Nearly 2 years ago I posted about the Boeing B 17G Flying Fortress "Yankee Lady" coming to Avspecs and you can see that post HERE In that post I got it a bit wrong because it turned out that what arrived at Avspecs was only the fuselage and empennage and the outer wings. The B 17's engines and wing centre section are being restored in the US at Erickson Aircraft at Madras, Oregon and when both parts of the project are completed (hopefully in 2028) the Avspecs team will travel to Oregon to oversee the re-assembly of the aircraft and make it ready for flight. Last Tuesday I visited Avspecs where the B 17 was sitting at the front of their hangar looking very shiny:
The B 17 was acquired by Charles Somers in 2024 and will be receive a new identity before it flies again. Charles Somers chose Avspecs because he really liked the detailed restoration work that they have done on many warbirds, and he has four of Avspecs' restorations already in his collection (a Mosquito, Spitfire, Tomahawk and a Dragon Rapide). He has tasked Avspecs to return the fuselage to exactly how it would have emerged from the Boeing factory in 1944 including working turrets and replica weapons and bombs.
This is the biggest project that Avspecs have ever done and it will be fascinating to see how it progresses.
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