44-6393 | American Air Museum

44-6393 Starduster, Return To Glory

UPL 61875 UPL 61875 44-6393 Starduster on display, March AFB, CA

Object Number - UPL 61875 - 44-6393 Starduster on display, March AFB, CA

Delivered Kearney 22/7/44; Grenier 8/8/44; Assigned 97BG Amendola 20/8/44; depot 21/8/44; Sal; Returned to the USA Bolling 5/45; 4112 BU Olmstead 3/46; used by Gen Ira Eaker as STARDUSTER from Bolling 3/48; 18 MSG Clark Fd, Phillipines 9/48; 1130 SAG Nanking, China; US Embassy in Canada 11/49; 3510 FTW Randolph 2/53; Davis-Monthan 9/55; to Aero Boliviano as CP-627 & CP-891 freight-carrier 6/56; crashed La Paz, Bolivia, but rep; Returned to the USA 1980, restored now in 15AF Museum as 2ND PATCHES, now in March AFB Museum, Riverside, Cal. as RETURN TO GLORY.

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Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Delivered	Kearney, NE	22 July 1945
Assigned	Bolling AFB, Washington, DC
Other On Display	March Field Museum, Riverside, CA		Manufactured in Long Beach, California the museum's B-17G serial number 44-6393 was accepted into USAAF service in July of 1944. The aircraft was initially assigned to the 15th Air Force arriving in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in August of that year. Documented primary source information indicates 44-6393 was acquired as a command transport for the Commander of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, Air Force legend General Ira Eaker, as a replacement for B-17E "Yardbird" his prior command aircraft. At the time of the transfer many of the defensive armaments were temporarily removed (including the turrets) and the aircraft received the name "Starduster" a designator it kept as General Eaker's personal transport for the rest of the war. During its service, "Starduster" flew the General from Italy and North Africa to conferences and planning meetings in England, the Soviet Union and the continental United States. After General Eaker's retirement in 1947, "Starduster" was assigned as a VIP transport to various U.S. bases in the Far East and Canada. Serving until 1956, long after most B-17s had left the USAF inventory; 44-6393 was transferred to storage in Arizona and dropped from the USAF active inventory. In June of 1956, it was transferred to the government of Bolivia where it served and additional 25 years as a cargo transport. "Starduster" was reacquired by the USAF in January 1981 and flown to the United States for restoration and display at the March AFB Museum. Returned by museum volunteers to its 1944 configuration and graced with General Eaker's "Starduster" nose art. This aircraft is on loan from the NMUSAF

Event

Location

Date

Description

Delivered

Kearney, NE

22 July 1945

Assigned

Bolling AFB, Washington, DC

Other

On Display

March Field Museum, Riverside, CA

Manufactured in Long Beach, California the museum's B-17G serial number 44-6393 was accepted into USAAF service in July of 1944. The aircraft was initially assigned to the 15th Air Force arriving in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in August of that year. Documented primary source information indicates 44-6393 was acquired as a command transport for the Commander of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, Air Force legend General Ira Eaker, as a replacement for B-17E "Yardbird" his prior command aircraft. At the time of the transfer many of the defensive armaments were temporarily removed (including the turrets) and the aircraft received the name "Starduster" a designator it kept as General Eaker's personal transport for the rest of the war. During its service, "Starduster" flew the General from Italy and North Africa to conferences and planning meetings in England, the Soviet Union and the continental United States. After General Eaker's retirement in 1947, "Starduster" was assigned as a VIP transport to various U.S. bases in the Far East and Canada. Serving until 1956, long after most B-17s had left the USAF inventory; 44-6393 was transferred to storage in Arizona and dropped from the USAF active inventory. In June of 1956, it was transferred to the government of Bolivia where it served and additional 25 years as a cargo transport. "Starduster" was reacquired by the USAF in January 1981 and flown to the United States for restoration and display at the March AFB Museum. Returned by museum volunteers to its 1944 configuration and graced with General Eaker's "Starduster" nose art. This aircraft is on loan from the NMUSAF