Warbird Information Exchange

Pacific Veteran B17D and an ETO Veteran B17F on display at USAFM

ETO Veteran B17G on display at NASM.

If it means 3 17s, all vets on display instead of 2 and 1 in storage, it's a great move for both museums.

Wow, this is great news! I wonder if they will ferry-fly Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby again... I hope so!

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

That would be cool for Shoo Shoo to fly one more time.

Really? So that means they actually stripped the paint off before it flew to Sweden and became an airliner?

Hello All

One question: Is the Swoose could be under Restauration?... it's could be wonderfull, no?

Cédric

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B-17s of the French IGN in French
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Half Pint: the real story of the Pink Lady

No early in it's career it was O.D. and gray. Then it was stripped to just bare metal. It then flew the bulk of it's missions in the BM scheme.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Just curious but, how do you know this? Is there any photo graphic proof of this?

according to Mr. Baugher's website which we have all agreed is creditable site.



Block -35 covered serial numbers 42-31932 to 42-32116. Shoo Shoo Baby is 42-32076 and as you can see out of 184 aircraft in that block Shoo Shoo is the 144 aircraft making it quite late in the run.

Leading one to believe that B-17G-35-BO Ser No. 42-32076 / Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby was built and delivered in Bare Metal finish. And that her current Olive Drab paint scheme is incorrect for her entire career.

Someone please check my facts but I believe them to be correct.


Shay
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Semper Fortis

There was a photo in the NMUSAF of it in O.D. scheme during the war.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

I also wonder what time period the NMUSAF is going to restore the aircraft to? Will it be the natural metal, or the O.D. over gray. Both would be accurate for different times of it's career.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

here's my 2 pennys worth!
According to Marion Havelaar's( who was a Bombadier in WWII!) book "The Raggged Irregulars of Bassingbourn", quote: "When the plane rolled off the assembly line in Seattle in March 1944 it was at a time of transition away from the olive drab camoflage finish to the natural metal skin which became standard for all new B-17Gs. After the issuance of the relevant order, a number of planes that were actuallyin mid production displayed the oddity of the data block being stencilled onto an olive drab panel, with the remainder of the ship being left as metal finish. This data block was applied long before the remainder of the ship was normally painted and was masked out for the spraying so as to remain intact throughout the entire production process. The appearance of these olive drab data panels has led to belief that some planes that had been camouflaged were later stripped of their paint to lighten them and bring them into line with the later silver ships. There is much evidence that this was done in the Pacific but if this was done in the ETO then it was rare! The man-hours involved in such a task were considerable and far beyond the capacity of the operational squadrons or sub-depots" End quote.

In my last post, I was talking about the Swoose.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Boy that is a tough one.Her claim to fame would be after the rebuild in oz when she was named swoose but her war history was when she was at Hawaii and then the phillipines in combat to me would be more significant. I am sure others have an opinion, lets hear them.

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Hang The Expense

I was looking for photos of the Swoose online and found this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpost/sets/1151412/

with several images of the plane with General Brett during the war, and some closeups of the plane at Garber. Check 'em out!

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I am not sure. was it ever O.D. with the Swoose art work?

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

I think so, but am not sure.When they performed BITZA FORT It was with the idea of going back into combat with it in 42 so I would bet she was still od and grey.Somewhere this is a pic of her as the swoose in od and grey with alot of paint flaking of the nose and cowlings.

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Hang The Expense