Warbird Information Exchange

Why does there have to be three aircraft named memphis belle? It doesnt matter if it sounds like a catchy name. considering the fact that there was well over 12,ooo of these aircraft made,and all of the interesting stories that go with each and every one of them it seems to my uneducated canadian little self that this is just wasted opportunity.

its my understanding that some of the major motivation behind restoring and flying these birds is to honour the veterans who flew them. i understand that the belle did her thing in the most difficult part of the war as far as bombing missions go,but there were a LOT of other aircrews out there who battled just as hard if not harder each and every mission.

it seems to me that if the true motivation behind these endeavours is to indeed hounour the veterans,then maybe a little less effort should be made to capitalize on a name and a story that is already well represented both in history and on film. why not take the opportunity to expand the horizons of the public, to educate them on a broader level about what REALLY happened to all of the other rank and file air crews out there.

i personally like for the most part what the other operastors of b-17's have done with there representations. i do find it truly sad that the exploitation of a name and a movie to make a buck has taken such a foothold in what is such a limited opportunity to spread the word to the general public. just my two cents.............

That's true of the Belle also.
Ever hear of Scott Miller?? He's one of the forgotten Belle gunners

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Don't touch my junk!!

Maybe we can get some photos of port side of Sally B and of the Movie Belle being escorted by 3 or 4 Old Crow Mustangs...

Whomever painted the new girl did a fantastic job. Anyone know the painter?

I think it would be great of the B17's sported different nose art on each side...

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

cost, it all boils down to cost . I imagine it is very spensive to paint any warbird.

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

... and the more non enthusiast people will come to see it if it is a name they recognize and hopefully donate a few bucks in appreciation.

Sally B was one of the five B-17's used in making the movie "MB" . It was the only aircraft fitted with a smoke system on two engines and I believe the only B-17 that had .50's cabable of firing blanks. It was therefore tasked to play many parts in the film.



( Note to self ~ I really must find way of scanning all those 35mm Kodacrome slides one day )

In October 2006 Air Livery at Southend Airport in Essex offered to repaint Sally B as a very cheap price provided it could be delivered in a very short time window. ( The spray airliners normally ). Given this left no time to research a new livery, the Sally B team elected to keep the "movie "MB" paint scheme.

While I can't rustle up a gaggle of P-51's as escort ~ will one do for now ?



As you may guess ~ this was last months free wallpaper from my web site

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Blue Skies .....

Peter

Consolidated by US state ~ see if there's a heavy bomber tour stop coming to an airport near you ...... http://www.bomberflight.info

Warbirdapps on facebook ~ every day a new image from my personal journey thru the world of warbirds ..... https://www.facebook.com/Warbirdapps

Back before the Belle paintjob she was named "Once upon a time"with some nose art.

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Hang The Expense

Yeah that was it. IT was cool looking.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

The Marianas Trench oughta hold 'em all.

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Dave

Perhaps they can find that elusive B-32 that is down there, while they're at it!

Too deep..she'll be found east of the Amami Island group, toward the Ryukyu/Nansei Trench.

Find the records of the submarines performing lifeboat duties that August day and you'll come
close to locating the position where she splashed...probably 600 feet or less...

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I said that as a joke in reference to a particular WIX member who is no longer here and made such a claim. This same person made claims of the massive P-38 dumps being recovered in the Phillipines and many others which didn't come true.

Yessir Warbird1..I remember. I burned alot of time searching for those images of the B-32 ....

But one thing leads to another....

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

... and what a novel idea it would be to represent one of the hard workin', skip-bombing, Rabaul-plastering SW Pacific B-17s - like: "The Aztec's Curse" or "Reckless Mountain Boys" or "Black Jack/The Joker's Wild" or "The Mustang", or ... or ... etc.

But that'll never happen, cuz everybody knows there were no B-17s in the Pacific, right? Hmmmmm?
Bueller ... Bueller ... ??

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Dave