After WW II ended, most surviving USAAF B-17s were flown back to the U.S., stored in aviation boneyards and were eventually scrapped. But some were not. For example, the US Air Force used some B-17s as drones and control drones in nuclear testing and other forms of weapons testing, reconnaissance, transport, engine test beds, and trainers.
Added on September 4, 2017, the link that I accessed in April 2011 for Boeing B-17-G variants on the National Museum of US Air Force website is no longer available. Some post-war history of the B-17 is available on Wikipedia' article on the B-17.
The last B-17 to retire from service in the US Airforce was Piccadilly Lilly II, she retired in 1959 and is reported to be in the process of being restored to flying condition.
A few B-17s (known as PB-1W) saw service in the U.S. Navy, mostly for anti-submarine surveillance. Modifications included the addition of a radar and extra fuel tanks (Jablonski 1965 38-9). Go here for more information. As I understand it, these Naval PB-1W's saw service through the middle of the 1950s.
The U.S. sold some B-17s to other countries after the end of WW II.
Some B-17s that saw post WW II military service were later used as firebombers, I'll get to firebombers in a later series of articles. A couple of B-17s including one or two that were used as firebombers were used in movies or television. Wikipedia has a list of surviving B-17s, both those currently in the U.S. as well as those that are in other countries, this list may be found here. In addition, the main Wikipedia article on the B-17 includes sections on post WW II uses as well as foreign operators of the B-17.
I will be writing a shorter series of articles on the B-17s service as a firebomber. I need a little more time (perhaps a week o two) as I am still gathering some information.
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