American Icon, the Original Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle, B-17F Flying Fortress (1942), National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
Survival stories interest me, and one of the most famous in the history of aviation is that of Memphis Belle. And here this survivor stands, restored to perfection and displayed as if in flight. It's treated as a rock star in the National Museum of the USAF, and rightly so.
This aircraft was only the second American heavy to survive a full 25 combat missions over Europe, bringing its crew home safely every time (heavy bomber aircrew had a much higher casualty rate than infantrymen). After completing its combat tour in 1943, the Belle then avoided the scrap yard, mostly due to the fame it received from a widely-seen 1944 documentary of the same name meant to support the war effort. A war bonds tour flying across the USA also helped ensure this B-17 survived the later massive scrapping of equipment after the war.
If you are ever near Dayton Ohio, home of the Wright Brothers, the massive National Museum of the United States Air Force is free and well worth the time to see some rare and historic aircraft.
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***
American Icon, the Original Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle, B-17F Flying Fortress (1942), National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
Survival stories interest me, and one of the most famous in the history of aviation is that of Memphis Belle. And here this survivor stands, restored to perfection and displayed as if in flight. It's treated as a rock star in the National Museum of the USAF, and rightly so.
This aircraft was only the second American heavy to survive a full 25 combat missions over Europe, bringing its crew home safely every time (heavy bomber aircrew had a much higher casualty rate than infantrymen). After completing its combat tour in 1943, the Belle then avoided the scrap yard, mostly due to the fame it received from a widely-seen 1944 documentary of the same name meant to support the war effort. A war bonds tour flying across the USA also helped ensure this B-17 survived the later massive scrapping of equipment after the war.
If you are ever near Dayton Ohio, home of the Wright Brothers, the massive National Museum of the United States Air Force is free and well worth the time to see some rare and historic aircraft.
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***