B-17 with exotic painting

[pampa14]

I share with you some photos of a Boeing B-17 bomber with an exotic and unusual camouflage. Does anyone know if this plane entered service and what the function of this painting? I count on your visit.


Aviação em Floripa: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Spotted Cow"


Best Regards.

 

[fubar57]

It was an assembly ship for the 384thBG, Eighth Air Force. These were usually worn out aircraft and normally unarmed. They were used to guide aircraft to their proper location in the bomber formation prior to starting out on a mission. The Eighth Air Force had many of these aircraft with outlandish paint jobs. A great book on this subject is, "Assembly Ships of the Mighty Eighth"



Geo

 

[stona]

These were usually worn out aircraft and normally unarmed.

That one, 'Spotted Cow', certainly was having completed 61 combat missions in a previous incarnation as 'Patches II'.

Cheers

Steve

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap it was an assembly ship.

 

[norab]

I believe there are two different aircraft shown. The top two are one B-17F shown at different times in it's career (turrets have been removed in one photo). The bottom aircraft appears to be a B-17G.

 

[GrauGeist]

The assembly ships were also called "Judas Goats", using both war-weary B-17s and B-24s depending on what the BG had available.

 

[Gnomey]

Always liked the schemes on the assembly planes.

Nice shots! Thanks for sharing.