THE UK’s last remaining airworthy B-17 Flying Fortress is set to take to the skies during Clacton Air Show

Organisers of the event say they have secured a major coup by lining-up the Sally B, which is based at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.

The Sally B was built in 1945 and is maintained and flown as a memorial to the 79,000 Allied airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War.

The Clacton Airshow, which is organised by Tendring Council, takes place on August 27 and 28.

Nigel Brown, the council’s communications manager, said the line-up is starting to take shape with further flights set to be announced over the coming weeks.

“It is a major coup for us to be able to sign up the Sally B and her graceful sight and thundering sound will certainly have a major impact on the event,” he said.

“She will be a fantastic addition to the programme and will be a significant draw for flight fans, especially veterans of the Second World War.”

The aircraft represents a significant chapter in Britain’s history when formations of B-17 Fortresses of the US Eighth Army Air Force flew daylight missions out of British bases.

The Sally B was delivered to the US in June 1945, but was too late for active service in the Second World War.

She featured in the London Weekend Television series, We’ll Meet Again, in 1981 and used in the 1990 film Memphis Belle.

The aircraft will be appearing on August 28 alongside the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team and the Red Arrows.