I agree it is a B-17F and not a B-17G. The Gs had the chin turret and this one does not.
I am not a B-17 "expert" but there are a few clues to consider.
It appears to have the bulge for the navigator's dome. Early Fs did not have that but later models did. It does not have the rectangular "side" windows right next to the navigator's dome either.
It does not have the cheek gun bulge in the side window which appeared on late model Fs.
It still has some metal supports in the front nose. Front guns have been removed.
The whole top turret appears to be missing and the right-side life raft has been removed from its compartment. Are the men part of a salvage crew?
I am thinking it is a mid to late model F. I suspect some B-17 experts may be able to narrow it down even further.
It appears to me that possible part of the name (or maybe the whole original name) was painted out above the word "Gremlin". At first I thought the "blotch" was done by a censor but if you look at the seams running through the blotch it is clear that it is actually painted out on the plane, not a censor blotch on the photo.
I don't see any evidence of the plane having burned in the photo.
Some drawings which show features being discussed:
https://www.markstyling.com/3ADJPEG/B173ADCu-03.jpg
https://www.markstyling.com/3ADJPEG/B173ADCu-01.jpg
https://www.markstyling.com/1ADJPEG/B171ADCu-21.jpg
https://www.markstyling.com/1ADJPEG/B171ADCu-23.jpg
The pipe (or lack thereof) that comes out just behind the pitot tube may be another clue (assuming Mark's drawings are accurate ;-)