DAYTON – The iconic World War II bomber Memphis Belle is being rolled out at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton after a full restoration that has been more than a dozen years in the making.
The rehabbed B-17 is being unveiled Thursday, the 75th anniversary of the 25th and final mission of the crew.
The bomber will join B-17G’s Yankee Lady and Aluminum Overcast, along with six P-51 Mustangs and three WWII-era trainer aircraft in the skies over the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on May 16 as part of the events surrounding the opening of the new Memphis Belle exhibit.
Plans call for 11 WWII-era aircraft to land at the museum on May 16 between 8-9 a.m. (One P-51 will be part of the initial flyover but not land at the museum.) The aircraft will then be available for viewing on static display May 17-18 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. On May 18 at approximately 4:30 p.m., visitors in the museum’s Memorial Park may view the aircraft as they take-off and depart the grounds.
The bomber is notable also for the leggy, swimsuit-clad pinup girl on the nose that has been freshly repainted.
After being displayed outdoors for decades in its namesake city, the plane arrived at the Air Force museum in 2005 in corroded pieces.
Museum curator Jeff Duford says the Memphis Belle is a monument to all the men who serve on the heavy bombers that helped cripple the Nazi war industry.
In addition to the aircraft, more than 160 reenactors from around the country will bring history to life by performing war-time skits, showcasing their displays and interacting with the public in an encampment near the museum’s 8th Air Force Control Tower, May 17-19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Along with the reenactors, 30 vintage military and civilian vehicles will be on display such as a 1938 Buick Special; 1942 Chevrolet airfield crash truck; 1943 Dodge WC-54 Ambulance; and several Willys MB Jeep and Ford GPW vehicles.