The official flagship of The American Air Museum in Britain and the UK’s only remaining airworthy B-17 Flying Fortress, "Sally B", was recently given a new lease of life by Air Livery, an aircraft refinishing company based at Southend Airport in Essex.

"Sally B", a regular attraction on the UK air show circuit, is operated by Elly Sallingboe of B-17 Preservation Ltd and a team of dedicated volunteers, and has been flown in the UK for the past 31 years as a flying memorial to the American airmen who gave their lives in defence of liberty during the Second World War.

Following another busy season - highlighted by "Sally B's" special visit to Poland to commemorate the 62nd Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising – Air Livery offered a very special price for a complete respray.  At Air Livery’s premises, she was stripped back to bare metal, primed and resprayed in the same colour scheme as before, complete with "Sally B" and "Memphis Belle" nose art.

"It is so good to have "Sally B" back to her former glory," said Elly Sallingboe. "The respray was long overdue to continue protecting the aircraft from the elements."

"Sally B" was flown back to her permanent base at Imperial War Museum Duxford in time for the first public outing of her pristine new livery at Duxford’s Autumn Air Show, which was also the aircraft’s last show of the 2006 season.  Welcome back Sally B!