Warbird Information Exchange

Any thoughts on how this aircraft should be restored - bomber configured or transport? Just like to see some opinions......

I'd like to see it taken back to it's off the assembly line configuration as a bomber.

The Swoose became famous as a transport, and it should be left that way.

im still just wondering what the delay in getting this plane back in to some kind of viewable condition???? are there major parts missing, is it lack of funding, or just lack of interest?? are they saving it for something really special?? this is by far the rarest example of a b17 in existance and it just irks me the way its being ignored!! surely someone out there must have some info on what the real story is. cheers sim.

I have similar feelings about the B-17F stored by the Museum of Flight. Obviously it, in particular, is not as rare or famous as The Swoose, but if there is anywhere in the land that a nice B-17 should be available for public viewing, it is Seattle. When will it ever come out of hiding? I sure hope it is their highest priority for the next available floor space! In fact, I'd put some other stuff in storage and move it in now if it was my choice. Does anyone have any official updates on when this airplane will be on display again?

I actually contacted the museum last week about this very topic. They said they were waiting to finish a new wing of the museum and that "Boeing Bee" would then be put on display. I was under the assumption that the aircraft was already fully-restored, but the contact said they still work on it every Saturday. I hope they get rid of that awfully innacurate paint scheme before they display it indefinitely.



I think she looked better in her unrestored state. Just my opinion. Looks like a warhorse!

Just who was the dork that painted this aircraft (the Boeing Bee)?

I'd like to know the status of their B-29 as well. There's very little info about it on their web site. I've heard it's in outdoor storage in the museum's parking lot. Does anyone have any updates?

The B-29 used to be in the museum parking lot but the last time I was there a year and half ago (late fall 2004), she was nowhere in sight. I've heard that the B-17 and the B-29 are stored in a building across the street from the museum.

Dennis

The Seattle MOF B17-F "Boeing Bee" and their B29 "54" are inside a very large Boeing building just down the street from the museum. I saw both aircraft 3 weekends ago, courtesy of a friend and my visit required some prearranged security considerations (it is on/in Boeing property). As someone else has indicated on this thread, I was told both A/C are inside pending construction of new display space. No one had a date for construction of that new space.

You are almost correct about the outside storage of the B29, as it was stored outside for several years before being moved to it's current location inside (I first saw it outside in 1995). Is is currently, actively, being restored. Many major components were off the A/C and being worked on while I was there. I do not know what the B29 restoration crew schedule is, but they were working while I was there on a Saturday morning.

The current restoration work on the B17 was described to me as not directly related to flying status but on aircraft interior components. I am not an A&P, nor an experienced restorer, so I could not tell you what specifically was being worked on and I would not even hazard a guess.

The B17 interior appears to be very authentically outfitted with the correct equipment and seems very complete. Most of this work is done every Saturday on the B17. The people I spoke with who were working on the B17 were mostly former military and/or WWII veterans. I felt particularly fortunate as my ride onto the Boeing property was courtesy of a WWII B17 tail gunner and my "guide" through the "Boeing Bee" was a 30 mission 8AF B17 pilot. A great group of dedicated volunteers cares for this A/C. They deserve our thanks, not our snide comments about the paint job. I am not wild about the paint job either, but we could be a lot less rude when discussing it.

Would I love to see this airworthy A/C actually flying? You bet...but that's another story for another day...

No disrespect to the gents working on her right now. Boeing employees actually painted it back when it was inside the Renton plant. Just seems kind of funny that the paint would be so off since it was built by Boeing in the first place. I wouldn't even call the paint "olive drab." More like a high gloss frog-green Oh well!

Did you get any interior pictures? Is the bomber equipped with the armor-plating behind the pilots seats? Wonder why pretty much all B-17 restorations miss this key component. "Mary Alice" is the only B-17 I know of that has them. I mean gosh, you never know when you'll be flying to an air show and all the sudden get jumped by a pack of 109's. You need that extra protection

A real shame about this B-17F. I was lucky enough to fly in it during the making of 'Memphis Belle'. Sad that it's now not only grounded, but not even on public display.

Bob Richardson would not be happy about the way this has turned out.

At least it wasn't painted up as the "Rainmaker", as was the original proposal by the MoF's leadership.

Yeah, since the guys painting 737s and 757s over there have so much experience working on B-17s!!

WHAT ABOUT THE B-29!!!! Any pictures?????????????