Memphis Belle - 3/22/13

[Steve Nelson]

Hi All,

Thought these might be of interest. I was able to get on the NMUSAF "Behind The Scenes" tour last Friday, and got some shots of the Belle..she's coming along, although they apparently found some unexpected corrosion in the horizontal stabs that's requiring a bit of reskinning.

















Not much going on with The Swoose at the moment. Looks like they've been doing a little sheet metal work on the fuselage, and have gathered most of her parts together.







Cheers!

Steve

[Pat Carry]

Awesome photos, thanks. The museum's goal was to have the Belle on display in the summer of 2014. Looks like there is quite a lot of work left at this point so I wonder if that timetable is feasable.

[SPANNERmkV]

Thanks for posting...

The last (only) time I got see The Swoose she was in Silver Hills spread across multiple hangars.

And the Belle... what can anyone say? I even named an airplane after her... or at least the Movie one...

Seriously- thanks again,

SPANNER if it's not Boeing, Vega, or Douglas (and it's a B-17) I'm not going

[SaxMan]

You think those two birds talk to each other after everyone's left the building? The stories they could tell.

[Dan Jones]

I haven't been to Wright-Pat in over ten years. Does anyone know why the Stearman is in the shop?

Dan

[Steve Nelson]

The poor thing is in serious need of recovering. I think she's been hanging from the ceiling for the last couple of decades. Even in a climate-controlled museum the fabric will eventually deteriorate. The B-10 wings have been in need of attention for years.

SN

[Rob W]

Wow, you'd never know that Stearman was the one displayed inside the museum.

I wonder if any of that Stearman's fabric surfaces will be sent to Cathy Stewart at Red Stewart Airfield (Waynesville, Ohio)...? Word has it that she does some of the best fabric work around and she has done phenomenal work on a few of the NMUSAF displays...

Cheers,
Rob

[CoastieJohn]

Nice pics.....

I did a little Wiki looking and seen the Memphis Belle was not the first airframe to complete the 25 missions. I always thought it was. Based on the dates given, the "Hells Angels" was the first airframe to reach 25 missions. As I understood the Wiki article, I think the MB's claim to fame is now the first with the same crew intact. Does that sound right??? Note: looks like the Warbird's censor software changes the name to "Hecks" when copy/pasted in the below quote.

The "Hell's Angels" B-17 (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, the first aircraft to accomplish this feat.[17][18]

Source:17.^ "Hell's Angels vs Memphis Belle." 303rdbg.com. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.
18.^ "Boeing B-17F-25-BO "Hell’s Angels". National Museum of the United States Air Force, 25 June 2009. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.

[TAdan]

I think the accepted statement about the Belle is: "First to complete 25 missions and return home."

[markboss]

Thanks for posting the pics...I will have to visit the museum again...
I grew up in Memphis, Played in the aircraft a few times as a kid, glad to see it finally being restored!

[CoastieJohn]

I think the accepted statement about the Belle is: "First to complete 25 missions and return home."

Ahhh....that makes a little more sense....although it returned early to promote a war bond drive, I can see that statement.

Any idea what happened to the other B-17 that hit 25 first?

Thanks....

[Pat Carry]

I haven't been to Wright-Pat in over ten years. Does anyone know why the Stearman is in the shop?

Dan

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/fa ... asp?id=499

[Steve Nelson]

I think the accepted statement about the Belle is: "First to complete 25 missions and return home."

Our tour guide last week made note of the fact that the Belle wasn't the first B-17 to complete 25 missions, but rather the first to complete 25 with no crew killed (I don't recall offhand if any of the Belle's crew were wounded.) Our guide agreed that He!!'s Angels was the first to 25, but he said that in addition to the casualty issue, the Brass didn't think the name would play well during a War Bond tour of the Bible Belt states.

SN

[mustangdriver]

The record keeping at the time period was sketchy at best. The Belle and HA were the first two. Some base records show the Belle first, others show HA, aircraft log books differ as well. THe Belle flew most of her missions with Robert Morgan at the controls and the main bulk of the men flew their missions with him. Now there were missions that they flew in other planes due to the Belle being down for combat repairs. She was pretty well shot up over her 25 missions. Jim Verenis the co-pilot flew the first five missions on the Belle, rotated into his own aircraft, then came back for the 25th on the Belle. They original crew finished their 25th in their original aircraft. While in combat no crew member was ever lost on the Belle. The back story of the Belle made it more appealing over HA, and it was selected to come home for the warbond tour. Regardless of which one did 25 first, the Belle is a national treasure. Her restoraation is first class, and while it is taking longer, it is being done right. Any combat repairs or damage done during WWII is being left in place. There is a bulk head in the radio room with a few holes in it. That is from flack damage recieved on one of her missions. THe Belle's restoration in my opinion will be the new bar to reach for B-17 restorations.

[APG85]

Beautiful restoration! I can't wait to see her finished. She couldn't be in a better place...