B-17 Aluminum Overcast returns to EAA Aviation Museum

Justin Marville, Oshkosh Northwestern
Updated ·2 min read

OSHKOSH – A historic World War II bomber is coming back home.

The EAA Aviation Museum is set to welcome back another piece of World War history May 23 when the B-17 Aluminum Overcast moves to the Eagle Hangar for display.

EAA Communications Specialist Drew Stephani confirmed the move via news release as the museum looks to put plans in place for the aircraft’s repair and restoration.

It’s just one of a handful of B-17s that remain on display or airworthy.

The EAA Aviation Museum’s Eagle Hangar received a significant addition on May 23, as the B-17 Aluminum Overcast was brought in to be displayed for the first time in 30 years, as plans for its future preservation and restoration are finalized.
The EAA Aviation Museum’s Eagle Hangar received a significant addition on May 23, as the B-17 Aluminum Overcast was brought in to be displayed for the first time in 30 years, as plans for its future preservation and restoration are finalized.

EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps May 18, 1945, before being sold as surplus after just one year to serve as a cargo hauler, aerial mapping platform, and in pest control and forest dusting applications.

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In 1978, Aluminum Overcast was sold to a group of investors known as “B-17s Around the World,” which sought to return the airplane to its military roots.

The economic challenges of owning a vintage bomber led the group to donate the airplane to EAA in 1983. The airplane was on display in the EAA Aviation Museum until 1993, when it was moved to start preparation for its first national tour in 1994.

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EAA Aviation Museum is at 3000 Poberezny Road in Oshkosh and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It hosts events, features exhibits and has virtual cockpit tours people can climb into to see what it’s like to be in the pilot’s seat.

Admission to the museum is free for EAA members, $15 for adults 19 and older, $13 for seniors 62 and older and military members and family, $12 for ages 6-18, and free for kids 5 and younger. A family rate is $37.

Call 1-800-564-6322 or go to eaa.org/eaa-museum for more information.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh welcomes return of World War II bomber