Final Cut: The Post-War Flying Fortress and Survivors (5th Edition)

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. There were two more updates in 2009 and 2011. Now, with all the changes that have occurred in the B-17 world in the past few years, it has been expanded and updated for the fifth edition. Thirty-two more 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, and updates to each section. 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.

• Paperback