Champaign Lady

Champaign Lady is the name of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress being restored at Grimes Field by the Champaign Aviation Museum.[1]

Champaign Lady
Champaign Lady in 2015
Type	B-17G Flying Fortress
Manufacturer	Boeing
Construction number	8722
Registration	N3154S
Serial	44-85813
In service	1945–57
Fate	Crashed, currently under restoration to flying condition
Preserved at	Champaign Aviation Museum

The aircraft in 1956 in use as an engine testbed

The aircraft was delivered to the United States Army Air Forces in May of 1945 as B-17G 44-85813. It was leased to Curtiss-Wright and modified as a JB-17G engine testbed. The airframe was used to test the XT-35 Typhoon turboprop, and the Wright J65 jet engine among others.[2]

The Ewing Aviation Company acquired the aircraft in 1966 and owned it until 1969 when it was owned by Ewing-Kolb Aircraft until 1970. Black Hills Aviation, owned by Arnold Kolb, then purchased the aircraft.[3]

In the late 1960s the forward engine mount was removed and the aircraft was converted into an aerial firefighter in Spearfish, South Dakota. It was used as a firefighter until 1980, when it crashed at Bear Penn, North Carolina. Remains from the aircraft were used to restore Liberty Belle. In 2005, what remained of the aircraft was bought by the Champaign Aviation Museum.[4] In conjunction with parts from several other airframes, restoration to flying condition began. In 2011, the Champaign Aviation Museum recovered parts from Talkeetna, Alaska to aid in the restoration.[2]

In 2013 nearly 90 volunteers had spent seven years restoring the B-17 at the museum and repaired around 70% of the fuselage.[5]