1944 Handwriting on B-17 skin overlap

Wed May 23, 2007 3:36 pm

Below is a picture of signatures by workers in 1944 from the Urbana B-17. The skin was in an overlap area and was not exposed to the elements. The skin was located on the top of the right wing.

Does anyone have a way to locate "The Three Trimmers" who were signed "Carlos,Irene,Noel"?

Thanks,
Dave Shiffer
Urbana B-17

Wed May 23, 2007 3:53 pm

If I recall correctly from my visit to Urbana a fews months ago. That peice of skin is from the tail section(?). The tail section is from B-17G/H (SB-17G) 44-83722.

44-83722 was built by Douglas in Long Beach. So that is where I would start.

Here's my pictures:

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f321/ChimChim3/Urbana%20B-17/

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Wed May 23, 2007 4:06 pm

cool, like a time capsule, hope their going to leave it intact!!!

Wed May 23, 2007 4:24 pm

Shay wrote:If I recall correctly from my visit to Urbana a fews months ago. That peice of skin is from the tail section(?). The tail section is from B-17G/H (SB-17G) 44-83722.

Shay,
I'll get to the guy who actually took it off, but I'm pretty sure it came off the wing. That is also where I saw skin overlapping in a major way. We have another skin that has the "Drone" squadron ensignia which is from the tail.
Dave S

Wed May 23, 2007 5:19 pm

Urbanab17 wrote:Shay,
I'll get to the guy who actually took it off, but I'm pretty sure it came off the wing. That is also where I saw skin overlapping in a major way. We have another skin that has the "Drone" squadron ensignia which is from the tail.
Dave S

Dave,

You could be right. My memory isn't the greatest. I just thought i was told it came off the tail.

If it did come from the wing then I (think) that would make it 44-85813. Which was built by Lockheed / Vega in Burbank, CA

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Wed May 23, 2007 5:54 pm

Too cool!

That would be awesome if one or more of those workers was still alive and you were able to track them down.

John

Wed May 23, 2007 5:57 pm

I saw both of those pieces, along with the rest of the project, last week (Thanks for staying so late to allow me to visit). It was almost eerie to see those signatures, but very interesting as well.

Great job so far on the Champagne Lady!!

Wed May 23, 2007 10:00 pm

I was in Urbana the Saturday morning last July that signed piece was taken off a wing.

Wed May 23, 2007 11:19 pm

Seen in a P-38 wing (can't say which one so don't ask- top secret!)...

"Goodbye until tomorrow"

"Lucille F."