Photos

This is a photo taken in Mesa, Arizona of the B17 Sentimental Journey.

Sentimental Journey rolled off the Douglas assembly line in late 1944, and was accepted by the Army Air Corp on March 13, 1945. The aircraft was assigned to the Pacific theater for the duration of the war.

Sentimental Journey was then transferred to Eglin Field, Florida, and was converted to a DB-17G for service as an air-sea rescue craft. On January 27, 1959, final military orders were cut,B-17 used in fighting fires Arizona Wing CAF transferring the airplane to military storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Within a few months, 85314 was acquired by the Aero Union Corporation of Chico, California, and became a civilian aircraft as N-9323Z, the registration which remains with her to date. For the ensuing eighteen years, an aircraft that had been designed to survive no more than a hundred missions, flew literally thousands of sorties against forest fires throughout the country.

B-17 assigned to the Arizona Wing CAFOn January 14, 1978, at a membership banquet for the newly formed Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, Colonel Mike Clarke announced the donation of the aircraft to the CAF for assignment to the Arizona Wing.

A contest was initiated by the local media to name the aircraft, which resulted in more than 800 entries, and the ultimate selection of the name Sentimental Journey. The decision was made to use the most famous pinup picture of World War II for the nose art. Permission was secured from widower Harry James to add Betty Grable in her most tantalizing pose to complete the newly acquired bomber.

B-17G Sentimental Journey entered service with the CAF in 1978. Arizona Wing members immediately undertook the chores of cleaning, polishing and repainting in WW II markings and honing the ship into excellent mechanical condition. They also initiated extensive crew training so that Sentimental Journey was prepared to fly with the CAF fleet.

Specifications B-17G

Wing Span 103 ft. 9 3/8 in.
Length 74 ft. 3.9 in.
Height 19 ft. 2.44 in.
Powerplant Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone 1,200 hp at takeoff
Empty Weight 36,134
Gross Weight 65,000 lbs.
Cruising Speed 160 mph
Top Speed 302 mph
Ceiling 36,400 ft.
Range 3750 miles
Fuel capacity 2,780 gallons carried in the wings
Fuel consumption 200 gallons per hour
Oil capacity 37 gallons per engine
Crew 10
Bomb Load 8000 lbs.
Armament 13 x .50 caliber machine guns
Sentimental Journey Fact

Based at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona
Owned by Commemorative Air Force
Total number of B-17’s built 12,731
B17’s still in existence Approximately 50
Sentimental Journey built November 1944
Yearly flight time Roughly 100 hours
Tour stops annually Average 60 cities per year
Operational cost $2,000 per hour
Movies and TV All The Fine Young Men, 1941, Wings
Nose art Betty Grable
Aircraft markings 457th Bomb Group based in Glatton, England, during World War II with the Eighth Air Force