Kim Rosenlof

Following a 13-year restoration effort, the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) in Dayton, Ohio, publicly unveiled the newly restored Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle on May 17, 2018, exactly 75 years after its crew completed its historic 25th bombing mission over Nazi-controlled Europe in 1943. The subject of a World War II bond tour and several full-length feature films, the Belle became an American icon as the first B-17 Flying Fortress to achieve the 25 combat mission mark over occupied Europe and return to the United States without a crewmember killed.

 


The three-day NMUSAF event featured guest speakers, book signings, WWII-era aircraft and vehicles and reenactors who camped on the museum grounds. While inclement weather forced visiting aircraft to depart early on the first day of the event, B-17s Aluminum Overcast from the Experimental Aircraft Association, Yankee Lady from the Yankee Air Museum, and “The Movie” Memphis Belle from the National Warplane Museum (named for its starring role in the 1990 film Memphis Belle) were stationed at nearby airfields and performed occasional fly-bys during breaks in the weather.

 


The reenactors conducted a series of briefings in the Nissen Hut on the museum grounds, including recreating the operations briefing and post-mission debrief of the Memphis Belle’s 25th mission. While most were years older than the young WWII pilots and crew they portrayed, the oldest gentleman attending one of the Belle ops briefings was Col. Howard Hunt (U.S. Air Force, Ret.), who at age 96 is the last living pilot of the Memphis Belle. Hunt flew the Belle in December 1943 during the aircraft’s war bond tour and journeyed from his home in Alaska to Ohio for the unveiling.

 


“It was a very stable airplane,” said Hunt about the Belle. “It was a little beat up when I flew it because it had completed its war service. But it flew real nice and landed easy.”

 


Hunt served as a ferry pilot during World War II, flying “almost everything in the [USAAF] inventory.”

 


“Once you trimmed up a B-17, it almost flew itself,” Hunt said. “The B-17 was a dream to fly compared to some of the other airplanes. The B-24 was a boxcar; not very stable and you always had to wrestle it…The B-25 was very noisy because it didn’t have a collector around the engine. You fly that for eight hours and you couldn’t shut down the engine [noise] ringing in your head.”

 


<h2>Restoration Efforts</h2>

 


After the Belle’s war bond tour concluded, the aircraft was used for training at MacDill Army Air Field in Florida until the war ended, then was moved to Altus Army Air Field, Oklahoma for storage. The city of Memphis, Tennessee, acquired the Belle in 1946 and displayed it outdoors for more than 30 years. Graffiti, vandalism, and weather damage marred the aircraft, and an initial restoration effort by the Memphis Belle Memorial Association (MBMA) commenced in 1977. The MBMA displayed the Belle outdoors under a canopy until 2002, then released the aircraft to the NMUSAF in 2005.

 


It took NMUSAF more than 13 years and 55,000 hours of labor to restore the Memphis Belle to operational condition. Former B-17 pilot and NMUSAF volunteer Lt. Col. Jack Hampshire (U.S. Air Force, Ret.) participated in the Belle’s restoration.&nbsp;

 


“It was in pretty rough shape when we got it back,” said Hampshire. “Vandals had cut away the fabric on the elevators and the rudder, and they stole hydraulic and fuel lines…When they restore an aircraft here, they want it to look like it just came out of the factory. Although [the Belle] will never fly again, they could haul it out of here and put hydraulic fluid and batteries in it and it would fly.”

 


The Belle is no stranger to needing replacement parts. During its combat tour from November 1942 to May 1943, the Memphis Belle flew 148 hours over Europe in 25 daylight bombing raids, absorbed multiple hits from flak and fighters, and required five engine changes, a wing replacement, and tail replacement. Remarkably, despite heavy aircraft damage, no crewmembers died on the Belle and only one was injured enough to earn a Purple Heart. This feat of survival occurred at a time when the average lifespan of a U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force bomber was 18 missions, although Belle was not the only lucky Fortress. According to a U.S Air Force fact sheet published January 31, 2018, B-17F Hell’s Angels completed its 25th mission one week earlier than the Memphis Belle, but stayed in theater until 1944, surviving 48 missions without any injured crewmembers. It was scrapped in 1945.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Air Force Museum Unveils Restored Memphis Belle

The Belle is an American icon.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

Previously undisclosed JAI30 model aircraft remains shrouded in mystery

Joby Flies Hydrogen-powered UAS for 9 Hours

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Aircraft won’t have fly-by-wire flight controls or cabin windows

Otto Selects Mecaer Landing Gear and Flight Controls

Sarah Rose

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Bombardier jet holds the most speed records of any business aircraft

Global 7500 Sets 135th City-pair Speed Record

Kerry Lynch

U.S. and Brazil traded 50% tariff threats

As Trade Wars Intensify, Embraer Evaluates Impact

Charles Alcock

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Twin-boom lift-and-cruise design will be available in both all-electric and hybrid-electric versions 

ERC Prepares To Fly Multi-role Romeo Demonstrator Aircraft

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

More In Aircraft

Joby Flies Hydrogen-powered UAS for 9 Hours

Previously undisclosed JAI30 model aircraft remains shrouded in mystery

Otto Selects Mecaer Landing Gear and Flight Controls

Aircraft won’t have fly-by-wire flight controls or cabin windows

Global 7500 Sets 135th City-pair Speed Record

Bombardier jet holds the most speed records of any business aircraft

As Trade Wars Intensify, Embraer Evaluates Impact

U.S. and Brazil traded 50% tariff threats

ERC Prepares To Fly Multi-role Romeo Demonstrator Aircraft

Twin-boom lift-and-cruise design will be available in both all-electric and hybrid-electric versions

DARPA Selects Bell for Next Phase of HSVTOL Development

Helicopter manufacturer will build an X-plane for Phase 2 of Pentagon’s SPRINT program

Business Aircraft Flight Activity Sees Boost in June

Global business aircraft activity up 4.8% YOY in June

Archer Aviation Launches eVTOL Aircraft Flight Trials in Abu Dhabi

Rival eVTOL developer Joby recently began flying its four-seat air taxi in Dubai

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN