C172 PILOT REPORTS NMAC WITH B17 IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT DKB.

Narrative

I WAS RETURNING TO DKB FROM THE SE AFTER A TRAINING FLT. I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR. I LISTENED TO THE UNICOM FREQ BEFORE ENTERING THE PATTERN. THERE WAS ANOTHER C172 AND A PIPER CHEROKEE IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 9. I MADE AN INITIAL POS RPT FROM 7 MI SE THAT I WAS GOING TO ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 9. THE CHEROKEE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS DEPARTING TO THE NE. I MADE ANOTHER CALL JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PATTERN TO DETERMINE THE CHEROKEE'S POS. AS I WAS TURNING ONTO THE L DOWNWIND LEG APPROX 1 MI E OF THE RWY AND ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT AND DSNDING I SAW A B17 WWII BOMBER HEAD-ON TO ME. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED HARD ON THE ELEVATOR AND THE B17 PASSED APPROX 200 FT BELOW ME. I ASKED THE OTHER PLTS IF THEY HAD HEARD THE B17 MAKE ANY POS CALLS OR HAD I MISSED SOMETHING. THEY REPLIED 'NO' AND THE CHEROKEE PLT STATED THAT HE TOO HAD BEEN 'STARTLED' BY THE B17. THE B17 WAS BELOW ME AND IS PAINTED GREEN. HE WAS FLYING AGAINST A BACKDROP OF GREEN FIELDS AND TREES. IT IS MY GUESS THAT FROM HIS POS AND COURSE RELATIVE TO MINE THAT HE HAD TO HAVE BEEN WITHIN 1 MI OF DKB ARPT AT TFC PATTERN ALT. I KNOW THAT IT IS CLASS G AIRSPACE AND THE RULE IS SEE AND BE SEEN; BUT A RADIO CALL WOULD HAVE MADE A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFERENCE.