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Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors (4th Edition) Perfect Paperback – April 1, 2011

5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

There is a newer edition of this item:

Final Cut has been the reference source for the postwar B-17 since the first edition was published in 1990. It was completely revised in 2000 for the new millennium. Then, another big update for 2009.

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.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

1) At the Air Classics office, there are numerous aviation references that we utilize on a regular basis. However, when it comes to the civilian use of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress there is only one reference we use:Final Cut-The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors by Scott Thompson and we are happy to report that the third edition of the seminal work has arrived in the office. Since the first edition came out in 1990, Scott has been acquiring a massive amount of new material on the survivors of the world's most famous bomber.

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)

About the Author

Scott Thompson has long held an interest in the B-17 and, in particular, its post-war use. He has been writing about aviation history since 1980 and Final Cut was his first book when it was first published in 1990. He has written numerous other books and articles on a variety of aviation history topics. He has been a pilot since 1975 and flies a Lear 60 for the FAA as a flight inspection pilot checking navigation aids and instrument flight procedures from the Sacramento Flight Inspection Field Office. He lives with his wife in Lincoln, California.

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
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024
Added to other WW ll books.
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2011
At the time the 4th edition closed for press , there were 48 intact B-17 Airframes in the world , 11 of those flyable. These survivors have mostly survived by hard work as water bombers, freight haulers, etc., before becoming the (well-deserved) pampered Warbird Queens that most ( but not all) have become. They have each earned their right to honorable retirement .

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
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Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
This is the 4th edition that Scott has released, each edition contains new information and photos I am a professional aviation historian and The Final Cut is a vital reference book in my library.
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015
This was a present to my Dad. He is currently flying around on one of these birds. He was very impressed with the book. Can't get much more of a professional opinion than that.
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014
Having an interest in the Flying Fortress since boyhood the book is a favorite of mine. Plus it is a good read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2015
They called her the Flying Fortress; she was a mighty fighter capable of carrying a lethal payload of two to four tons of bombs into hostile territory. She bristled with defensive machine guns, so much so that the Germans called her the "flying porcupine." Even though the Flying Fortress would be eclipsed by increasingly leviathan machines in the form of the B-29, B-36, and B-52, the majestic airplane to this day commands respect. Some 12,731 examples were built. To those who love her, she is still the Queen of the Skies. Yet, inconceivable as it may seem, only 47 survive today. (Final Cut lists 48 aircraft; however, not long after this edition was published, "Liberty Bell" was destroyed in an emergency landing after a catastrophic engine failure.) These four dozen airplanes are the lucky few that made the Final Cut. Even more remarkable, only two of these bombers actually served in combat; the heroic survivors after the War ended up being unceremoniously scrapped or used as target practice during the Cold War.

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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Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014
Must Have!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2014
Great Book

Top reviews from other countries

Mark Gemmell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book !!!
Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2021
Bought this for my brother for Christmas. He is a BIG warplane enthusiast. He is already half way through the book already !!! Super fast service and excellent packaging. A BIG thanks to the seller for such a wonderful online experience !!!

:)