Warbird Information Exchange

My two cents here, although I admit my opinions may be worth even less than that.

I agree with Mustang Driver - I'd like to see her displayed as The Swoose, but as close to her combat condition as is historically accurate. As The Swoose, she's a tribute to some overlooked men - the mechanics who kept 'em flying in the early days of the war. Those guys almost always found SOME way to fix the aircraft, come Hades or high water. It didn't matter if they had to ransack scrap heaps for the parts and components they needed, and then work for 48 hours straight in the heat and mud/dust and bugs. The Swoose shows what the mechanics could accomplish under dreadful circumstances. They established an unmatched legacy of resourcefulness and dedication to duty.

This would be a much easier debate if there were at least one more Sharkfin. I keep thinking of a photo in Pete Bowers' book, showing a D model lying in a scrap heap at Kelly before the war ended. Maybe it's 20-20 hindsight, but doggone it, why didn’t someone from either the Air Force or Boeing have the foresight to preserve at least one Sharkfin?

The best bet would be to display some sort of graphic illustration next to the aircraft that explains her entire service history, combat and all.

I really hope the new restoration facility at the Hazy Center carries the name Paul Garber. I think it would be fitting...

As The Swoose, she's a tribute to some overlooked men - the mechanics who kept 'em flying in the early days of the war. Those guys almost always found SOME way to fix the aircraft, come Hades or high water. It didn't matter if they had to ransack scrap heaps for the parts and components they needed, and then work for 48 hours straight in the heat and mud/dust and bugs. The Swoose shows what the mechanics could accomplish under dreadful circumstances. They established an unmatched legacy of resourcefulness and dedication to duty.