On Dec. 3, 1944, a rare pause interrupted the assembly line at Hunter Field as soldiers and civilians gathered on the flight line to christen one of the gleaming B-17Gs as the City of Savannah.
The whole article can be read here. An article about the Might Eighth Air Force Museum's plans for the B-17 can read here.
When I read the Savannah Morning News at lunch today, I noticed a story about a B-17G fuselage being delivered to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum at noon today. After lunch, I grabbed by camera, the BC-396, and the FT-50 and headed out to the Museum. I arrived as the arrival ceremony was ending and hung around to watch them remove the fuselage from the flatbed and the movement of some of the pieces.
All Coast Aircraft Recovery and Les Chapman Transport moved the B-17. All Coast Aircraft Recovery will also be doing the reassembly of the aircraft.
I did not see a serial or tail number on the fuselage or wing sections. I never did see the tail, but the serial will probably be on it. The aircraft did have a tail number, though: N66571.
Watching the movement was fascinating. To remove the fuselage from the flatbed, they used a crane from Tim's Cranes and Rigging to lift the fuselage up in the air. They then drove the truck out from underneath and set it down on wheels that were affixed to the fuselage. The tail rested on a 4x4 underneath the tailwheel assembly. A forklift was being used to move the wing sections around. During the first wing section move, they had to move some fencing around one of the museum's HVAC units. Apprarently one of the fence posts caught an undergound water line as it came out and caused a leak. This put a delay in the works and they were trying to stop the leak when I left.
I can't wait to see the aircraft assembled an put on display inside. It will be wonderful to have a restored B-17 in Savannah! More photos that I took of the move and the B-17 can be found here.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
