Warbird Information Exchange

Souvenir photos from the dedication of Hamilton Airport in Polo, Illinois- September 15, 1946

Photos by Oyler Studio

Anyone have any info on the history or disposition of B-17 tail number 2102715?

Who was Mr./Mrs./Ms. Hamilton?

Sorry RER - not true Sir.

A Quick Google reveals -
http://www.aerovintage.com/b17list.htm
42-102715 B-17G-55-BO N66573 Destroyed, 7/79
and

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/B17/B_17.html
B-17G-55-BO 42-102715. This aircraft flew as N66573, (Black Hills Aviation number 10) until she crashed in Montana during July, 1979. Photo shows her with the Sacramento Mountains in the background, the area she usually worked during the fire season.

At least she had a better life than your average town bomber.

Rob / Kansan

Can't seem to find the accident report on this one...

The reports look reliable although I can't find the official report.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b17regis ... 02715.html
B-17G/42-102715
History:
Boy Scouts, Polo, IL, Sept. 1946-1952.
- Displayed as memorial "Polo Queen".
California Atlantic Airways, St. Petersburg, FL, Apr. 12, 1952
- Purchased for $600.
- Registered as N66573.
Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Sept. 8, 1953-1961.
- Purchased for $130,000.
- Litigation filed for ownership, $10,000 payed to Federal Government to relinquish it's claim on the title.
- Flew as Batmobile #33
- Survey contracts in Middle East and SE Asia.
Ewing Aviation, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 20, 1961.
- Flew as #E85.
Black Hills Aviation, Spearfish, SD (Later Alamagordo, NM), July 15, 1964-1979
- Flew as tanker #A10, #B10, #10.
- Crashed while fire bombing, Cayuse Saddle, MT, July 1979.
Mountain Flying Museum, Missoula, MT, 1998.
- Acquired parts.


http://www.museumofflightstore.org/batbyjaymul.html
This is the fifthteenth in a series of prints of the B-17. The following description is included with this particular print.

"After nearly 35 years of service, the Batmobile's career came to a tragic end. In 1979, pilot Joe LeRoux made three on-target and effective drops on the Cayuse Saddle Fire about 45 miles southwest of Missoula, Montana. After the last drop, he made a wrong turn in the box conyon, narrowly missing a spur ridge and catching one wing in the trees. Both the pilot and the copilot lost their lives in the crash. Many post-war B-17s were converted to borate bombers for fighting forest fires."


http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1942_5.html

102715 to RFC at Altus Nov 5, 1945. Sold on civilian market as N66573.
Operated by Fairchild Aerial Surveys between 1953 and 1961 to map middle east and Southeast Asia for US Army (and CIA?). Eventually sold to Black Hills Aviation as aerial tanker. Crashed near Superior, Montana July 1979.


http://www.aerovintage.com/b17news.htm
Back in July 1979, a B-17G being operated as an air tanker crashed near Superior, Montana, located about 50 miles west of Missoula. At the time of the crash, the B-17, N66573 (s/n 42-102715), was owned and operated by Black Hills Aviation out of Spearfish, South Dakota. Earlier in its civil history, N66573 had been operated on international aerial surveys by Fairchild Aerial Surveys of Los Angeles, California. Between 1953 and 1961, N66573 mapped much of the Middle East and Southeast Asia for the U.S. Army and, some might suggest, the CIA. Fairchild flight crews became quite attached to this airplane and two other B-17s operated by Fairchild. In mid-September 1998, two ex-Fairchild crewmembers made a journey to the crash site to revisit the remains of their old friend. The crash site is nothing but small parts of wreckage now but the pair, accompanied by local newspaper and TV media, nonetheless made the trek on a remote forest service road to view the wreckage of the old B-17. The remains of the B-17 are claimed by a local Missoula museum, the Mountain Flying Museum, which is located at the Missoula airport but there is so little left of the airframe that its value is more sentimental than practical.


R/K

I am surprised to find out that this B-17 went into civil use after the war, yet disappointed to find out that it crashed.

One of a pretty substantial number. I was surprised that the Scouts sold it to someone who put it back in the air!

Also - re postwar tanker crashes - check out http://www.airtanker.com/memorial.htm and look at all the military surplus losses there. Three B-17s, two C-119s and an S-2 and that was just 1979.

Regarding whoever Mr/s Hamilton was in Hamilton Airport, Polo, IL (Population 2500 it says) has its own website (and so does the historical society) - start at http://www.poloil.net/ I think I might give them a call for the Town Bomber project!! Assuming of course this is the only Polo, IL.


Rob / Kansan

I e-mailed the historical society a few years back and got the following response:If you contact them, could you get the first name of this Hamilton character? The souvenir booklet is autographed and the first name seems a bit unusual and starts with the letter "A" or "O" I think.

I'll have a go!

Rob / Kansan