Final Cut: The Postwar B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors

Final Cut has been the reference source for the postwar B-17 since the first edition was published in 1990. It was completely revised in 2000 for the new millennium. Then, another big update for 2009.

Now, with all the changes that have occurred in the B-17 world in the past few years, it has been expanded and updated in this brand new fourth edition. Sixteen pages of new material have been added, along with updates to each section that details all of the surviving B-17s. New photos, new appendices, updates all about. Good stuff.

This B-17 book begins where most others conclude. Here is the story of the B-17's post-World War II use in roles never envisioned by its designers: air-sea rescue; airborne radar platforms; weather and photo reconnaissance; test beds for engines and electronic equipment; remote controlled drone targets, CIA duties, and other uses. Those B-17s the military no longer needed are shown in the vast post-war scrapyards, awaiting the smelter or, for a lucky few, a civil role. The civil B-17 starred in numerous motion pictures and television shows, carried cargo over the South American Andes, performed for years as air tankers fighting forest fires, sprayed crops and, finally, was memorialized for the war fought a half century ago. All the post-war roles performed by the B-17 are covered in both text and photos. The complete history of each of the individual surviving B-17s is told, illustrated with a wide variety of photos. Also included are six appendices providing particular detail about serials, registration numbers, tanker numbers, and other little-known facts about the post-war B-17. Great for warbird enthusiasts, modelers, and anyone with an interest in the famous B-17.

Complete or update your library today! If you have any interest in the B-17, you need this book! It is the last chapter on the history of the airplane. Softbound, quality paper, sewn binding, 8.5"x11", 256 pages, over 400 photos. Published by Pictorial Histories and Aero Vintage Books.

Scott Thompson has long held an interest in the B-17 and, in particular, its post-war use. He has been writing about aviation history since 1980 and Final Cut was his first book when it was first published in 1990. He has written numerous other books and articles on a variety of aviation history topics. He has been a pilot since 1975 and flies a Lear 60 for the FAA as a flight inspection pilot checking navigation aids and instrument flight procedures from the Sacramento Flight Inspection Field Office. He lives with his wife in Lincoln, California.