Olden Days of the Reel Memphis Belle

[aerovin]

I just threw this up on my website so I thought I'd add it here also. It is the first iteration of 44-83546 as a civilian airplane, taken in 1959 or 1960. This airplane now flies with MARC as the Memphis Belle.



A larger view is at http://www.aerovintage.com.

[cozmo]

That is one pretty B-17.

Thanks

[hang the expense]

She's a beaut.But she looks better these days.

[John Dupre]

Are we talking about Tallichet's B-17? I thought he got her from the Brazilian Air Force in full military configuration? Did she go from military to civilian back to military configuration? How often did that happen to other survivors?

[mustangdriver]

Are you sure you don't mean his B-24. It was stock.

[aerovin]

Are we talking about Tallichet's B-17? I thought he got her from the Brazilian Air Force in full military configuration? Did she go from military to civilian back to military configuration? How often did that happen to other survivors?

Ooooo yeahhhh....sounds like a Final Cut deficiency......, not that there's anything wrong with that.

(http://www.aerovintage.com/final.htm)

But, short answer, Tallichet's surplus Brazilian AF B-17G was 44-83663 that was on loan to him from the USAF Museum for ten years or so....1973 to 1983, and then went back to the museum and is now displayed at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah.

The pictured airplane is 44-83546, an ex-air tanker that the late David Tallichet purchased around 1986 or so. It has slowly been rebuilt to resemble a B-17F. Still files out of Geneseo, New York, and is owned by Tallichet's company, the Military Aircraft Restoration Corp.

[Steve Birdsall]

A 1965 photo of N3703G as a Borate Bomber. The fellow walking by her is Dave Litsinger, a B-17 pilot with the 351st Bomb Group's "Ball Boys" squadron.

[sledge39]

.
...as of June, 1962....N3703G looked like this as "Tanker78" at Chino...




...later to become "Tanker 68" involved in Larry Ks famous 3-engine-out landing...

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... sc&start=0


..in the registry...

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b17regis ... 83546.html

.

[mustangdriver]

Last time I worked on it, the orange paint was still under the O.D. paint.

[John Dupre]

But, short answer, Tallichet's surplus Brazilian AF B-17G was 44-83663 that was on loan to him from the USAF Museum for ten years or so....1973 to 1983, and then went back to the museum and is now displayed at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah.

The pictured airplane is 44-83546, an ex-air tanker that the late David Tallichet purchased around 1986 or so. It has slowly been rebuilt to resemble a B-17F. Still files out of Geneseo, New York, and is owned by Tallichet's company, the Military Aircraft Restoration Corp.[/quote]

OK now I get it.