Memphis Belle back together and showing off

[halfmileharry]

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/...Editorial - Marine Corps - Daily News Roundup

 

[Spear Dane]

 

[femurphy77]

"You and I are only passing thru history, this IS history. "

 

[Super Bee]

So now she will spend her life in a museum? Believe me, I am no expert on these old planes, but this seems like such a waste.

I hate to see her sit, lets take her out for a spin.

 

[femurphy77]

So now she will spend her life in a museum? Believe me, I am no expert on these old planes, but this seems like such a waste.

I hate to see her sit, lets take her out for a spin.

They belly flopped one in a cornfield a couple of years ago; by the time the fire department showed up . . . . .


Not for the faint of heart: "Liberty Belle" B-17 makes fiery emergency landing in cornfield - Chicago Tribune

[video=youtube;o8Mi9WoQD_4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Mi9WoQD_4[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

I just watched the movie

 

[KellyinAvon]

So now she will spend her life in a museum? Believe me, I am no expert on these old planes, but this seems like such a waste.

I hate to see her sit, lets take her out for a spin.

A number of years back Historian and author Bob Dorr wrote a column on this subject. On one hand these are flying machines built for flight. On the other, you can't replace them. When they are gone, they are gone.

I got to know Bob pretty well from my time on an Air Force forum (yes, the one that banned me.) I reviewed one of his last books about the air war in the Pacific in WWII on that forum. Bob passed away several years ago, he loved the USAF. He didn't say whether we should fly irreplaceable aircraft or just look at them. He just gave both sides of the issue because a decision must be made by those who own these aircraft.

In 2004 I saw the P-38 Lightning "Glacier Gal" fly at Langley AFB. It got it's name from being dug out of a glacier in Greenland and restored over 10 years. A P-51D Mustang with a Packard Merlin engine sounds elegant. A P-38 with twin Allison engines sounds like the baddest hot rod ever. I'm glad I got to see Glacier Gal fly, but there are so few P-38s left on this earth.

 

[BluePig]

One of my brother-in-laws had some radio equipment he collected over the years.
He worked for NASA and worked on communication projects for numerous missions.
Turns out that he had a complete radio setup for a B-17.
He wanted to get rid of it and called the museum to see if they wanted it.
They sent a truck out the next day for everything.
Turns out the radio was used to help restore the Memphis Belle.
Can't wait to go see it restored.
It was practically disintergrating at the last location it was at.

 

[rob63]

I went to the museum today and got a look at it. It is displayed as if it is in flight and is nicely done. It makes it so that you can clearly see just how small the bomb bay actually was, and you also get a really good view of the ball turret.

One thing I was really surprised to learn was that the Memphis Belle was not the first plane to complete 25 missions!

One totally unrelated photo, but it is INGO appropriate:

 

[halfmileharry]

I went to the museum today and got a look at it. It is displayed as if it is in flight and is nicely done. It makes it so that you can clearly see just how small the bomb bay actually was, and you also get a really good view of the ball turret.

One thing I was really surprised to learn was that the Memphis Belle was not the first plane to complete 25 missions!

One totally unrelated photo, but it is INGO appropriate:

Great photos.

 

[Super Bee]

Very cool, thanks for posting.

 

[drumsscott]

Can't wait to check out this beauty this summer!

 

[Spear Dane]

Just posted today by EAA.

[video=youtube;VcRXOdqwxwE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcRXOdqwxwE[/video]