According to the article, it was one of only 18 B-17s remaining in the United States. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...flames-bradley-international-airport-n1061161
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces during World War II. Of the 12,731 aircraft built, approximately 4,735 were lost during the War. Those that had flown in combat missions and survived the War were subsequently sent to boneyards, such as those at Walnut Ridge and Kingman, for smelting. Consequently, only five planes that survive today – 40-3097, 41-2446, 41-24485, 42-32076, and 44-8846 – claim combat provenance. The majority of survivors are planes that were built too late to see active service and then were used through the 1950s and 1960s in both military and civilian capacities. Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortresses
