B-17G 44-83868RAF Museum
Hendon, London, England. Displayed as 483868.
Photo by Brian Nick
Built as USAAF S/N 44-83868, it started its life
in the US Navy as PB-1W BuNo 77233. It was used in Navy service from 14
July 1945 to 10 July 1956. When its Navy career was over it was put in
long-term storage at Naval Air Facility Litchfield Park, Arizona.
In December 1957, American Compressed Steel Corp. purchased it with plans
to convert it into a freighter aircraft. It was flown to Love Field, Dallas,
Texas along with several others and registered as N5230V. Starting in 1960
the aircraft went through several owners ending up with Butler Farm Air
who converted it into a fire bomber and a large acreage sprayer marked
with codes 15 and 65. In 1979, TBM Inc. purchased the aircraft continuing
to use it as a fire bomber. In 1983 it was traded to the Royal Air Force
Museum at Hendon. It was restored to flyable condition and painted in USAAF
markings. It is currently on static display at the RAF Museum.
If you have any comments or have found information on my page that
is incorrect, please e-mail
me! If you know of a surviving B-17 that is not on my page, please let
me know!
