The Belle's in town

[Shay]

Didn't notice if anyone had posted this or not. Saw last night on the news that the Memphis Belle arrived at the museum yesterday. From what they show on the news she looks like she made the trip quite well. Would of been great to see all the passer by's faces. May try and get out to the museum tomorrow and see what I can see. Looks like they wasted no time in rolling her into a hanger but maybe they'll have the doors open.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[V1VRV2]

Had to read previous post again...you're talking about the REAL Belle. Had a stop over in Lawrence, MA on Friday and spotted Tallichet's Belle (N3903G) there, supposedly been there awhile undergoing maintainence.

[Matt Sharkey]

Rebuilding History: Memphis Belle to be restored

By Timothy R. Gaffney

Dayton Daily News

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE | With the help of a big crane, the famous B-17 bomber Memphis Belle on Wednesday landed in its new home — the restoration hangar of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Bringing the best-known Flying Fortress to the Air Force's main museum has been an on-again, off-again goal of museum directors for decades.

Now, it's done.

"I am delighted," Museum Director Charles Metcalf said as he strolled around the big green pieces of the dismembered warbird.

The museum's restoration staff trucked the bomber in sections last week from Memphis, Tenn., where decades of outdoor display caused deterioration.

On Wednesday, a crew lifted the last section — the forward fuselage — from a flatbed truck onto the museum floor, where it sits in a cradle surrounded by other pieces like a giant model airplane kit.

Pointing out heavily corroded sections of the bomber, Metcalf said its restoration is likely to be a 7- to 10-year job, but will result in an airplane that looks ready to fly.

It may take as long to restore the facts about Memphis Belle, which became a symbol of American airpower when the Army put the plane and its crew on a national War Bonds tour during World War II.

Memphis Belle is widely known as being the first airplane to complete 25 combat missions over Europe. Museum press releases have even described it that way.

But Museum Research Historian Jeff Duford said it isn't so.

"There was one airplane that completed 25 missions before Memphis Belle. It was Hell's Angels," another B-17F, Duford said.

Memphis Belle is better known because it was the first 25-mission plane to be recalled to the United States for a tour, he said.

It was also the subject of a wartime documentary and a 1990 Hollywood film.

Duford said Memphis Belle is important because it was one of the first planes to complete 25 missions, and because it flew many of them as group or wing leader.

Contact Timothy Gaffney at 225-2390.

There are photos at this link http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1013memphisbelle.html

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Matt

[Originalboxcar]

Hope these display for all (direct links from dayton daily news):







regards,

t~

Last edited by Originalboxcar on Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

[RickH]

Wow ! Metcalf says the Belle will "look like she's ready to fly ". Key word " look", of course she won't, ever . They made sure of that with their paranoia by ordering the Mephis Belle volunteers at Millington to remove her fuel tanks.

She will be an incomplete external cosmetic restoration at best. Previous restoration teams had really damaged her by cutting electrical and some structural items during prior moves.