[mulmen]

The book I am thinking of is A Higher Call.

> What nose art says about specific crew-aircraft assignments and their specificity or exclusivity isn't clear.

The B-17 was named “Ye Olde Pub”. There’s a chapter describing the crew meeting each other and naming their airplane. I don’t recall any mention of another crew being involved. But I did get a strong sense of connection and ownership between the crew and plane.

I believe after their return they fly another B-17 that lost much of its crew, maybe combining crews to fill in losses. It has been a while since I read the book.

I don’t recall ever reading anything to suggest B-17s were regularly flown by multiple crews.

> And I still find it implausible that aircraft would be idled between individual crew missions, though overhauls and repairs might well account for that.

Yes, I believe this is the case.