ex USN 84062, N9989Z

Ex Bu37537 delivered in December 1945 and struck off in December 1956. Became N6651D in 1957 and was converted to a borate bomber by Wenairco in 1962. Flew with various operators until February 1984 when bought by SI Verschoot of Custom Farm Service of Montana who placed the aircraft with the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola where it was displayed unmarked until 1988, when put into storage. Displayed as 37537 on the USS Lexington in Corpus Christie by 1993 and awaiting restoration with the Commemorative Air Force at Midland, Texas by 2000. Cancelled from the US register in November 2014.

Stored WFU. This aircraft is converted for crop spraying and is the former US Navy 37492. WFU and stored at NAS Litchfield Park, AZ 29 Jun 1954 to 1957. To the US civil register as N7270C @1960 and later to N72707 on 28 Jan 1970 with Aircraft Specialities Inc for conversion to an agricultural spreader. Registration cancelled on 20 Feb 2013. It was displayed on a pole at the Mayday mini golf course in North Myrtle Beach, SC and may well still be there in 2023..

Displayed as an attraction at Mayday Golf in North Myrtle Beach. Built for the USN as 37492; to civil registry as N7270C, to an unknown registration in Colombia, back to N7270C, and finally to N72707. Restored as a flying warbird in USN livery, but damaged in a landing accident in 1994, eventually ending up here.

PV-2 Harpoon "Attu Warrior" above Wendover, Utah

Painted in error as 32757, is actyually the former 37257.

Topside view of the Yankee Air Museum's Boeing B-17G performing at Airshow London 2022. I first came across this aircraft when it was a still a water bomber operated by Aviation Specialties in Mesa, Arizona in 1978.

Escort version of the B-17F with extra guns. The flaw in the idea was the heavy YB-40s could not keep up the bombers once relieved of their bomb loads. The 21 pre-production YB-40s were withdrawn after only 14 missions. 42-5736, at one time called Tampa Tornado, was flown back to the US for scrapping. Photo from: National Archives at College Park, Maryland

QB-17 drones were used to sample clouds from nuclear explosions. Seen here ground crew are removing filters from the aircraft during the Operation Sandstone tests. The fate of the B-17 is not known. Photo from: National Archives at College Park, Maryland

16 Jul '45: TOS USAAF as B-17G. June/46: NAF Mustin Field, PA. Converted to PB-1G. 6 Dec '46: TOS USCG. Served several stations, including ice patrol. 11 May '59: Ace Smelting Inc, Phoenix, AZ with c/r N3193G. November/59: Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Los Angeles, CA. Modified for use in photographic/magnetometer surveys. 10/65: Biegert Bros, Shickley, NE; used as agricultural sprayer. 19 Mar '66: Aircraft Specialties Inc, Mesa, AZ. January/68: Converted as fire tanker. January/69: Flew to Hawaii for use in the movie Tora, Tora, Tora. July/86: Yankee Air Force, Willow Run, MI. 1986 to by 1995: Restored.

16 Jul '45: TOS USAAF as B-17G. 6/46: NAF Mustin Field, PA. Converted to PB-1G. 6 Dec '46: TOS USCG. Served several stations, including ice patrol. 11 May '59: Ace Smelting Inc, Phoenix, AZ with c/r N3193G. 11/59: Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Los Angeles, CA. Modified for use in photographic/magnetometer surveys. 10/65: Biegert Bros, Shickley, NE; used as agricultural sprayer. 19 Mar '66: Aircraft Specialties Inc, Mesa, AZ. 1/68: Converted as fire tanker. 1/69: Flew to Hawaii for use in the movie Tora, Tora, Tora. 7/86: Yankee Air Force, Willow Run, MI. 1986 to by 1995: Restored.

This airframe is actually a composite of parts from six aircraft. Many sections and parts are also being scratch-built using original blueprints. Airframe is identified as 44-83722 since that plane supplied the bulk of the parts, but they are adopting another parts bird, 44-85813, as their s/n. Other aircraft used are: 44-83316, 44-83525, 44-85505, 44-85734.

18 May '45: TOS USAAF with s/n 44-85740 at Syracuse, NY, stored there. 7 Nov '45: Altus, OK, stripped of all military equipment. 6/46: Metal Products. 2 weeks later: Universal Aviation as NL5017N; used for aerial mapping. Successive owners reinforced the floor for hauling cattle, used for aerial photography and surveying, used for aerial application, and used for pest control and fire-fighting. 1976: WFU. 1978 Restoration to military configuration began. Ca.1982: To EAA and finished restoration.

18 May '45: TOS USAAF with s/n 44-85740 at Syracuse, NY, stored there. 7 Nov '45: Altus, OK, stripped of all military equipment. 6/46: Metal Products. 2 weeks later: Universal Aviation as NL5017N; used for aerial mapping. Successive owners reinforced the floor for hauling cattle, used for aerial photography and surveying, used for aerial application, and used for pest control and fire-fighting. 1976: WFU. 1978 Restoration to military configuration began. Ca.1982: To EAA and finished restoration.

18 May '45: TOS USAAF with s/n 44-85740 at Syracuse, NY, stored there. 7 Nov '45: Altus, OK, stripped of all military equipment. 6/46: Metal Products. 2 weeks later: Universal Aviation as NL5017N; used for aerial mapping. Successive owners reinforced the floor for hauling cattle, used for aerial photography and surveying, used for aerial application, and used for pest control and fire-fighting. 1976: WFU. 1978 Restoration to military configuration began. Ca.1982: To EAA and finished restoration. Notice new nose art.

18 May '45: TOS USAAF with s/n 44-85740 at Syracuse, NY, stored there. 7 Nov '45: Altus, OK, stripped of all military equipment. 6/46: Metal Products. 2 weeks later: Universal Aviation as NL5017N; used for aerial mapping. Successive owners reinforced the floor for hauling cattle, used for aerial photography and surveying, used for aerial application, and used for pest control and fire-fighting. 1976: WFU. 1978 Restoration to military configuration began. Ca.1982: To EAA and finished restoration.