting, Incorporated of Phoenix, Arizona bought it on
August 14, 1959 and gave it its current registration. Sonora Flying Service of
Columbia, California acquired it on September 20, 1960. Leo Demers of
Madras, Oregon bought it on May 25, 1961 and flew it as tanker #97. Aero Union
Corporation of Chico, California bought it on April 29, 1966 and flew it as tanker e16.
Central Air Service of Rantoul, Kansas acquired it on June 2, 1972 and flew it as tanker
f42, #42, and #102. Western Air Contractors of American Fork, Utah bought it on July 6, 1978
and sold it to Westernair of Albequerque, New Mexico on June 15, 1981. Aircraft
Component Equipment Supplies of Klamath Falls, Oregon acquired it on March 28, 1982
and placed it in storage at Stockton, California in 1984. Arthur McDonnell of
Mojave, California bought it in July 1990 and sold it to Florida Aircraft Leasing
Corporation of Miami, Florida in February 1991. The Lone Star Flight Museum of Galveston,
Texas and World Jet International of Fort Lauderdale, Florida acquired it in April 1991
and named it Miss Museum of Flying. It has been registered to Pond Warbirds since
July 3, 2001. It is now named Miss Angela and is based at the
Palm Springs Air
Museum.
B-17G-105-VE, N3509G tanker 102 at the Edwards Air Force Base Open
House on October 23, 1982.
B-17G-105-VE, N3509G tanker 102 at the Mojave Airport, California
on December 28, 1982.
B-17F-70-BO, N17W tanker 04 at the Goleta
tanker station on July 9, 1983.
B-17F-70-BO, N17W tanker 04 takes off from Runway 07 at the Santa Barbara
Airport on July 10, 1983.
B-17F-70-BO N17W tanker 04 takes off from Runway 07 at the Santa Barbara
Airport on July 10, 1983.
B-17F-70-BO N17W tanker 04 takes off from Runway 07 at the Santa Barbara
Airport on July 10, 1983.
B-17F-70-BO N17W tanker 04 takes off from Runway 07 at the Santa Barbara
Airport on July 10, 1983.
B-17G-85-D, N9563Z tanker 89 and B-17F-70-BO, N17W tanker 04 at Falcon Field, Arizona
on December 15, 1984.
B-17G-85-D, N9563Z tanker 89 at Falcon Field, Arizona
on December 15, 1984.
B-17G-85-D, N9563Z tanker 89 and B-17G-110-VE, N3193G tanker 34
at Falcon Field, Arizona
on December 15, 1984.
Much of the information on this display was derived from Warbirds Directory by John Chapman and Geoff Goodall, published by Warbirds Worldwide.
Aerial tankers
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortresses were used to fight fires unitl the 1980s. Subsequently, the tankers were restored to stock configuration. The restored Flying Fortresses tour the country, taking aviation enthusiasts aloft on nostalgia flights.
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