Memphis Belle (aircraft)
Boeing B-17F bomber / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress and the 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds.[2]
Memphis Belle | |
---|---|
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, Memphis Belle, 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, 9 June 1943 | |
Type | Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress |
Manufacturer | Boeing Aircraft Company |
Construction number | 3170[1] |
Serial | 41-24485 |
Radio code | DF-A |
Owners and operators | United States Army Air Forces |
Status | On display |
Preserved at | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
In 2005 restoration began on the Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio where, since May 2018, it has been on display.[3][4] One of the B-17s used in the 1990 feature film was most recently housed at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York but is currently undergoing extensive maintenance at the Palm Springs Air Museum in California.[5][6]