This folder contains a repaint for the A2A WoP2 B-17G in the colors of B-17G-35-BO 42-32076, the former "Shoo shoo shoo baby". In 1968, the ancestry of F-BGSH, an old B-17 languishing in derelict state on Creil Airfield in France, was discovered by the Australian aviation historian Steve Birdsall, who notified the USAF museum that this was a combat veteran that had flown operational missions, in contrast to most other surviving B-17's. Following negotiations, the B-17 was donated to the US by the French Government. Interestingly, its Swedish heritage attracted interest from Sweden as well, but nothing came of this. The aircraft was disassembled at Creil and trucked to Frankfurt and flown to the US in 1972, where it arrived, packed in 27 crates. No plans or funds for restoration were present at the time, but in 1977, Mike Leiston, a technician at Dover AFB contacted the museum about the possibility of restoring one of the museum's aircraft by volunteers at Dover AFB. With project approved, 42-32076 was transported to Dover, with the aim of restoring it to a stock wartime B-17G. Upon arrival, Paul McDuffee, who had flown her for 13 missions, was present, and the reunion was clearly an emotional one as he commented "I've just got to go over and kiss her", which he did.
The restoration continued to 1988, and after some 60.000 ma hours, "Shoo shoo shoo baby" took to the skies again for the first time on 11 September. On 14 October 1988, she flew for the last time, to the USAF museum near Dayton, Ohio, where she can still be seen. The main difference with her wartime looks is the fact that she currently sports an olive drab camouflage paint, which was necessary due to all the metal work needed to bring her back to a stock B-17G condition.
Repaint by Jan Kees Blom, based on the paint kit by A2A.
