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Memphis Belle B-17 Restored

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lifesizehobbit

lifesizehobbit

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2015
913
386
Had the pleasure of getting over to the National Museum of the USAF (or as we refer to it locally, WPAFB Museum) today for the public reveal of the recently restored Memphis Belle B-17 bomber. Today's date was the 75th Anniversary of the bomber's last and 25th successful mission in Europe. After the completed mission, the Belle and crew returned stateside for a publicity and war bond tour. The plane sat idle for almost 50 years in the city of Memphis before being acquired by the WPAFB Museum where the restoration started 12-13 years ago.
I was able to chat with a few WWII veterans, shake their hands and generally revel in the energy of the day. The organizers did an incredible job with the entire day. Besides all of that, I came home with a textbook quality hardbound book "Memphis Belle, Dispelling The Myth" personally signed by the authors (who were there as part of the celebration).
Memphis Belle Unveiling Ceremony: Memphis Belle Unveiling
The museum is free admission and is amazing; check out the details here. WPAFB Museum

 
anthonyrosenthal74

anthonyrosenthal74

Lifer
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Usually when I first open Pipesmagazine Forum, I'll scroll down through the topics to see all of the topics that have been started or being posted in throughout the day. Tonight, the first topic I saw was this one, and I didn't even bother scrolling to see what else might have been posted... I immediately clicked on Memphis Belle! Since I was a child I've always loved the old WWII war birds, and Memphis Belle is a name anyone even remotely familiar with WWII knows. I just finished watching the unveiling and my god what a beautiful and frightening beast of a plane that B-17 was. As with most of our bombers and fighters of that era, they just had a look that said, "I am strength, I am death." And indeed they were. Thanks for posting this Hobbit, it was a joy to watch! :clap:

 
A

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
As an aircraft mechanic, this touches my heart in ways most people don't understand. I am fortunate enough to live in the same town as a world-class air museum, and many of the docents are actual WWII, Korea, and Vietnam vets who flew and worked on the planes on display there. If there were no actual aircraft there, and those guys were just drawing pictures in the dirt of the planes they were talking about, it would still be worth the price of admission.

 
tbradsim1

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,099
11,051
Southwest Louisiana
. This was a WWII Navigator on the Enola Gay pictured with my Grandson at a gun show. He was on the fateful mission, thought you'all would appreciate this.

 
balkisobrains

balkisobrains

Lifer
Jun 27, 2016
1,273
117
Once or twice a year I'll get a Fort and a Lib flying over my head at about 500 feet as they turn base to final for the local airport. I crawled around inside of a SuperFort last year, that thing is cramped inside, I guess due to the pressure chambers in addition to everything else already crammed in there.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,455
One of my grade school buddy's dads was a WWII fighter pilot. An avid motorcyclist who went to Canada to join the RAF before the U.S. joined the war, he flew many missions over Europe, and named his oldest son, my friend, after a wingman he'd lost. Once the U.S. joined the war, he joined the Army Air Corps and ended the war flying the P-38, which was the fastest and best at the time. The dad had an amazing presence, a kind of sleepy calm. I don't think he drank or otherwise "medicated" himself. He seemed to have explored all his wildest energies. He worked as an electrician for the power company and had a sideline with a carnival ride for small children he'd haul around on a trailer. He needed no recognition for the heroism of his youth. Amazing guy to know, if only a little.

 
lifesizehobbit

lifesizehobbit

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2015
913
386
Anthony - my pleasure; glad I could offer some interesting reading/viewing during my pipe hiatus (about 3 months to go).

 
balkisobrains

balkisobrains

Lifer
Jun 27, 2016
1,273
117
mso489
One of my grade school buddy's dads was a WWII fighter pilot. An avid motorcyclist who went to Canada to join the RAF before the U.S. joined the war, he flew many missions over Europe, and named his oldest son, my friend, after a wingman he'd lost. Once the U.S. joined the war, he joined the Army Air Corps and ended the war flying the P-38, which was the fastest and best at the time. The dad had an amazing presence, a kind of sleepy calm. I don't think he drank or otherwise "medicated" himself. He seemed to have explored all his wildest energies. He worked as an electrician for the power company and had a sideline with a carnival ride for small children he'd haul around on a trailer. He needed no recognition for the heroism of his youth. Amazing guy to know, if only a little.
Click to expand...
Sounds like he might have been around the Lancasters that would have been up there, around those times. I'd like to see one of those fly overhead at 500 feet, but I think that there might only be one flying, and if so it's probably in England, I would imagine.

 
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