44-83663 was built at the Douglas-Long Beach factory and accepted by the
Army 01 May 1945. It was immediately put in short term storage at South
Plains, Texas then Patterson Field, Ohio and finally Garden City, Kansas.
On 09 December 1946, it was flown to Pyote, Texas and placed in long term
storage with the 4141st Base Unit. On 08 November 1950, while still at
Pyote, the Air Force authorized its reclamation. On 21 November 1950 the
reclamation order was canceled and it was instead sent to the Brazilian
Air Force called the Forca Aerea Brasileira (FAB) under the Military Assistance
Program and the Rio Pact.
483663 was flown to Rio de Janeiro on 18 April 195,
but was officially under USAF command until 12 June 1953. It was operationally
assigned to the Centro de Trainamento de Quadrimotores (CTQ four engined
aircraft training center) in Rio de Janeiro. The CTQ was moved to Recife
Air Base in June 1951. On 09 November 1951 the USAF re-designated 483663
as a TB-17G as it was training Brazilian aircrews with the technical assistance
of USAF. In October 1953 the CTQ became operational and was renamed the
6th Grupo de Aviacao. In 1954 and 1955 the USAF transferred several more
B-17s to the FAB giving them a total of twelve. All twelve were given FAB
serials between 5400 and 5411. 83663 was assigned serial number 5400 and
given search and rescue duties. It remained active with the FAB until 1968
when they were replaced by RC-130Hs. One of four B-17s still serviceable
at the time, 5400 was donated back to the USAF Museum. It was flown to
Wright-Patterson by a Brazilian crew on 05 October 1968. 483663 was put
in storage because the Air Force Museum already had B-17 44-83624
on display.
In 1973 David Tallichet, a businessman who owned
a chain of specialty restaurants, was forming his Yesterday's Air Force
(YAF) to display his growing collection of aircraft. David Tallichet's
large collection was composed of mostly wrecks and deralecks recovered
from around the world by his Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation
(MARC). 483663 was loaned to the YAF as a non flying display under
a renewable one year agreement. Mechanics from the MARC went to Wright
Patterson to make 83663 airworthy again after five years in storage. On
06 June 1973 it was flown with Tallichet in the co-pilot seat from Wright
Patterson to his restoration facilities in Chino, California. In Chino
it was given USAAF insignia and tail serial number although the removed
FAB markings were still visible. It was placed on display along side of
the Planes of Fame's B-17 at Chino for nearly five years. In 1977 with
visions of YAF museums across the country, Tallichet made an agreement
to display a large amount of his airworthy collection with the Combat Air
Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
