Boeing B-17D "The Swoose" Restoration
DAYTON, Ohio(July 2025) -- Restoration specialists Chad Vanhook and Matt Gideon apply rivets that secure two pieces of metal together by deforming the tail end of a solid rivet, creating a shop head that holds the pieces in compression and shear. The Boeing B-17D "The Swoose" is undergoing restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. This aircraft is the oldest surviving B-17 Flying Fortress and the only D model in existence. Originally named Ole Betsy, this B-17D participated in several bombing missions in the desperate weeks after Pearl Harbor. Later named The Swoose, it also served as a transport for the commander of Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific, Lt. Gen. George Brett.