B-17G 43-38635 Castle
Air Museum, Atwater, California. Displayed as 38635, Virgin's Delight
Castle
Air Museum
43-38635 rolled off the Seattle production line
on 27 August 1944 and was accepted by the Army Air Force two days later.
It was flown to Minneapolis on 24 September 1944 and attached to a headquarters
unit where it remained through the war. It was based at Minneapolis until
1947 when it was transferred to the All Weather Flying Center based at
Clinton County Army Airfield, Ohio. The All Weather Flying Center was formed
to develop procedures to operate aircraft under all conditions of weather
and visibility. Since there was no specific mission prefix for the research
role, 38635 was re-designated as a TB-17G on 6 November 1947. On 2 February
1949, it was reassigned to Griffiss AFB, New York to eventually become
an ETB-17G for the development of ground and airborne equipment. On 24
June 1952, it was reassigned again to Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts to perform
similar electronic test work until it was placed in storage at Davis-Monthan
AFB Arizona on 13 July 1954. The Air Force authorized the disposal of 83635
in August 1958.
Ownership transferred to National Metals Company
of Phoenix, Arizona, on 31 July 1959. Ownership changed hands a few more
times finally ending up with Fast Way Air Service of Long Beach California.
Fast Way installed two 900 gallon tanks in the bomb bay converting it to
a fire bomber. Registered as N3702G, it was operated as Tanker 61 based
at Chino Airport in California. On 25 April 1967, N3702G was sold to TBM
Incorporated of Tulare, California. A long career pursued battling forest
fires throughout the western and southeastern U.S. N3702G battled the forest
fires all the way up to 1978. On 26 November 1979, it was flown to Castle
AFB, California after a three-way trade between TBM, Aero Union and the
Air Force Museum. TBM traded their Fortress to Aero Union in exchange for
two complete C-54 fire bombers. Aero Union traded the Fortress to the Air
Force for a surplus C-54G. Before N3702G was delivered to Castle AFB, Aero
Union repainted the bomber in the markings of the 94th Bomb Group as commanded
by General Frederick Castle. Once again the Fortress became 38635, markings
which remain today.
