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Sorry cannot ID from Ship Number!

Posted by Paul McMillan on Tue Jan 08, 2002 08:16:30 AM

In reply top Re: Maybe this is old news...B-17 in a Slovak lake... posted by Tony on Mon Jan 07, 2002 08:07:51 PM

I got this posted

T"he plate obviously belongs to some part of the B-17 that has been produced by the Aircraft Division of Vendorlator Manufacturing Company, Fresno. This company was a producer of vending machines, just like their rival company Vendo.

A story about Vendo on the internet (http://www.vendoco.com/about/) says:

"The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor curtailed Vendo's production, like that of most other peacetime industries. Despite severe wartime restrictions, soft drinks were classified as "essential for soldier morale" by the U.S. War Department, and Vendo was authorized to produce 5,000 "Red Tops" for military training camps and war plants. Vendo further supported the nation's war effort by producing radar detection systems and associated electronic equipment. The company earned an impressive seven Army-Navy "E" awards for excellence in fulfilling Army and Navy production contracts."

I assume that Vendorlator produced similar systems and/or equipment (as I suppose that there were no "Red Tops" aboard a B-17.)

The ship nr. cannot be the construction number. The only candidate would be YB-17 (Boeing-built) 36-160 with c/n 1984, which was w/o Jan. 5, 1943. But from the pictures of the wreck it is clear that it's not an YB-17, but a later model E, F or G.

I'm afraid this is not of much help. "

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