B-17 gets special welcome as it arrives at Museum of Aviation in stages

The collections manager at the Museum of Aviation has a long history with the B-17.

In fact, Bill Paul wrote his senior thesis in high school about the bomber.

“In 1984 I was writing up the justification for one of these. It is symbolic of the Air Force’s power in World War II,” he said.

Thirty years later, Paul and the rest of the museum are finally receiving the aircraft that has eluded them.

“This was at the top of the list,” Paul said, regarding adding a B-17 to the museum’s collection.

The B-17 has a tie to Robins Air Force Base. Robins was the depot for the B-17 during World War II. Local veterans, who came out to the museum for a reception Friday, also have ties to the B-17 either as pilots or crew members.

Because the plane is so rare these days, it took a long time to get one to Warner Robins.

More than 12,700 of these flying fortresses were made. Today, about 50 remain in existence.

Parts of the B-17 started arriving in July. The four engines, pieces of the wings and the bomb rack were delivered Thursday. The fuselage of the plane should arrive this week. Restoration of the aircraft, which has been sitting outside at Grissom Air Museum in Illinois, will take years.

The Warner Robins museum will be able to house the B-17 inside a hangar, which was key to its transfer from Grissom.

“We’re thrilled to death,” said Ken Emery, museum director.

The plan is to restore the plane to as much of the original design as possible, Emery said. Conceptual drawings have been made as to how it will be displayed in the World War II exhibit in the Scott Hangar, but nothing is set in stone.

“It’s been outside for years. It is going to need a lot of work,” Emery said.

Most of the restoration, according to museum curator Mike Rowland, will be done in the open so people can view the iconic piece of history.

“This is not just a 10-15 year project. We want people to admire this for 100-200 years,” Emery said.

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "B-17 gets special welcome as it arrives at Museum of Aviation in stages ."