A new temporary addition to the Planes of Fame Museum’s, Chino, Calif. display arrived on Dec. 3, 2010. It is the forward fuselage section of the Boeing B-17E “Swamp Ghost” that was recently returned to the USA from it’s February 1942 crash site in the swamps of Papua New Guinea. This aircraft was produced in 1941, arrived in Hawaii just days after the Pearl Harbor attack and then crashed in the swamps of New Guinea just a couple of months later. An interesting and rare look at a very early B-17. Nice!
There is, of course, heavy corrosion throughout, but the bottom-fuselage gray paint is still largely intact as is the aircraft ID stenciling on the left-forward fuselage (see photos). The olive drab (OD) paint on the upper fuselage is almost gone. This historical artifact is just fascinating!
By: Stepwilk - 6th December 2010 at 00:57
That’s by no means “heavy corrosion” for an airplane that sat for over 60 years in water. In fact the composition of the fresh swamp water actually inhibited what could otherwise have been heavy corrosion.
And as Markb said, all of your questions are amply covered in the nearly 30 years of coverage, available on line, that this airplane has gotten since Tighar first tired to recover it.
By: Orion - 5th December 2010 at 18:47
Is it the intention to restore it? If so to flying or static condition?
Regards
By: David Burke - 5th December 2010 at 18:45
Propstrike -I am afraid that the aircraft will be restored and loose a lot of her skin if there is any idea of doing anything apart from static. As for the leave it where it is arguement – its worth pointing out that it survived pretty much intact until the early 1970s -witness the Charles Darby book with a Bell 47 siting on the wing whilst its examined. I very much think that the vast majority of parts taken from her were not by native PNG people.
By: markb - 5th December 2010 at 17:18
The complete aircraft was recovered. A much-covered story. Google it.
By: F-111buff26 - 5th December 2010 at 11:07
Much more of the aircraft, or plans for more recoveries?
By: JP Vieira - 5th December 2010 at 09:26
Hope to see it restored to its former glory, hopefully in the shortest time possible
By: Propstrike - 5th December 2010 at 09:16
I hope she does not end up too shiny and restored, thus looking like all the other restored and shiny B-17s.
By: Bager1968 - 5th December 2010 at 06:33
She appears to have been heavily stripped, though… which shows why the “leave her in place” crowd would have caused her to cease existing in not too many more years.
By: J Boyle - 5th December 2010 at 04:56
It’s amazing it wasn’t cut up for scrap by the locals years ago.
And it’s nic eth at it finally made it back for restoration/preservation and display.
By: Peter - 5th December 2010 at 04:48
Cool pics thanks for the update!
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December 5, 2010 at 4:33 am