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Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors (4th Edition) Perfect Paperback – April 1, 2011
There is a newer edition of this item:
Now, with all the changes that have occurred in the B-17 world in the past few years, it has been expanded and updated in this brand new fourth edition. Sixteen pages of new material have been added, along with updates to each section that details all of the surviving B-17s. New photos, new appendices, updates all about. Good stuff.
This B-17 book begins where most others conclude. Here is the story of the B-17's post-World War II use in roles never envisioned by its designers: air-sea rescue; airborne radar platforms; weather and photo reconnaissance; test beds for engines and electronic equipment; remote controlled drone targets, CIA duties, and other uses. Those B-17s the military no longer needed are shown in the vast post-war scrapyards, awaiting the smelter or, for a lucky few, a civil role. The civil B-17 starred in numerous motion pictures and television shows, carried cargo over the South American Andes, performed for years as air tankers fighting forest fires, sprayed crops and, finally, was memorialized for the war fought a half century ago. All the post-war roles performed by the B-17 are covered in both text and photos. The complete history of each of the individual surviving B-17s is told, illustrated with a wide variety of photos. Also included are six appendices providing particular detail about serials, registration numbers, tanker numbers, and other little-known facts about the post-war B-17. Great for warbird enthusiasts, modelers, and anyone with an interest in the famous B-17.
Complete or update your library today! If you have any interest in the B-17, you need this book! It is the last chapter on the history of the airplane. Softbound, quality paper, sewn binding, 8.5"x11", 256 pages, over 400 photos. Published by Pictorial Histories and Aero Vintage Books.
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPictorial Histories & Aero Vintage Books
- Publication dateApril 1, 2011
- Dimensions8.75 x 0.75 x 11 inches
- ISBN-101575101564
- ISBN-13978-1575101569
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Editorial Reviews
Review
When the government offered its surplus fleet of WWII combat aircraft for sale, there were very view B-17 buers and the few that did sell went to specialized operators that wanted to use the Fort as high-altitude camera platforms, cargo haulers, and bug sprayers. Unfortunately, many of these aircraft were written off in remote areas of the globe and it wasn't until the early 1970s that the aviation community began to realize the historical importance of the few surviving B-17s.
Scott set out with a very specific goal: To tell the post-war history of the B-17 in the US military where the former bombers were used for SAR, VIP transports, and target drones. The limited post-war use is very well presented, but the "meat" of the book is Scott's masterful accounting of the individual histories of each of the 48 surviving B-17s. Each survivor is presented in a great deal of detail, describing how the aircraft made it to 2009. Final Cut is illustrated with a wealth of illustrations more than 300) -- many of them new -- that show the aircraft during various stages of their lives.
The book (which contains 24 additional pages compared to earlier editions) ends with a hopeful note: Currently, there are a dozen flying B-17s and author predicts we will see this number grow to 17 during the next few years. If you are a B-17 enthusiast or a Warbird buff, this book is a must. (Review of 3rd edition of book) --Air Classics Magazine (February 2009)
2) First published in 2009, this work set the benchmark in 'warbird' history titles. Now substantially revised and updated, it awaits loyal owners looking to upgrade and an entirely new readership. Every surviving B-17 is given detailed provenance and the type's 'demobbed' career as drone, air-sea rescue, corporate transport, air tanker, duster, sprayer, and film star is lovingly chartered. Each page has at least one 'I never knew that' moment. (Review of 3rd edition of book) --FlyPast Magazine (April 2009)
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Product details
- Publisher : Pictorial Histories & Aero Vintage Books; 4th edition (April 1, 2011)
- Language : English
- Perfect Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1575101564
- ISBN-13 : 978-1575101569
- Item Weight : 1.85 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.75 x 0.75 x 11 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,180,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,858 in Military Aviation History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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In the 4th edition ,Mr. Thompson has seamlessly updated the B-17 survivor list from the third edition, which itself had been released less than three years earlier. My only criticism is that the updated information is not highlighted, forcing me to read the entire text entry regarding each survivor. However since the B-17 remains one of my favorite birds,that was not an arduous task!
Unfortunately, shortly after printing the 4th edition, B-17G 44-85734/N5111N/N390TH ("Liberty Belle")was lost to fire after an engine fire and emergency landing, fortunately without loss of life. I was one of the lucky few to have flown (as a passenger) in N390TH during her short exhibition life (2004 - 2011)as "Liberty Belle", and can personally attest that the world lost an outstanding restoration because the local Fire Department thought the ground was too soft for their trucks to approach the fire scene. So, the book is technically obsolescent already. I suppose that the 5th edition will move the story of 390TH/N511N to a small print of lost B-17's and out of the main text. But meanwhile, let Chapter 40(pp.192-196) serve as her requium.
The book itself is a delight to read , well-written and straightforward, in a softbound format, with coated card covers. The photos (mostly black and white , but some in color)are reproduced on good quality paper and are wonderfully clear. I have bought each edition as it was released and keep all four editions together to give me a clear idea of the continuing life and times of the B-17 survivors since 1991. And I will await the 5th Edition with eagerness.
Highly recommended!!
Carlton A. Stidsen
It is important to understand what this book is and what it is not. "Final Cut" is not a history of the development of the B-17. It is, however, a highly detailed chronicle of the live of the bomber *after* the War, something very few other books cover. It is not a coffee table book with glossy pictures; none are in color. It's not eye candy. Rather, it's something much more substantial, an expertly researched chronology of those lucky few survivors. It is a book for die-hard fans of the Boeing B-17, those of us nerdy enough to want to know about those 48 airplanes. My five-star rating is an indication that I count myself among those B-17 geeks.
Each individual aircraft gets her own chapter, documenting its history and current status, both museum pieces and flying warbirds. Appendices cover all the B-17s that were transferred to the civil register, with additional information on specific roles, such as tankers and movie stars. This, the fourth (2011) edition contains important updates over the previous three and is, therefore, the best one to have. As of this writing (November 2015), a new edition is in the planning. Does that mean that the fourth edition will be obsolete? Currently, in the world of the B-17, there have been very few changes. The most significant development is the loss of "Liberty Belle." However, having the history of that aircraft offers an important memorial. Work continues on the painstaking rebuilding of "Desert Rat" and "Champaign Lady." So labor-intensive are these masterful restorations, it will be quite a time before either one takes to the sky again. So this, the fourth edition, should be reasonably current for some years to come, making it a worthwhile investment.
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