Swoose ?

[Glen]

Greetings
I have a ? Was their a PR film made for War Bonds of the Swoose, on how she came to be, and what missions that she flew on ? The Movie Airforce that came out during the War that featured B-17 D Mary Ann was that kinda based losely on the story of the Swoose ? I have always wondered thanks in advance to all that respond.

[TonyM]

The Movie Airforce that came out during the War that featured B-17 D Mary Ann

The B-17 "Mary Ann" in the 1943 Warner Bros motion picture Air Force was not a B-17D. If you study the film carefully, you will see that the airplane was actually a modified B-17B with flat waist windows and an offset commander's dome. The airplane has no cowl flaps like a B-17D and it has the early type of scoops on the nacelles. I (with the help of many others) have been trying to figure out the serial number of this airplane for a few years now. A photo of the Mary Ann can be found on page 155 of WWII AMERICAN WAR EAGLES 1937-1942 (Warren M. Bodie) where the airplane is referred to in error as a B-17C. As stated above, the commander's dome on the movie airplane is off set to the right as on a B-17B and the airplane was retrofitted with flat waist windows and later type radio hatch and the ventral blister deleted. A few B-17B airplanes were modified in this manner. A well-known example is B-17B # 38-211 as seen on page 17 of THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS STORY by Roger A. Freeman. The modified 38-211 is often mistaken for a B-17C. TonyM.

[Glen]

Tony
Thank you for pointig that out I am novis when it comes to the early model B-17's I learned something today .
Always thankyou for your responce and info on the matter at hand.

[aerovin]

For some anecdotal information on Air Force, check out this page:
http://www.aerovintage.com/airforce.htm

[TonyM]

B-17B Modifications.

At least 11 B-17B airplanes were retrofitted with flat waist windows, later type radio hatch, etc. Photographic evidence of at least eight of these B-17B modifications can be found on photographs that are part of the following AAF Form No. 14 Aircraft Accident Reports:

B-17B # 38-213 Call # 46078 Feb 26 1942 Accident # 20
B-17B # 38-219 Call # 46106 Jul 10 1942 Accident # 502
B-17B # 38-221 Call # 46129 Oct 8 1942 Accident # 500
B-17B # 38-258 Call # 46163 Jan 25 1943 Accident # 10
B-17B # 38-259 Call # 46085 Mar 31 1942 Accident # 25
B-17B # 38-269 Call # 46130 Oct 10 1942 Accident # 15
B-17B # 38-583 Call # 46265 Oct 7 1943 Accident # 63
B-17B # 39-006 Call # 46122 Sept 10 1942 Accident # 22

The following B-17B airplanes were also modified:

B-17B # 38-211
B-17B # 38-216
B-17B # 39-001

TonyM.