Greely B-17 on the move

[bomberflight]

I just picked this up from the wire .....

Qoute

Historic plane departs Greeley for California

One of the most unusual pieces of bar decoration in the state rolled out of Greeley on Tuesday afternoon on the back of a semitrailer bound for California.

The B-17 Bomber, which for 28 years hung from the ceiling of the old State Armory Bar in downtown Greeley, was sold to a California man who may rebuild the plane and use it once again as a movie prop.

The plane was originally purchased from the 20th Century Fox movie ranch in Malibu, Calif. Stories were that it was in the Gregory Peck movie "12 O'Clock High," a 1949 movie about World War II. Or, it could have been a prop plane in the TV series of the same name that ran from 1964-67.

Wherever the old plane was before, in 1978, it landed at the new State Armory Bar, 614 8th Ave. in downtown Greeley.

The original Armory building was erected in 1921, and for 37 years was a training and meeting site for the Colorado National Guard. It was then used as a Catholic Youth Center, then the Greeley Boys Club, and finally purchased by Grand American Enterprises of Boulder.

Grand American Enterprises had several other restaurants with similar odd-antique motifs.

When they remodeled the building, the B-17 wasn't the only oddity to the decor. They added a gunboat, a hansom cab, old empty missiles and bombs and a huge billboard of a model in a bikini, advertising Coppertone tanning cream.

The restaurant/bar was closed and sold earlier this month to the downtown real estate development firm of Thomas & Tyler LLC. Drew Notestine, a member of Thomas and Tyler, said they purchased the building, but the plane didn't go with it. Dean Hagemeister was the owner who sold the building, then the plane.

Jim Clark of Clark Enterprises Construction said his firm was hired to remove the plane from the building, then placed it on the semi for the California trip.

The story ~ with a picture is here ~

http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2007 ... /101310066

Aerovintage ~ It's coming your way

[tom d. friedman]

while were on the subject of movie props...... a little interesting trivia....... bob crane of hogan's heroes tv show of the 60's wore the same aaf a-2 jacket & cap as frank sinatra did in the movie von ryan's express.

[mustangdriver]

That is pretty funny. Is that jacket somewhere now?

[tom d. friedman]

i'd guess it's still movie studio property, alot of history in that a-2 well beyond ww 2!!

[hang the expense]

Anybody get a pic of the fuselage on the semi? That would be real cool.