B17 Flying Fortress grounded

B17 'Sally B' is grounded pending further NDT checks on the spar

B17 Flying Fortress 'Sally B' is now grounded awaiting further NDT checks to its spar which means it will not be able to attend our 'Lanc, Tank and Military Machines' event on Saturday 27th May 2023.  Please read the operators press release below.

"Update statement by B-17 Operator Elly Sallingboe on the Impending FAA B-17 AD - 24 May 2023.

After careful consideration it has now been decided to ground our beloved B-17 until the ongoing wing spar issues is sorted.

As I write this, we are working flat out to complete this difficult task, helped by our devoted team and many friends.

Thank you IWM Duxford for giving us space in the AirSpace Hangar to carry out the required work.

As we mentioned previously our Chief Engineer, Daryl Taplin, is in contact with the FAA, the CAA, and some US B-17 Operators via the B-17 Co-op. The wing spar and the spar caps have been the subject of earlier AD’s for more than twenty years.

Each winter, our engineers complete a comprehensive CAA-approved check with the help of NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) specialist Kearsley Airways. Also, our pilots have flown Sally B very gently, with low G loads for many decades.

We trust that our B-17 is structurally sound and can hopefully fly for many more years and will update you in due course."