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.

6 Jun '45: TOS USAAF, Dallas, TX. Unknown date: 48th SAR Group. 8/46: 24th Composite Group, Puerto Rico; converted as TB-17G. 1948: U.S. Brazilian Command; converted to VB-17G. 1954: 1100th Operations Group, Bolling Field, Washington, DC. 1956: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. 14 Aug '59: Ace Smelting, Phoenix, AZ, as N3509G corporate plane. 9/60 to 1990: Converted for fire-fighting. Continued with several owners. 2/91: Don Whittington, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 4/91: Air SRV Inc, Hockley, TX; based with Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, TX. 5/93: Planes of Fame East, MN. 12/97: Palm Springs Air Museum.

6 Jun '45: TOS USAAF, Dallas, TX. Unknown date: 48th SAR Group. 8/46: 24th Composite Group, Puerto Rico; converted as TB-17G. 1948: U.S. Brazilian Command; converted to VB-17G. 1954: 1100th Operations Group, Bolling Field, Washington, DC. 1956: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. 14 Aug '59: Ace Smelting, Phoenix, AZ, as N3509G corporate plane. 9/60 to 1990: Converted for fire-fighting. Continued with several owners. 2/91: Don Whittington, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 4/91: Air SRV Inc, Hockley, TX; based with Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, TX. 5/93: Planes of Fame East, MN. 12/97: Palm Springs Air Museum.

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.

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.

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. No dorsal turret yet.

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. No dorsal turret yet.

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. Note lack of dorsal turret.

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. Note lack of dorsal turret.

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.

A Lockheed-Vega built B-17 that rolled off the production line in July 1945. Delivered but stored and not put into service, the aircraft was instead transferred to the US Coast Guard as bu 77255 with 15 other B-17s in 1946. Struck off strength in 1959, it went via Ace Smelting Inc to Fairchild Aerial Surveys (1959 - 65), Biegert Bros. (1965 - 66) as a sprayer and Aircraft Specialties (1966 - 81) for air tanker conversion. Global Air operated the tanker (1981 - 86) before it was acquired by the Yankee Air Museum. There it was rebuilt to near WWII condition and is a current flying artifact.

In 1998, the museum at Elmira was called the National Warplane Museum. The rights to that name was taken over by the current museum at Geneseo, NY in 2010. The collection is now known as the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. "Fuddy Duddy", ex 44-83563, Douglas built, painted as USAAF 297400/E/K. It was a VB-17G and fire tanker before restoration.

4/45: TOS USAAF. Assigned to the 552nd BS/381st BG, RAF Ridgewell, England. It was the last plane assigned to this unit; did not see combat but was sent back to the USA after the war ended in Europe. 1948: Converted to MB-17G operating in the flying bomb project with the Guided Missile Wing, Eglin AFB, FL. Later converted to TB-17G. Then it went to the 3205th Drone Squadron, Eglin; converted to DB-17G and then DB-17P. 17 June '57: Flown to the Air Force Museum at Patterson Field, OH. 1988: Traded to the Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover AFB for the recently restored "Shoo, Shoo, Shoo Baby.