38-223
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered March 10-Nov-39;
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39-5
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered March Field 6-Mar-41;
Modified at Cheyenne United Airlines Modification Center into a photo recon aircraft. See B-17B 38-223 for modification details.
Delivered MacDill 3-Mar-42;
Conducted aerial photographic reconnaissance staging out of Accra in the Gold Coast (later Ghana).
Conducted all the recon flights for Operation Rusty.
"Almost had to come down in the desert the last day. One engine nearly dropped off 850 miles from base over the desert but it froze and hung by hair & and after landing Elliott said the plane practically fell apart."
Officially listed (cryptically) as crashed out of limits of continental USA;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rusty
Written off 6-Aug-42. Never used in combat, never served in the UK.
Given the nickname "the Blue Goose" (not known if painted on aircraft)
Service
People
-
Elliott Roosevelt
Military | Brigadier General | Commanding Officer Photographic Wing | 25th Bomb Group
In WWII he commanded the aerial reconnaissance wing that played a key role in the Allies' 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy, France, as well as the invasions of North Africa and Sicily Commander of HQ 325th Photo Wing, [Reconnaissance]. Roosevelt...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 18 February 2021 15:54:18 | Jason Garver | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added details of Operation Rusty. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 December 2020 01:18:14 | Jason Garver | Changes to nicknames, markings, aircraft associations and person associations |
| Sources | ||
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rusty has this aircraft as being part of the mapping mission named Operation Rusty. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 January 2019 16:14:12 | Emily | Changes to serial number |
| Sources | ||
Removed block number from serial number |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 January 2015 21:03:58 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to serial number, production block number, manufacturer and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2015. Added Block Number, appended Block Number to name, Manufacturer, converted dates to military-style significations per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:01 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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