Warbird Information Exchange

Spent the day at NMUSAF today, and took the Behind The Scenes tour. Of course, the main thing I wanted to see was The Swoose. Ufortunately, she was almost at the end of the tour, and our group was running late, so I had to rush like crazy to get pics.

Anyway, here she is. I had my monopod with me, so I got some good overhead shots. Doesn't look like a lot of work has been done yet..they seem to be focusing on the Belle at the moment. I'm just glad to see both of them in the shop and being returned to their former glory!

Cheers!

Steve

More...here are some interior shots, including the cockpit.







And some miscelaneous parts..

Thanks for sharing, Steve. Excellent interior shots.

Thanks for those photos Steve. What a sight to see, two B-17's together in the same workshop must be rare enough, but two such famous campaigners that fought on opposite sides of the globe - wonderful.

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What a site to see! Thank you for sharing.

I wonder if they would be interested in putting a webcam in the hangar so we can see the progress. The Garber facility had one set up and it was great to watch the work.

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Great shots, thanks for sharing them! I really like the high angle views. Maybe you can send them into:

http://www.aerovintage.com/b17news.htm

I'm sure he'd appreciate the pic's for his website...

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Wonder what the damage on the nose of the Swoose (both sides - wrinkles on the left, hole on the right) is from? Did the tour guide say?

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

A B-17D=sweetness!

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Thanks for the comments, folks!

I assume the wrinkles are just some hangar rash..a legacy of her being moved around so much over the years. The tour guide didn't seem to know a whole lot of Swoose specifics. She didn't even mention the artwork..I had to ask to go back and photograph it. That's not to critisize her..I give all credit to museum volunteers, having been one myself. Just getting an opportunity to visit the restoration hangars was enough for me.

I was amazed at how much smaller she looks than the later "whale tail" B-17s. The skinny tail and shorter fuselage really throw off the proportions if all you've ever seen are later-model Forts.


SN

Fantastic photos. What an incredible undertaking restoring 2 B-17's. If anyone can do it the folks there at the NMUSAF can.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Awesome photos, Steve, thanks for sharing! When you visited there, did anyone say any kind of timeline when the Swoose and/or Belle would be finished by, or a projected completion date?

Great pics. Thanks. Makes me wish I was still at W-PAFB.
Seeing those two fuselages side by side reminds me of what would have ben seen at a B-V-D production line in the war.

Great to see it finally under restoration..or at least in line for one...after being ignored by the NASM for decades while they spent time, money and effort on arguably less-deserving types.
A real pet peeve...don't get me going! Rant over.

My father was a pilot with the 15th AF 463rd BG known as "The Swoose Group". His A-2 has a leather unit patch showing a swan/goose with a B-17 tail.
When it gets finished, I'll take the jacket to the NMUSAF for a reunion of sorts.

In the pocket of the A-2 is a 1948-49 newspaper clip about the Swoose going to the Smithsonian. It seems my dad cared aboutthe plane even back then.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Great pics Steve and thanks for posting.

I volunteered yesterday morning in the Modern Flight Gallery and had a brief meeting with a gentleman carrying a mono pod, etc. and now wondering if by any chance it might have been you.

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Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association

Thanks a bunch for those great pics.

I think I was in there around 11:00 or so. Were you the one I was joking with about hanging low-vis gray aircraft from a low-vis gray ceiling, and black aircraft from a black ceiling?

SN