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Memphis Belle is saved from the scrapheap (TR)
UK Daily Mail ^ | 05/17/2018 | AP, Iain Burns, Megan Sheets

Posted on 05/17/2018 12:04:32 PM PDT by DFG

A legendary Second World War bomber is set to go on display for the first time after being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

The B-17 'Flying Fortress' known as Memphis Belle was introduced as the anchor of an extensive exhibit in the Dayton-area museum's war gallery.

The Memphis Belle has spent the last dozen years or so undergoing a piece-by-piece rehabilitation, from the clear plastic nose cone down to the twin .50-caliber machine guns mounted in the tail.

The plane, known for its risque nose paintings featuring a pin-up girl, was celebrated for being the first bomber to survive 25 missions over occupied Europe and return to the US in 1943.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aviation; b17; memphisbelle; morgan; ww2; wyler
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To: onedoug

Thanks. Hubby just joined the 446th Bomb group and there was a reunion last month in San Antonio. It was a great experience.


61 posted on 05/17/2018 2:16:22 PM PDT by MomwithHope
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To: RitaOK
The Army wasn’t much for keeping historical aircraft after WWII. "Ol Gappy" a B-17G from the 379 Bomb Group, flew 157 missions, more than any other bomber in the 8th AF and was left for scrap:


62 posted on 05/17/2018 2:32:26 PM PDT by antidisestablishment ( Xenophobia is the only sane response to multiculturalismÂ’s irrational cultural exuberance)
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To: Snickering Hound
 
 
There's lots of later B-29 nose art that can't be posted here.
 
Know what you mean. There's a lot of nose art that was flat, wasn't very dimensional and cartoonish, but there was some out there that were simply stunning in the execution of detail, light & shadow. Some like that were "Reserved", "Un Decided", "Slick's Chicks" and others. Just wow - whoever did those had serious talent and were probably professional 'back home' - makes me wonder whatever happened with those guys after the war.
 
 

63 posted on 05/17/2018 2:32:33 PM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
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To: Bonemaker
DEATH OF THE BALL TURRET GUNNER

Andy Rooney told of a bomber that had it's landing gear shot up so bad it wouldn't deploy. They also couldn't get their ball turret gunner out. He just said it was "awful" but you can imagine the poor guy was just a red smear on the runway.

That being said, it has since been called an Urban Legend by historians. "Amazing Stories" had an episode called "The Mission" about a similar situation, but had a happier ending.

here's a pic of a guy getting into one during a flight in 2015.

The crews of those planes must have clanked when they walked.

64 posted on 05/17/2018 3:07:52 PM PDT by Oatka (tHE)
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To: Oatka

“He just said it was “awful” but you can imagine the poor guy was just a red smear on the runway.”

Yes, a 20mm is pretty harsh on the human body.


65 posted on 05/17/2018 5:05:40 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: tm61

The stars are supposed to be when the plane was lead mission, group lead, etc. Different colors. It is suspected that there was some embellishment before the aircraft went on tour.


66 posted on 05/17/2018 5:07:20 PM PDT by Revolutionary ("Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!")
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“Bob Morgan, the Memphis Belle pilot, was from Asheville, NC.

If he could see what his once bucolic town has become he’d probably want to bomb it.”

So would I ....Assville.


67 posted on 05/17/2018 6:09:17 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: DFG

I have a signed/numbered lithograph fo the Belle in flight and Franklin Mint Die cast . not sure of the scale but almost 1 20” wingspan. The Sentimental Journey was a great ride,


68 posted on 05/17/2018 6:55:47 PM PDT by vortec94
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To: ExNewsExSpook

Another B-17 that’s in flying condition is EAA’s Aluminum Overcast.

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/flight-experiences/aluminum-overcast-eaa-b-17-bomber-tour


69 posted on 05/18/2018 7:17:44 AM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Democrats... BETRAYING America since 1828.)
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To: lilypad

Oh, you are in for a treat. Be prepared to stay ALL Day, wear comfy shoes and pace yourself. That place is HUGE and full of hidden gems. Don’t rush it, take breaks and stay hydrated.


70 posted on 05/18/2018 8:36:18 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: The Mayor

My father was an aircraft/rocket designer. He said back then, “If it looked good, it flew well.”

Spitfire. Mustang. Mosquito. Fortress. All are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

The B-17F had a sleeker nose than earlier E. G ruined it, and slowed it down while hurting handling. The frontal assaults - which included suicidal Rammkomandos - necessitated power turret.

Before the end of WWII, there was an experimental model with an integral power nose turret firing the new .60 gun, with a recessed bombardier window. It actua!ly looked much like the original YB-17 and early pre-war models. War’s end killed development.


71 posted on 05/18/2018 2:21:18 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: bk1000

An encounter with ANY B-17 is a joy and a privilege.

I’m glad you enjoyed yourself regardless of the provenance of the plane.

I took my Dad to our local air show many years ago. His Dad (my Grandfather) was a waist gunner in the 8th Air Force.

I knew the warbirds would be arriving late Friday morning, so I surprised him with a visit.

My Dad had never seen a B-17 up close. As soon as it landed, we ran to climb aboard. My Dad stood where his Dad did his business, just looking out of the opening. There was a tear in his eyes.

Dad passed away three years ago. I will never forget that day.


72 posted on 05/18/2018 2:32:40 PM PDT by Peter W. Kessler ("NUTS!!!")
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