Aviation history enthusiasts will have the opportunity to own a piece of one of EAA’s most iconic airplanes, as PlaneTags made from B-17 Aluminum Overcast skin are now available through EAA’s online store and Barnstormer Boutique, The EAA Aviation Museum’s gift shop.
PlaneTags, made by MotoArt, are unique limited-edition aviation mementos made from the skin of an aircraft. PlaneTags can be used as an ID tag, keychain, or displayed as a collectible. Each PlaneTag is hand cut, stamped, and individually etched, making them all one-of-a-kind. The Aluminum Overcast skin used for the PlaneTags comes from the upper wing when the aircraft was re-skinned in March 2014. The B-17 Aluminum Overcast collection is limited to 5,000 pieces with prices starting at $110.
A portion of the proceeds from each purchase of these PlaneTags will assist in the preservation of EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast.
EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps on May 18, 1945. The airplane was sold as surplus the following year and served many uses including as a cargo hauler, aerial mapping platform, and in pest control and forest dusting applications. In 1978, Aluminum Overcast was sold to a group of investors known as “B-17s Around the World” who sought to return the airplane to its military roots. The economic challenges of owning a vintage bomber led the group to donate the airplane to EAA in 1983. The airplane was on display in the EAA Aviation Museum until 1993 when it was moved to start preparation for its first national tour in 1994. Aluminum Overcast carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group of World War II, which flew hundreds of missions over Nazi-held territory during the war. Veterans of the 398th helped finance the B-17’s restoration.
