EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016: Boeing Centennial Plaza - Boeing World War II Bombers

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

More Boeing aircraft were featured in Boeing Centennial Plaza during EAA AirVenture 2016.  Here are some familiar  favorites: The Yankee Air Museum's B-17G Yankee Lady and the Commemorative Air Force's B-29A Superfortress Fifi.

According to the Yankee Air Museum published history, their B-17G Flying Fortress was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1945 as s/n 44-85829 (1944 fiscal year of production) and was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard as b/n 77255 PB-1G where it served until 1958.  It was then sold to several companies before it became an aerial fire fighting tanker (No. 34) with Aircraft Specialties out of Mesa AZ.  In 1969, it was flown to Hawaii and used in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!.  The Yankee Air Museum acquired the B-17 in 1986 and has since built a fleet of touring aircraft that include C-47 Yankee Doodle Dandy, B-25 Yankee Warrior, and several others on static display.  Here are some views of the B-17G Yankee Lady on display all week:

The B-29, Fifi, was produced in 1945 and was not used in combat.  It served stateside in supporting roles until retired in 1958 to the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station range.  The Commemorative Air Force received the aircraft in 1971 and performed a lengthy restoration to flying status so that future generations can experience the aircraft in a more peaceful atmosphere.  It was also on static display all week: