The Boeing B-17 was a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930's for the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The USAAC touted the aircraft as a strategic weapon and it was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber, able to defend itself and return home despite extensive battle damage.  Widely circulated stories and photos of battered B-17's helped it achieve huge public recognition. 

     Our B-17 is being rebuilt using parts from various airframes that have seen a wide range of service, including an airtanker, movie prop, search and rescue, and nuclear testing. Volunteers fabricate missing pieces according to the specifications from the original Boeing drawings. Our specific B-17 was manufactured by Lockheed-Vega in Burbank, California as a B-17G-110-VE. It was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force, the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force, around 1945 but was almost immediately leased to Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Caldwell, New Jersey. It was then converted to an engine testbed, model 299Z. The conversion consisted of moving the cockpit back, removing military hardware, and attaching an engine mount instead of a standard B-17 nose. Curtiss-Wright initially used the aircraft to test the extremely powerful turboprop, the XT-35 "Typhoon" engine. Producing 5500 HP, the four stock Wright Cyclone engines could be shut down and the airplane could fly with just the XT-35 engine. 85813 then tested the J65 Sapphire jet engine, the Wright R3350 engine for propeller research, and the T-64-G turbine engine with a 6-bladed propeller.

     In 1966, the aircraft was sold to Ewing aviation of Spearfish, South Dakota with only a round 'cap' for a nose. Several years later, the aircraft was rebuilt with parts from another B-17 to standard B-17 specs. It flew with Ewing-Kolb Aviation as a firebomber until 1980 when it crashed in North Carolina. The parts were then recovered in the mid-1980's and stored until some of the aircraft was used to restore the B-17 'Liberty Belle.'  In 2005, we purchased the remaining parts of 44-85813 and began the long process of restoring a WWII icon to flying condition.