Colorful Fortress ...

[Mark Allen M]

1950 USAF B-17 Flying Fortress Tachikawa AFB.

[JohnB]

A new one to me.
It looks a bit like the 10th AF emblem on the tail. But by 1950, they were part of ADC, so what they'd be doing at Tachikawa is beyond me.
Anyone have a positive ID on the emblem?


Note the airstair door and no guns, so a staff transport?
If it was after June of 1950, the may have wanted some armament if they flew into the Korean theater..like the SB-17s and SB-28s.

[mike furline]

Several 44-83xxx and above with Tachikawa entries.

https://www.crouze.com/baugher/usaf_ser ... 44_05.html

[Steve Birdsall]

I believe that's the 20th Air Force badge on the tail.

[JohnB]

I believe that's the 20th Air Force badge on the tail.

You're certainly correct.
If anyone can recognize the 20,th AF badge, it would be you!
I enjoyed your B-29 book and your Log of the Liberators is a classic.

Ever hear of a 20th AF CB-17 staff transport postwar?
Wouldn't be too surprising, they seemed to be everywhere.
One would think given the number in theater, a B-29 would be easier to support.

When my father was on the staff of HQ 5th AF in the early 60s, they had a C-54.

[Steve Birdsall]

We can narrow down the possibilities, but without a better look at the radio call number . . .

Thanks for the kind words, always appreciated.

[Chris Brame]

Let's zoom in:

Six digits beginning with 48 and ending with 1. Going through the possible matches in the Osborne book, this looks like the only candidate:

44-83661 Del Sth Plains 28/4/45; became 19BG Commander's hack; 19ABG/6319 ABW Anderson Fd, Guam 20AF as mobile office (All turrets removed and celestial astrodome in top turret position. Seats for eight people installed, with galley in bomb bay and toilet near tail wheel); mechanical failure w/Louis Dobsa caused ground accident 9/10/50.

From AAIR: