Here is an excerpt from a recent article that describes the heritage of this particular aircraft:
eAA’s B-17
Aluminum Overcast was donated to EAA in 1983 by the group “B-17s
Around the World.” Headed by Dr. Bill Harrison, the group of investors
had purchased the aircraft in 1978 with the intention of restoring it and
preserving the heritage of the famous military bomber. They decided to
donate it after assessing the costs involved with restoring and maintaining
the aircraft.
Delivered to the Army Air Corps on May 18, 1945—too late to see action
in World War II—the airplane performed a wide variety of tasks. Purchased
as surplus from the military inventory in 1946 for $750, the airplane has
served as a cargo hauler, as an aerial mapping platform, and in pest
control and forest dusting applications.
Since the donation to EAA, an extensive program of restoration and
preservation was undertaken to ensure Aluminum Overcast would be
a living reminder of World War II aviation for many years to come. The
restoration took more than 10 years and thousands of hours by dedicated
staff and volunteers at EAA’s Kermit Weeks Flight Operations Center in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. When the airplane was sold in 1946, most of the
original military equipment had been removed. Over the years, these items
have been located, restored, and returned to the aircraft, including the
Norden bombsight located in the nose of the airplane; restoration of the
navigator’s position (also located in the nose of the airplane); installation
of the waist guns located on each side of the bomber; rebuilding the radio
compartment, including original communications equipment; returning the
airplane’s floor to its original specifications; installation of a complete tail
turret assembly; and installation of a replica top turret just behind the pilot
and copilot seats.
Today, Aluminum Overcast carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group,
which flew hundreds of missions over Nazi-held territory during World War
II. The aircraft commemorates B-17G s/n 42-102515, which was shot down
on its 34th combat mission over Le Manoir, France, on August 13, 1944.
Veterans of the 398th helped finance the bomber’s restoration.
The airplane was on display at the EAA AirVenture Museum until October
1993, when it was moved to EAA’s Kermit Weeks hangar for maintenance
and restoration in preparation for its first national tour in 1994.
