Dates

Event

Constructed as a B-17D.

25 April 1941

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Corps with s/n 40-3097.

This is the only known US military aircraft to have flown a combat mission on the first day of US entry into the Second World War and to remain in continuous military flying service throughout the conflict. (Joe Baugher).

April 1941

Transferred to 19th Bomb Group, March Field, CA.
Operated with markings: Ole Betsy

May 1941

Base of operations changed.
Participated in first mass aircraft flight from the mainland U.S. to Hickam Field, Hawaii.

20 June 1941

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 40-3097.

September 1941

Ferry flight. Delivered to 19th BG, Philippines.
Aircraft arrived Clark Field, after flying from Hawaii to the Philippines in the longest mass flight to date. (NMUSAF).

7 December 1941

Within hours of the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941, Ole Betsy flew on the first U.S. combat mission in the Philippines. During the following three weeks, it struck at the Japanese forces invading the Philippines. (NMUSAF).

December 1941

Base of operations changed.
Java, Indonesia.

11 January 1942

Damaged.
Three Japanese fighters caused heavy damage to Ole Betsy, but lost two of their own in the process, during a running 35-minute engagement off the coast of Borneo. Aircraft was flown by 19th BG commander Maj.Cecil Combs, and was last combat mission of this aircraft. (NMUSAF).

January 1942

Base of operations changed.
RAAF Base, Laverton, Australia.

January 1942

Maintenance personnel replaced the damaged tail with one from another B-17D, replaced the engines, and converted the aircraft into an armed transport. The new pilot, Capt. Weldon Smith, gave it a new nickname after a then-popular song about a half-swan, half-goose called the Swoose. (NMUSAF).

January 1942

Markings Applied: The Swoose

From January 1942 to March 1942

Flew navigation escort missions for fighters and anti-submarine patrols before being withdrawn from combat duty in March 1942.

From April 1942 to By 1944

In the Spring of 1942, Capt. Frank Kurtz, the personal pilot for Lt. Gen. George Brett, took over The Swoose. (His daughter, famed actress Swoosie Kurtz, was named after the aircraft.) The Swoose traveled to forward air bases in the combat zone, and sometimes the crew had to man the guns against enemy fighter attack. The aircraft also set two point-to-point speed records and carried several famous passengers, including Lt. Commander Lyndon B. Johnson (future president of the United States). (NMUSAF) Brett was the Deputy Commander of Allied Forces in Australia.

August 1942

Ferry flight.
Gen. Brett came back to the United States in the summer of 1942 and brought The Swoose with him. The aircraft was stripped of weaponry and unnecessary equipment, overhauled and used as his personal high-speed transport until he retired in late 1945 (NMUSAF) The aircraft set speed records during this flight to Washington, DC.

9 December 1942

Transferred to Caribbean Defense Command, Panama Canal Zone.
General Brett was assigned to CDC and continued to use the aircraft as his personal transport.

From December 1942 to January 1943

Went to Panama Air Depot at Albrook Field for extensive modifications.

From February 1944 to 1 June 1944

A routine inspection in February 1944 at Albrook Field in the Panama Canal Zone uncovered cracked wing spars and other corrosion. While this would normally result in scrapping, Bretts pilot at the time, Captain Jack Crane, located a pair of B-17B wing panels in the local depot and the aircraft was rebuilt with much of the equipment and brought up to B-17E standard, but with none of the -E models gun turret emplacements. (Wikipedia) Rebuild began in March and completed 1 June, costing more than the original construction price. Flags of nations visited were painted on the forward section at this time.

Circa 1944

Photographer: National Air and Space Museum

1944

Redesignated as RB-17D.

December 1945

Ferry flight. Delivered to Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, NM.
Last operational flight, piloted by Gen. Brett.

Circa 1946

Transferred to War Assets Administration, Kingman, AZ.
Consigned for scrapping.

6 April 1946

To City, Los Angeles, CA.
Frank Kurtz, its wartime pilot, arranged for the city of Los Angeles to accept it as a war memorial. On April 6, 1946, Kurtz flew the airplane to Mines Field, the Los Angeles municipal airport. Among his passengers were the mayor of Los Angeles and Mrs. Kurtz. Following acceptance ceremonies, airport personnel stored the B-17 inside a hangar. (Joe Baugher).

20 May 1946

Photographer: William T Larkins
Notes: Boeing B-17D at Mines Field (LAX) on May 20, 1946.

January 1949

To Smithsonian-National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC.
Los Angeles could not find a place for display, so they donated the aircraft to the National Air Museum.
View the Location Dossier

1949

Aircraft was refurbished at March AFB, CA for ferry flight.

26 March 1949

Ferry flight. Delivered to Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, Park Ridge, IL.
Piloted by Frank Kurtz, with National Air Museum curator Paul Garber.
View the Location Dossier

18 January 1952

Ferry flight. Delivered to Pyote, TX Storage Facility.
Air Force crew flew the plane to Pyote.

From 3 December 1953 to 5 December 1953

Ferry flight. Delivered to Andrews AFB, MD.
Arrived with one engine out.

From 1953 to 1961

Stored outdoors, where vandals stole parts and weather deteriorated the airframe.

April 1961

Transported by ground. Delivered to Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, Paul Garber Facility, Silver Hill, MD.
View the Location Dossier

25 May 2001

Photographer: Norm Jukes
Notes: Photographed at Air Power Park, Hampton, VA.

11 July 2008

To National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
Exchanged for the B-17 Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby.
View the Location Dossier

2008

Transported by rail
Moved in sections to Wright Patterson for restoration.

By this point The Swoose was the oldest surviving B-17, and only B-17D in existence.

By 2010

Restoration started.

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: Off to the right are wing sections and engines belonging to this aircraft

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

19 April 2013

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

January 2014

Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla

19 September 2023

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield