B-17 Memphis Belle® Undergoes Restoration At National Museum of USAF

The “Memphis Belle” at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

DAYTON, OHIO – As the United States approaches the 70th anniversary of its involvement in World War II, one of the most famous aircraft from that war – the B-17 Flying Fortress “Memphis Belle” – recently reached two milestones in its restoration at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Both wings were mated and the landing gear was extended.

In May 1943, the Memphis Belle became the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the United States.

The Memphis Belle arrived at the museum in October 2005 from Memphis, Tenn., where it was on display along the banks of the Mississippi River. The museum staff began a careful, multi-year conservation and restoration effort – including corrosion treatment, the full outfitting of missing equipment and accurate markings – to bring the aircraft back to pristine condition. The pilot of the aircraft during World War II, Lt. Robert Morgan, named the aircraft after his wartime girlfriend, Margaret Polk, of Memphis, Tenn. Morgan chose the artwork from a 1941 George Petty illustration in Esquire magazine (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil).

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