Memphis Belle (B-17)
| Memphis Belle | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress, AAF Ser. No. 41-24485, Memphis Belle, 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, 9 June 1943 | |
| Type | Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Aircraft Company |
| Construction number | 3470 |
| Serial | 41-24485 |
| Radio code | DF-A |
| Owners and operators | United States Army Air Forces |
| Fate | Undergoing restoration |
| Preserved at | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress that was 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 a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. The aircraft was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact. The aircraft and crew then returned to the United States to sell war bonds. As of 2017, the aircraft was being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio with plans to put it on display May 17, 2018.
The crew for the Memphis Belle are as follows:
The Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, manufacturer's serial number 3470, USAAC Serial No. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942, and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. She deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then finally to her permanent base at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October. Each side of the fuselage bore the unit and aircraft identification markings of a B-17 of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy); the squadron code "DF" and individual aircraft letter "A."
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