"Memphis Belle" Topic

She's flying over my neighborhood this weekend. Each time I hear those low revving engines I feel like running outside to take another look. This is the "G" that was mocked up to look like the "F" of the real Memphis Belle. The one that was used in the movie in 1990. I did some reading online, and back then there were only eight airworthy B-17s worldwide, five of which were rounded up to make the movie. Now there are fourteen B-17s flying, all but two in the USA. There would have been fifteen, except that in June of 2011 the Liberty Belle caught fire in the air and put down in a cornfield where it burnt up, no loss of life or serious injury to the seven crew and passengers aboard. Four months later, I took my opportunity and flew for c. half an hour in "Aluminum Overcast", a once in a lifetime experience….

Did the walk through in a 17 and a liberator . Felt like being in a beer can . The guys that went up in those planes had to have big brass ones .

I thought Memphis Belle was currently in pieces all over the floor of a hanger at the National Museum of the US Air Force/Wright-Patterson AFB?

Did you read the OP? This is "The Movie Memphis Belle". Cool enough.

"Beer can". Yes, that's what it feels/sounds like. Imagine doing that at over twenty thousand feet at 250 mph. The noise level would be horrendous. And COLD, we're talking 40 to 60F below zero inside that "beer can".

One anecdote I remember from a recently published book on the subject described a crewman who went unconscious, having lost his oxygen mask. Then the hit the fan and the rest of the crew were battling for their lives. About a half hour later, somebody was able to get to him and revive him. But his face was frozen. He had to have both eyes removed and lost the end of his nose, his ears, etc. Horrible fate. I don't know how many years he "lived" like that….

When I was a kid, I used to nag my grand-ma to drive me over to see the Memphis Belle every few weeks when I visted her in the summer. At the time it was in a largely neglected section of town and mounted on a pedestal out in the open I think near the fairgrounds? She could not figure out my fascination, but she would take me anyway. The main things I remember where her faded paint and fogged windows (the plane – not granny). I was also impressed by how small it was the first time I saw it. Those were brave men!

Lost Pict

There is a B-17 parked next to an F-4 Phantom at the airport in Tulare, California. They are clearly visible as you go by on Highway 99.

They seem like they are about the same size.

According to wikipedia – the F-4 is 19m long and the B-17 22m. So not far off! Weights are close too. Wingspan of course quite different.

I remember reading/hearing the F-4 was controversial due to being 'too big' to be a fighter and the counter-argument that radar and missiles made size and visibility irrelevant – well we know how that worked out!

You can see how small the B-17s are in films like 12 O'clock High.

link

I caught the old thing finally. Hopefully that link is accessible, I selected "anyone with the link can view". Strangely, the limited view comes in all whited out, while full screen works dandy for me. (That's my son and grandson talking in the background….)

While I've never been sanguine about how I'd do in war, there are some jobs I can't even imagine. Tunnel rats in 'nam, for instance.

The fellows that crawled into the ball turrets of the B-17s…

*shudder*

Doug

Greater,

I read it, but somehow missed that was the movie version of the plane.

TheBeast – I know we are generally 'larger' people today, but I cannot imagine how cramped many of these planes were at the time.

I remember the shock i felt seeing the inside of a Lancaster,my mustang is wider than a Lanc fuselage.Coupled with a paper thin aluminum airframe and you are left with a sense a sense of wonder and fearstruck awe…..then I remember ww2 vets saying much the same about canvas and wooden framed WW1 craft.