Work progresses on returning B-17G 44-83546 (N3703G), better known as (The Move) Memphis Belle, to the air continues at the Palm Springs Air Museum at Palm Springs, California. This veteran B-17, which has been modified to closely resemble a B-17F, arrived at the museum from Geneseo, New York, in November 2021 on a ferry permit. The airplane, owned by the Tallichet family’s Military Aircraft Restoration Corp. (MARC), is on long-term loan to the museum.

The airplane is undergoing extensive maintenance under a plan to return it to airworthy condition in good working order. This is a long process that includes known items, such as the FAA-mandated inspection of the wing attach fittings, other required inspections, as well as finding and repairing items as required. It is expected that the airplane will be in maintenance for up to another year before it flies again. During that time, it will be on static display at the museum unless work on the airplane requires it to be tucked away in a hangar or ramp somewhere else on the airport.

Work in Progress for 44-83546

Fittingly, the airplane was seen on August 9 when, due to a large museum event, it was not on display at the museum. It was, instead, parked at a museum annex across the airport. As can be seen by the photos, the propellers are off the airplane and undergoing required inspections. One of the engine carburetors was also off for rework. The major task laying ahead will be the inspection of the wing attach fittings and bolts as required by a 2001 FAA airworthiness directive. And, as in any such maintenance project, things that need attention are not revealed until access panels are opened up and in-depth examination of systems is performed.

Also, as in any such project, delays are encountered when trying to locate parts and the tight aircraft maintenance labor market has also had an impact on the museum’s scheduled work. Most of the work on the B-17 is being done by the museum maintenance team, with some items sent out to contractors as needed. All the work is being completed in accordance with FAA requirements and aircraft technical orders.

If a visit to the Palm Springs Air Museum is planned to view the B-17, it is recommended to call ahead to make sure it is available for public viewing. By the way, the museum is open 7-days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and features a large collection of aircraft spread across five hangars and a ramp.

Palm Springs Air Museum Plans for 44-83546

The expectation is that (The Movie) Memphis Belle will return to the air within 6 months to a year, but safe bets will be on the latter part of that window. Once the airplane is ready to fly, Palm Springs Air Museum flight crews will operate the aircraft. It is not expected that the B-17 will be operated under the Living History Flight Experience (LHFE) program, and thus will not be available for passenger rides on tour. However, it will be maintained and operated in accordance with the LHFE program under FAA guidance, as the museum participates in the LHFE program with other museum aircraft. But the current plan is that 44-83546 will not participate in a ride program.

Instead, it will probably be flown on occasion for museum events and air shows, and may be out on scheduled tours to offer the public an opportunity to see the airplane and take an interior tour. Future plans are always subject to change but that is the current plan.

B-17G to B-17F

(The Movie) Memphis Belle has been owned by MARC since May 1986. Prior to that, it served in the USAF as a VB-17G until 1959, then sold surplus and used as an air tanker until retired in the early 1980s. The impetus behind MARC was the late David Tallichet, who eventually amassed a huge collection of vintage aircraft. He had a personal connection with B-17s as he had flown as a copilot on missions with the 100th Bomb Group during World War II.

In the early years that MARC operated the aircraft, it was slowly modified from its B-17G configuration to closely resemble a B-17F. This included the replacement of the Cheyenne tail gun enclosure with the earlier ‘stinger’ style, replacement of the give-away chin turret patch with new skin, reworking the nose windows, guns and antennas, installing the longer glass nose of the B-17F, and installation of an early version of the Sperry top turret. When completed, the B-17 very much resembled a B-17F.

For this reason, it was featured as the starring aircraft in the 1989 film The Memphis Belle. A total of five B-17s were used for the filming undertaken in England, and one of the other B-17s (44-85784) was also seen in the film as the Memphis Belle. But, 44-83546 is closely associated with the film and thus carries the name Memphis Belle and updated nose art (from the World War II version) on its nose. “The Movie” prefix was added a bit later to avoid confusion with the real Memphis Belle (B-17F 41-24985), still existent and on display at the National Museum of the USAF at Dayton, Ohio.

N3703G used to be based with MARC at Chino, but through the decades it has moved around quite a bit trying to find a happy home. It had spent a number of years in New York, lastly with the National Warplane Museum at Geneseo, New York. The 2021 move to the Palm Springs Air Museum was largely driven by a required change of climate to preserve the aircraft better. Palm Springs is usually hot and dry, or hotter and dry, so it was an ideal location.

The Other Palm Springs Air Museum B-17G: 44-85778 Miss Angela

The Palm Springs Air Museum has another B-17 on static display, this being B-17G 44-85778 (N3509G), better known as Miss Angela. This B-17 is still owned by Pond Warbirds, a company started by the late Bob Pond who was a founder of the Palm Springs Air Museum. As part of the Pond estate, Miss Angela is earmarked to eventually be transferred to the Palm Springs Air Museum along with the rest of the remaining Pond aircraft collection. At that time, it is expected that Miss Angela will be returned to airworthy condition. Until that time, Miss Angela is beautifully maintained in the museum’s “B-17 Hangar” and open for interior tours.

The complete histories of both B-17s, including photos depicting them at various times during their use, can be found in Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors. The history of the B-17 in the post-war world, both military and civil, as well as detailed histories of the surviving airplanes, are included in the 288-page book.

(Particular thanks to Fred Bell, Greg Kenny, and Heather Gage-Lewis, all of the Palm Springs Air Museum, for this update.)