Postwar history
The
Memphis Belle on a
War Bond campaign at Patterson Field during World War II.
After the war the
Flying Fortress was saved from reclamation at
Altus, Oklahoma, where it had been consigned since
August 1,
1945, by the efforts of the mayor of
Memphis,
Walter Chandler, and the city bought the plane for $350. It was flown to Memphis in July 1946 and stored until the summer of 1949 when it was placed on display at the
National Guard armory. It sat out-of-doors into the 1980s, slowly deteriorating due to weather and occasional
vandalism.
In the early
1970s, another mayor had donated the historic plane back to the Air Force, but they allowed it to remain in
Memphis contingent on it being maintained. Efforts by the locally-organized Memphis Belle Memorial Association, Inc. (MBMA) saw the aircraft moved to
Mud Island in the
Mississippi River in 1987 for display in a new pavilion with large tarp cover. It was still open to the elements, however, and prone to weathering. Pigeons would also nest inside the tarp and droppings were constantly needing removal from the plane. Dissatisfaction with the site led to efforts to create a new museum facility in nearby
Shelby County. In the summer of 2003 the
Belle was disassembled and moved to a restoration facility in
Millington, Tennessee for work. In September 2004, however, the
National Museum of the United States Air Force, apparently tiring of the ups and downs of the city's attempts to preserve the aircraft, indicated that they wanted it back for restoration and eventual display at the museum near
Dayton, Ohio.
Film portrayal
The B-17 that portrayed
Memphis Belle in the 1990 film at the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base in 2008.
A former firebomber B-17G-85-DL, serial 44-83546, registered N3703G, was converted into a B-17F configuration by installing a Sperry top turret, early-style tail gunner's compartment and waist gunner's positions, and omitting the
chin turret. It subsequently appeared in the 1990
fictionalized version of the
Memphis Belle story and continues to make air show appearances in that guise. Originally painted with the Warner Bros. movie version of the nose art and markings, the B-17 (owned by David Tallichet) now carries the historic markings found on the actual
Memphis Belle. It currently operates out of Geneseo,
New York.
