Collings gets Evergreens B-17!

[astixjr]

Somewhere in my Evergreen files in the basement, is a photo and a drawing of Evergreen's B-17G with nose art "The Seventh Wonder". It had the 7th AF logo above the name. I think the photo image was from the Pacific, just after WWII ended. One of the problems was the exact history of Evergreen's B-17. I'm sure it has been solved since I left the company in 91' but back then, there was some debate about it's actual identity. Del Smith never liked Shady Lady for a name. One of the mechanics at Evergreen back then was a great cartoonist. Rudy Coronado was his name I think. He created some Shady Lady "joke" nose art one day and left it on my desk. Somehow, Mr. Smith saw a copy of it and thought I was seriously proposing it for the plane. He was not amused. The Seventh Wonder idea did not fly with him either. I'll try to find that stuff and scan it.

Last edited by astixjr on Tue Dec 15, 2015 12:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

[JimH]

Years ago I offered to paint the proper Carolina Moon artwork free of charge...never got past the talking stage.

Jim

[astixjr]

After I had the retired Air Force pilot walk in with a photo of what was supposed to be Evergreen's B-17 in the South Pacific after WWII, I wanted to go with that nose art. The Seventh Wonder. The Shady Lady idea never got very far.

[lmritger]

My only wish is that it NOT be a ship from the 91st, 381st, or 398th BG. Yes, they look spectacular with the red trim, no denying that, but there were a LOT of other B-17 units in which tens of thousands of other men served nobly. We have other airworthy ships from the 303rd (Texas Raiders), 457th (Sentimental Journey) and 401st (Champaign Gal, when done)... how about one from the 388th BG, or perhaps the most active bomb group organization there is, the 100th BG? Or perhaps Gen. Castle's 94th BG ship?

I'm sure the Collings crew will do a superb job, and unlike a certain other organization located in the Pacific NW, I trust them implicitly to do the right thing when it comes to choosing a representative scheme which will properly honor the service of the thousands of aircrew who helped liberate Europe from fascist oppression 70+ years ago.

Lynn

[Warbird Kid]

unlike a certain other organization located in the Pacific NW

Yep, exactly.

[Mark Allen M]

Make sure you use the right shade of blue ...

[FlyingFortB17]

Would be cool to see a B-17 flying around in 15th AF colors. The Mighty Eighth gets a lot of the glory (rightfully so), but the 15th did their part to bring down Europe as well.

[phil65]

Make a YB-40 "Gunship" out of it...

[wendovertom]

My .02 would be for a plane from the 100th, 306th or 388th.

Tom P.

[p51]

Funny how I'm reading all these, "Not another 1st Division 8th AF bird, please" comments yet everyone wants their take on yet another ETO paint job.
There hasn't been a B-17 painted in PTO markings on the airshow circuit, has there? So why not with this one?

[Speedy]

Funny how I'm reading all these, "Not another 1st Division 8th AF bird, please" comments yet everyone wants their take on yet another ETO paint job.
There hasn't been a B-17 painted in PTO markings on the airshow circuit, has there? So why not with this one?

Forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong, but...I don't recall any late model B-17's ever flying in the Pacific Theater. By the beginning of 1943, I was under the impression that the command decision had been made that B-24's would be in the Pacific and B-17's would go to Europe almost exclusively to the 8th AF.

So perhaps Paul Allen's E-model could take a Pacific Theater paint scheme, but...not a G-model like is part of the discussion.

[raconnel]

How about an SB-17G? That would represent both the Pacific Theater and Air Sea Rescue!