<p>Collings Foundation <i>Nine O Nine</i> B-17G in flight.
</p><p>The <i>Yucca Lady</i>, a B-17G Flying Fortress, was exposed to the blast from three atmospheric nuclear tests during Operation Tumbler Snapper in 1951 and considered nothing but junk.
</p><p>In January 1965, when all contamination had decayed off, it was offered as part of an 800-ton lot in a salvage sale. In March 1965, arrangements were made for a partial restoration to fly the aircraft out of the Nevada Test Site. For the next 20 years, the B-17 was used to fight forest fires.
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In 1986 she was purchased by the Collings Foundation, Stowe, Massachusetts, who renamed it <i>Nine-O-Nine</i>, after a famous WW II B-17 bomber. Today it appears at air shows across the country. Of the original 12,731 B-17 produced, only about 15 can still fly.
Federal Government of the United States
Nevada Test Site Guide, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nv.energy.gov/library/publications/historical/DOENV_715_Rev1.pdf">DOE/NV-715</a>