THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

www.seattlefortressbombers.com Seattle, Washington

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress

Our airplane began life here in Seattle, a mile north of the Museum, in Boeing's Plant II on February 13, 1943. Accepted into the Army Air Force as 42-29782, the plane was modified in Wyoming and then assigned training units at Blythe Field and then McClellan Field, both in California. A month later, 42-29782 worked its way back to Washington, flying training flights at Moses Lake. During one such flight the right main wheel came off and our B-17 spent some time in the shop with damage to the right wing and engines #3 and #4. In January 1944, 42-29782 left for the European Theater. While it didn't see combat, it stayed in Britain for three months. Then in March of '44, 42-29782 returned to the States. It would visit overseas again, but not in a military capacity. The B-17 remained with the Army Air Force at Drew Field in Florida through the end of the war. On November 5, 1945, it was withdrawn from service and shipped to Altus, Oklahoma, for disposal.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

In 1946, 42-29782 the War Assets Administration transferred the airplane to Stuttgart, Arkansas, for display as a War Memorial. Stripped of its turrets, guns, and other war-making items, it nested in a small park for the next five years. With only "Great White Bird" painted on the nose, the plane sat derelict until 1953.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

U.S. Government in 1953 turned over title of our airplane to a pair of brothers for $20,000. Now it was a civil aircraft, not a military aircraft, the new owners were the Biegert brothers and they received a new serial number N17W, from the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane was completely overhauled and converted into an aerial sprayer tanker airplane. Among duties as a sprayer airplane, it was used for spraying DDT. It remained in the spraying capacity until 1960 when it was leased for fighting forest fires. Soon after, the plane was sold to an air tanker unit, which used N17W as a tanker through 1968.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

During the years between 1968 to 1985, Don Clark became the pilot of the B-17. It continued to do various spraying, fire fighting, and tanker jobs. But its missions also included flights to Hawaii, Alaska, and England.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

In 1988, our B-17 was purchased by Robert Richardson and modified to an original military configuration with top and bottom gun turrets (Fiberglass replicas) and other military hardware, and based at the Museum of Flight on Boeing Field.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

The beginning of a movie career. N-17W is now famous in the movies. Its a movie star N17W saw its first action in what would be three Hollywood features In was in 1968, when our plane started it illustrious movie career... Appearing in the movie, 1,000 Plane Raid in 1968. Staring: Christopher George and Laraine Stephens. Three Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers flew in the movie: (DB-17P 44-83684 [N3713G] from The Air Museum at Ontario, California, DB-17P 44-83525 [N83525], from Tallmantz Aviation at Santa Ana, California, and B-17F 42-29782 [N17W] flown by Don Clark) from Aircraft Specialties at Mesa, Arizona, were used in the production. The most spectacular scene was a low-flying B-17 scene flown by Don Lykins.useum for its final restoration. The restoration

began in 1991.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

In 1969, the film Tora, Tora, Tora, came next. Starring: Martin Balsam, S Yamamura, Jason Robards

A total of five Boeing B-17s were obtained for filming: N 17W (B-17F), N 620L, N 621L, N 3193G (B-17G), N 9563Z (B-17G).
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresss actual crash landing during filming, a result of a jammed landing gear, was filmed and used in the final cut. The film crew received word that one of the B-17's could not lower their starboard landing gear so they quickly set up to film the "single gear" landing. The aircraft stayed aloft to use up as much fuel as possible, which gave the film crew some time to prepare, prior to landing. After viewing the "single gear" landing footage they decided to include it in the movie. In the sequence depicting the crash, only the final crash was actual footage. The B-17 that actually landed with one gear up sustained only minor damage to the starboard wing and propellers and was repaired and returned to service. N-17W was flown by Don Clark in the movie, and did not land with one gear up.

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

N17Ws acting career ended in 1989 with the movie Memphis Belle, starring Matthew Modine and Harry Connick, Jr.. Release Date: 12 October 1990 (USA). This final movie, shot on location in England, required more than 50 hours of flying time. Don Clark was the pilot of the B-17F, Flying Fortress N-17W. In order for the director to give the illusion of many B-17s in the scenes (long before computer generated graphics), our plane was painted with one scheme on the left side and a different scheme on the right. After its quick spell with the Memphis Belle film shoot in England, the B-17 came back the

Its new home THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

Although attractive enough for Hollywood, the B-17 was in tough shape when it was inherited by Museum's restoration volunteers. To make the plane Museum of Flight quality, its original military configuration, and to make it fully certified by the FAA, a lot of work was needed. All wartime equipment had been removed from the aircraft. The man in charge of the restoration project from 1998 to completion was Herb Phelan. The airplane plumbing was in terrible shape, the oil tanks were cracked and leaking, and the aircraft leaked in water. Holes had been cut into the bulkheads for parts that were no longer there. The chemicals and water used for spraying had seriously corroded most of the bottom of the fuselage. These were just a few of the thousands of challenges the restoration crew would face in the coming years. Restoration continued from 1991 to 1998 at the at the Boeing facilities in Renton, Washington, and Museum of Flights restoration center at Paine Field, Washington. Lets let the following article from the Warbirds-eaa.org tell the story.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History by Mark Carlson from the article titled The Perfect Fortress www.warbirds-eaa.org
Tom Elliott was the Boeing Management Association rep on the project, and the project manager was Pat Coluccio. They were in charge when I first came on board in 1993. The first job was to carefully examine every single inch of the aircraft inside and out. What they saw was heartbreaking. Corrosion from pesticides and fire retardant permeated the fuselage, which was a hodgepodge of missing fittings and clipped tubing, bare wires and shredded insulation, leaking hydraulic lines and oil tanks. Holes had been cut into bulkheads and floors for equipment during the crop spraying and air tanker duty, and numerous holes and loose skin panels allowed rainwater to collect in the bottom of the fuselage, adding to the damage. The wings had pools of thick sludge in the nacelles, corroded fuel tanks, and much more. The flight deck revealed missing and inoperable controls, broken gauges, hanging wires, and loose windows. Pilots seats were broken along with the oxygen and interphone systems. The Boeing workers who had built the once-spanking new B-17F would have cried to see such a beautiful aircraft reduced to such degrading decay. Phelan explained, The initial restoration in Renton to make the plane airworthy took about seven years. In 1996 we painted the aircraft regulation USAAF olive drab and gray over the paint from the filming of Memphis Belle. We added the national insignia and serial number. The last time that number had been painted on the tail was in 1945. In 1998 the restoration continued at Plant II at Boeing Field. In a way the old warbird was returning to the nest. No. 4229782 rolled out of that same plant in February of 1943. Nearly every single piece of World War II mission equipment had been removed in the planes long and checkered career. All the restoration crew had to work with was an empty, tired, and sadly abused aluminum tube. The care and restoration of any rare object is a labor of love. Volunteers who spend countless hours of dirty and knuckle-skinning work to restore beauty to something unique share a common bond. Many of the dedicated men and women who gave freely of themselves to restore N17W back to what it had been in 1943 were the literal descendants of those who built it, active and retired Boeing employees. Anyone who cared about the B-17 volunteered his time.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History by Mark Carlson from the article titled The Perfect Fortress www.warbirds-eaa.org Phelan said, All in all the total number of people who participated in the restoration was around 50 or so. Roy Ostling was one of the original designers of the B-17. He worked on the project with us, and occasionally we needed him to help decipher one of his drawings. I was working on the rear radio compartment bulkhead and had some trouble figuring out some notation hed written in 1942. So I called him over and said, Hey, Roy, whats going on with this? What is this? And hed look at it and know right away what it was. Phelan added, Roy has since passed away, but it was a thrill for him to be working on that plane. The cargo door that had been cut into the port waist compartment in the 1960s had to be removed and the fuselage restored to its original configuration. Hundreds of parts had to be repaired, obtained, or custom-made for every compartment, Phelan said. Wherever corrosion or damage was found the area was fully repaired, rebuilt, or replaced. For example, in the nose compartment a new clear Plexiglas nose was made, along with the Norden bombsight mount. The bombardiers panel, bomb bay door control, and bomb release were custom-made and installed from original Boeing plans. A new navigators table was built and installed with navigators instruments and systems. Electrical junction boxes were made. Original seats for the bombardier and navigator were repaired and mounted. The B-17 required new flooring, doors and lights, new or rebuilt bulkheads in every compartment, and an entire interphone system. Windows in all the compartments were either made or repaired, along with the window frames. The oxygen system components were

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History by Mark Carlson from the article titled The Perfect Fortress www.warbirds-eaa.org
made and installed. On ments were overhauled and mounted in a new panel. The finished panel is exactly what Boeing installed in 1943. The control pedestal was overhauled as were all flight and engine control systems. All the control cables and flight surfaces were replaced. The original fire extinguisher system, engines, fuel tanks, fuel lines, oil lines, and intercoolers were rebuilt. Original bomb racks, gun mounts, and other rare components were found and repaired for the restoration. The list went on and on, year after year. Volunteer ham radio enthusiasts worked tirelessly to collect and refurbish more than 100 components of the standard B-17 radio set. The newly installed radio works perfectly and both transmits and receives on the 40-60 meter band. Found in a Georgia junkyard, three top turrets were combined to assemble a working Sperry top turret. Robert Richardson found a complete Sperry ball turret, which was totally disassembled, overhauled, and rebuilt with either new or repaired parts. Ten replica Browning ANM2 .50-caliber machine guns were donated to the restoration project and mounted along with working ammo boxes and feed chutes. From 1998 until 2008 we spent the time restoring it with all the mission equipment and all the final details, continued Phelan. We just finished making a full load of replica 500-pound bombs and fitting them in the bomb racks. Even the bombardiers windshield wiper works, he said with a smile. From nose to tail, from wingtip to wingtip, and from wheels to rudder, B-17F 42-29782 slowly reached completion at Boeing Field. Every system put in was in working condition to Boeings original drawings.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History by Mark Carlson from the article titled The Perfect Fortress www.warbirds-eaa.org Queen Bee

No warbird is truly complete or alive until its given a name. On the nose is a large bumblebee with machine guns over the name Boeing Bee. The venerable old warbird was returned to The Museum of Flight on 30 June 2011 after more than 17 years of painstaking work. The number of manhours needed to bring the old airplane back to life is immeasurable, not only in numbers but in sweat and blood. They cant be listed in a ledger, nor can they be bought and sold. It takes a love of history and a desire to be a part of something rare and special. We had three 8th Air Force combat veterans who volunteered, Phelan said. Hank Hendrickson was a pilot, Arthur Heino was a tail gunner, and Ralph McLaren was a flight engineer. Ralph and Art have passed away. They were very big parts of the effort. Hankwas my tour guide, talked to the public about the plane, and told stories. Dan Hagedorn, curator of the museums collection, has this to say about the B-17F. Its not like those aluminum tubes you see at air shows selling rides, he said, chuckling. They have to accede to FAA regulations with seat belts and modern navigation and communications. But when you step into this plane, youre returning to 1943. Every single part and system is correctthey all work. From the controls to the interphone system and radios, the bomb bay doors and fire extinguishers all work just as they did during the war. You can look on the navigators table and see an aviation chart of Europe along with the navigator s instruments and logbook The priceless airplane will be on display in a place of honor, right in front of the museum, Hagedorn said. Well arrange small guided tours of no more than 12 people at a time inside. We want to protect this aircraft. In the fall when the weather gets bad, well put her back in the hangar for protection. Hagedorn is understandably proud of their rare B-17F. Every time I see it the first thing I feel is pride, he said. I think of the people, many of whom have gone on to take their last flight, who really poured their hearts and soul into this aircraft.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History by Mark Carlson from the article titled The Perfect Fortress www.warbirds-eaa.org Often they really couldnt afford to do it. Some were in poor health, but this is what kept them going. It was the Every time I look at that airplane, Phelan said, I think of the thousands of B-17s that flew in the war. Over 4,700 were lostthats 47,000 crewmen. I think of what those kids went through all those years. Do you think 18- or 19-year-old kids today could do something like that? I dont think so. It was an almost impossible restoration project, trying to restore youth toan old and weary dowager. But Phelan and his team, the volunteers, and the Boeing crew and the veterans showed their dedication. B-17F Boeing Bee has been given back its youth. Preserved and cherished, it will represent more than 4,500 B-17Fs that no longer exist, educating the people of today and bringing back nostalgic memories to the aerial warriors of the past. As Phelan likes to say, This Boeing B-17 has been brought back from the brink of the boneyard. PHOTO COURTESY HERB PHELAN

PHOTO COURTESY HERB PHELAN

The Museums Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress career (continues)

Restored to airworthy condition by the Boeing Company, and renamed the Boeing Bee, (with a logo of a stinging bee as nose art.) it flew again in its military configuration on May 9, 1998, fifty-five years after being first built. It is presently in storage in an onsite hanger on Boeing Field near the Museum of Flight for the winters and it will return to park in front of the museum in the spring.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Moved to the Boeing Renton Facility for restoration to start

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Disassembly

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Reconstruction of the port (left) waist gunner position

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Inside the waist gunners positions restored the original configuration

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

The lower ball gun turret had been removed by previous owners, and now we are going to reinstall it.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Using an acquired lower ball gunner turret installation, we rebuilt it and will installed it on the airplane.

The B-17F Boeing Bee Restoration History

Now we needed to install the gun turret.

History of B-17F - 42-29782

History: City Of Stuttgart, AR, September 1946-1953 - Displayed as war memorial. Gerald C. Francis, Stuttgart, AR, 1953 Max & John Biegert, Lincoln, NE, April 1953. - Registered as N6015V. - Acquired title for $20,000. - Disassembled and rebuilt with new bolts and taper pins. - Modified with L-8 cargo door (according to California-Atlantic Airways Drawings). Max L. Biegert, Lincoln, NE, March 1954-1961. - Registered as N17W. - Flown as sprayer. - Fitted with 7 spray tanks and 2 F-94 underwing drop tanks. - Leased to Central Aircraft Corp, Yakima, WA, 1954-1955 - Leased to Abe Sellard, Stafford, AZ, 1960-1961 -- Converted to fire tanker May 1960. -- Flown as taker #E84.

History - continued
Abe's Aerial Service, Stafford, AZ, October 1961-1963 Aircraft Specialties Inc., Mesa AZ, April 17, 1963-1981 - Flew as tanker #C84, #C44, #44, #04. - Flew in movie "1000 Plane Raid", 1968. - Flew in movie Tora! Tora! Tora! , January 1969. Globe Air Inc., Mesa, AZ, February 18, 1981-1985 - Flew as tanker #04. Bob Richardson/Portage Bay, Inc., Seattle, WA, June 11, 1985-1990. - Ariived Boeing Field, Seattle, WA from Mesa, AZ, June 20, 1989. - Flown to Duxford, UK for use in movie Memphis Belle, June 27, 1989. Museum Of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle, WA, September 1990-2011. - Restored to airworthy by Boeing, 1991-1998. - First flight, May 9, 1998. - Flew as Boeing Bee, 1998-2003. - Stored.
Source(s): Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-5th Edition, 2008. Federal Aviation Administration, 2011. Joe Baugher's Serial Numbers Page Thompson, Scott A. - Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors (4th Edition)

The Boeing Bee - B-17F Specifications

Manufacturer: The Boeing Company Model: B-17F Flying Fortress Crew: 10: pilot, copilot, bombardier/nose gunner, top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunner (2), ball turret, tail gunner. Year built: 1943 Wingspan: 103ft 9inches/31.623m Length: 74ft 4 inches/22.7838m Height: 19ft 1 inch/5.85216m Service Ceiling: 35600 feet Wing Area:131.918m / 1,420ft Empty Weight: 35728lbs/16206.2kg Gross Weight: 48720lbs/22099.4kg Powerplant: 4-1200 hp Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone turbocharged radial engines. 4 -Three bladed Hamilton Standard propellers, 11ft, 7in in diameter. Maximum Speed: 287mph/522.925km/h Cruise Speed: 182mph/293km/h Range: 4420miles/7111.78km Serial Number: 42-29782 Registration: N17W