By now you all probably know that EAA moved our lovely B-17, Aluminum Overcast, into the Eagle Hangar at the EAA Museum to be on public display in the spot that was built to hold her once her flying days were past. The inevitable question is, has that day actually come, or will she fly again? I can’t claim to be a B-17 whisperer, but I stay plugged in to trustworthy sources in the community. While there haven’t been any definitive official declarations from EAA HQ, what I’m hearing from my feelers is encouraging news, despite everyone acknowledging that the road back to flight will be long, painstaking, and expensive.
Here’s why what I’m hearing makes me hopeful. First off, the folks in the Kermit Weeks Restoration Hangar spent the past several months rebuilding the empennage and much of the center section, repairing structural corrosion. Second, all the replacement wing terminals have already been forged (at a cost around $130,000), but they still need to be lathed and drilled. Third, Spirit Aviation is planning to supply the new spar tubes, but they’re still in the early stages of working out the process. None of these expensive repairs would be necessary if EAA planned simply to leave her on static display in the museum. They would have needed to stabilize her to prevent continuing deterioration, but not to go as far as they have. To me, the fourth point is the most telling one: another B-17 flying group offered a very attractive price for Aluminum Overcast’s airworthy engines, including an exchange of worn out engines that would still be fine for display. EAA refused to sell. EAA’s level of investment in restoring AO thus far indicates strongly to me that their intent is to have her fly. I’m guessing, however, that their public statements have been vague because they’re sufficiently concerned about all the uncertainties inherent in the process (B-17 spar tubes haven’t been made in decades) and in obtaining all the necessary funding to complete the job, that they don’t want to over-promise and then come up short.
On top of that, the regulatory environment around living history experience flights has always been fluid, and it’s possible that the FAA could at any time during the restoration process decide no longer to grant the exemptions necessary to permit such flights to continue. It’s a gamble with too many indeterminate factors to allow for calculating the odds with any confidence. The prudent course is to continue to work toward flight while not promising it will happen, and that appears to be what EAA is doing.
In the meantime, the fundraising continues! EAA just announced the availability of unique plane tags made by MotoArt with aluminum skin removed from AO’s upper wings during post-hail-damage repairs in 2014. Each PlaneTag is hand cut, stamped, and individually etched and numbered, making them each one-of-a-kind. Only 5,000 of these tags are available, so they aren’t cheap: EAA member prices range from $99 to $148.50, depending on the features of the etching and the aluminum used in the tag (ones with paint are more expensive than plain silver ones, for example). You’ll find them online at https://shop.eaa.org/ collections/eaa-b-17-aluminum-
Mary Dominiak
