MEMPHIS BELLE TO DAYTON

Historic bomber to be completely restored

In a rather surprising move, the historic B-17F Flying Fortress Memphis BeIk will be removed from its long-time home in Memphis, Tennessee, and transferred to the USAF Museum at Dayton, Ohio. The bomber will undergo a multi-year restoration to return the airframe to its original combat configuration. Over the years, the Belle was subjected to neglect and vandalism. However, recent years have seen an ambitious plan to restore the Belle in Memphis. Several times, the USAF Museum threatened to remove the aircraft from Memphis if the airplane was not better protected. Unfortunately for the Memphis enthusiasts planning to restore the craft, the USAF Museum exercised its ownership rights and the plane will be situated in the museum's restoration shop for a complete rebuild.

Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Mar 2005
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