Aluminum Overcast Aluminum Overcast , B - 17G - 105 - VE , s / n 44 - 85740 , civil registration " N5017N " , is one of only a few surviving Boeing B - 17 Flying Fortress es in existence . It is owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA ) , and it tours the U . S . A . and Canada offering flight experiences . Although never amassing a combat record , and barely escaping the fate of many aircraft that were scrapped after World War II , " Aluminum Overcast " has become one of the most recognizable examples of the type , due to its extensive touring schedule with over one million flight miles accumulated . The painstaking overhaul and restoration of the airframe took more than 10 years and thousands of hours by dedicated staff and volunteers at EAA Oshkosh , Wisconsin , headquarters . Through its association as the " flagship " of the EAA , the aircraft has become a living reminder of World War II aviation for many years to come . " Aluminum Overcast " proudly carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group of World War II , which flew hundreds of missions over Nazi - held territory during the war . " Aluminum Overcast " commemorates B - 17G AAF Serial No . 42 - 102516 , shot down over France in 1944 . History . B - 17G - 105 - VE , 44 - 85740 was built by the Vega Division of Lockheed Aircraft Company and delivered to the U . S . Army Air Corps on 18 May 1945 , too late to serve in Europe where most B - 17s were destined . Declared surplus and initially stored in New York , the aircraft was sent to Altus , Oklahoma on 7 November 1945 where , stripped of all military equipment , it was sold as " scrap " for $ 750 in 1946 to Metal Products . The aircraft was rescued from its fate when resold shortly after to Universal Aviation , for use as an aerial mapping platform , acquiring civil registration N5017N . On 2 August 1947 , the aircraft was sold to Charles T . Winters , of Miami , Florida , who , in turn , sold it on 16 August 1947 , to Joe Lopez of the Vero Beach Import and Export Company who purchased " 740 " to serve as a cargo hauler , hauling cattle in Florida and Puerto Rico . Its new role necessitated removing the original radio compartment and floor , replacing it with a strengthened floor . In 1949 , Aero Service Corporation bought the aircraft and turned it back into an aerial photography and surveying platform . In this role , during the next 12 years , the B - 17 carried out mapping operations over Arabia , Libya , Lebanon , Iran , Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia , Egypt and Jordan . Its next role was in aerial application with first Chris Stolzhus and Associates in 1962 , and then Dothan Aviation Corporation in 1966 , where " 740 " had a chemical hopper and spray bars fitted under the wings . After operating as a pest control , forest dusting and fire fighting aircraft , the aircraft wound up its postwar career in 1976 . In 1978 , Dr . Bill Harrison , heading up " B - 17s Around the World " , funded the purchase of the aircraft , which had been parked in open storage in Dothan , Alabama for two years . Renamed " Aluminum Overcast , " the name commemorates the 601st Bomb Squadron , 398th Bomb Group ( Heavy ) ' s B - 17G # 42 - 102516 that was shot down on its 34th combat mission over Le Manoir , France , on 13 August 1944 . Veterans of the 398th BG helped finance the bomber ' s restoration . Harrison ' s group restored the B - 17 to a near - wartime appearance , although no armament was installed , and flew the aircraft at numerous airshows across the United States . As financing for maintenance and further restoration became difficult , more ambitious plans , such as an around - the - world goodwill flight , were shelved . EAA . On 21 May 1979 , the group donated the aircraft to the Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA ) Aviation Foundation , under the auspices of the B - 17 Historical Society . " Aluminum Overcast " was put on display until 1983 , before it began a 10 - year restoration . The extensive work involved the rebuilding of all the interior stations , including the radio compartment , waist gunners ' stations , tail turret and navigator ' s station , and replacing the cabin flooring , as well as locating original equipment such as the Norden bombsight . Where authentic components were not available , realistic replicas , such as the new - manufacture top turret , were substituted . While the aircraft is about 95 percent authentic , recreating the configuration in 1945 when it rolled off the assembly line , concessions to technological improvements such as a modern radio and avionics suite are incorporated to meet the current airworthiness requirements . Sent to the EAA ’ s Kermit Weeks Flight Research Center in Florida in 1993 , the aircraft was prepared for its first tour , which began in 1994 . At present , of the 48 surviving B - 17s , there are only 11 such B - 17s still flying , with " Aluminum Overcast " , the high - time leader , already logging 6 , 000 flight hours by 1969 . When " Aluminum Overcast " is on tours , flying extensively throughout the USA and Canada , it serves as the EAA ' s showcase aircraft and has already flown thousands of veterans and aviation enthusiasts . During a typical 60 - city tour , flights are interspersed with opportunities for visitors to actually walk through the aircraft . The connection to the wartime B - 17 is maintained through the involvement of many EAA volunteers , some of whom have a personal connection to the period . One of the initial flight crew was Col Harold " Hal " Weekley ( ret ' d ) , who had flown the original namesake that was shot down over France . Half - hour flights are also available at all tour stops , with proceeds from the tour helping to keep " Aluminum Overcast " flying and assisting in the continuing restoration , maintenance and preservation efforts of EAA . As currently fitted out , " Aluminum Overcast " has one Studebaker 1820 and three Curtiss - Wright 1820 - 97 engines . Its paint scheme was redone in 1988 and now features a flat aluminum metallic flake paint . " Aluminum Overcast " is presently based at the Air Adventure Museum Eagle Hangar in Wittman Regional Airport ( OSH ) , Oshkosh , Wisconsin . The aircraft ' s annual multi - city tour is scheduled for spring through fall , with maintenance scheduled for the winter months .