Restoration of the "Memphis Belle"

[Worf]

The real, original "Memphis Belle" is undergoing restoration at Wright-Patterson AFB. Here's a nice pictorial. Whenever I see the ball turret I get the shivers.

http://news.cnet.com/2300-13576_3-10017524.html

Worf

 

[Phantomfixer]

The Belle is a great plane...and great crew....Glad it is no longer on Mud Island.....The USAF kinda fudged numbers, but hey there was a war on....and we needed heroes....Shame they are painting over the names at the rear fuselage...seems to me...since the plane will never fly again, they should remove the panels, replace with the correct skin and rivets, then display the panels along with the plane. Or just not paint over the names......seems the logical thing...preserving history and not losing it to time and paint...

 

[Anthony Jordan]

I agree, the augmented nose art and names are as much a part of the history of the Belle as her original paint job. Still, at least the names will be there, arguably protected by the paint.

 

[Rudie]

Lol. I thought it was a Mississippi steam boat.

 

[TomS]

Very interesting, thanks!

 

[Stand By]

Fantastic article, thanks for posting Worf!
It's amazing to see the B-17 in such a unique way - in all its components. I'd never seen inside the ball turret either - how frightening would THAT be ?! To have your back against the turret - with all the flak and shells going off on the other side of just some plexiglass ... and the onset of claustrophobia ... OMG, it doesn't bear thinking about !!! Brave guys.

So it won't be returned to flying condition?! I was disappointed to see that - at first. Then I thought it better - it's safer that way for this one. It's too valuable IMO. What a treat to see ... thanks again!

 

[SIGGY]

I was at the USAF museum some years back when she was being taken down into various sections for the restoration work, parts were in various places of the museum , it was interesting to see her various sections inside and out , they had the tail section cleaned to where you could see names of workers etc that had been scratched into the aluminum when she was first built .
It's great that she's been brought in out of the outside storage and getting a proper going through , a VERY interesting museum to see if you get the chance to go to Ohio !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny

 

[1930artdeco]

From what I heard the Ball Turret was actaully the safeest place on the plane. It had more armor that most positions, however, if there was an electrical failure of any kind the poor gunner was almost surely doomed. I have heard stories of turrets being crushed under aircraft that are so badly damaged they could not get the guy out before landing on its belly.

Mike

 

[rocketeer]

Fantastic article, thanks for posting Worf!

So it won't be returned to flying condition?! I was disappointed to see that - at first. Then I thought it better - it's safer that way for this one. It's too valuable IMO. What a treat to see ... thanks again!

It's still a shame it will not fly again, her rightful place is in the air. A bit like the TE Lawrence Brough superior I saw a few years back at Beaulieu here in the UK.
I asked if the bike was ever ran but was told that it was far to valuable[In £££] to be ridden in case something broke or the rider crashed it. So rather jovially I suggested to my friend that they may as well sell the engines innards to get another bike running. I was given the thousand yard stare as they say by the curator, not a word was spoken.
A few years back they took the chin turret off a G model in England of our only B17 'Sally B' , for a part in the Memphis Belle film. Not historically accurate but very enjoyable film if you dont nit pick your way through it.
J

 

[Simons]

I enjoyed both Memphis Belle and Red Tails. Good entertainment, and the A2s were a bonus.

 

[Otter]

The Belle is a great plane...and great crew....Glad it is no longer on Mud Island.....The USAF kinda fudged numbers, but hey there was a war on....and we needed heroes....Shame they are painting over the names at the rear fuselage...seems to me...since the plane will never fly again, they should remove the panels, replace with the correct skin and rivets, then display the panels along with the plane. Or just not paint over the names......seems the logical thing...preserving history and not losing it to time and paint...

:eusa_clap Agreed 100%! Over restoration, the patina and battle dammage of an aircraft like this is as much part of their history as the airframe itself. Preserve as much as poss in the original condition. A good example of this is the Wimpy the dragged out of Loch Ness back in the '70s, the started to restore her then decided she was better as a memorial in her current state and preseved her as such. After all, you wouldn't try and restore Flack Bait to her original condition, would you?:eeek:

 

[Stearmen]

The Swoose B-17D

Theres an even more exciting B-17 restoration in progress at NMAF. B-17D The Swoose is under restoration. Far more interesting then the Belle. The Swoose was flying active duty from December 7th straight through to the end of the war. Talk about flying unescorted missions, thats all she flew during the early part of the war, and the missions were often flown alone. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12773

 

[hatguy1]

Nmaf?

 

[hatguy1]

It's still a shame it will not fly again, her rightful place is in the air.
J

I see your point, but having been a passenger on "Liberty Belle" (B-17G SN 44-85734) only to have her have an engine fire and perish in a very soggy field the fire dept trucks couldn't get to a year later, I can definitely side with the preservation factor overriding the "her place is in the air" thought re what to do with the original "Memphis Belle." There are so few B-17 airframes in existence at all today, they have to protect the extra-special ones like the original "Memphis Belle" from perishing.

 

[B-24J]

Nmaf?

National Museum of the Air Force

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12773

 

[Phantomfixer]

Both have great stories...Was the Swoose at Silver Hill outside of DC for a time...another time capsule for those venturing to DC http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/multimedia/detail.cfm?id=94 a multi hanger storage and restoration facility for the NASM.....worth a trip

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Ever wonder where actress Swoosie Kurtz got her name? Her father, Colonel Frank Allen Kurtz, Jr, a much-decorated WWII American bomber pilot, flew the "Swoose" back in it's heyday! -
-dixon cannon

 

[Foxer55]

Stearmen,

It seems The Swoose is an A model B-17 from very early in the war.

 

[Stearmen]

Ever wonder where actress Swoosie Kurtz got her name? Her father, Colonel Frank Allen Kurtz, Jr, a much-decorated WWII American bomber pilot, flew the "Swoose" back in it's heyday! -
-dixon cannon

The above article explains that.

 

[Stearmen]

Both have great stories...Was the Swoose at Silver Hill outside of DC for a time...

Yes she was.