THE AIR FORCE MUSEUM and THE MEMPHIS BELLE

[DIK SHEPHERD]

I was scanning the PC-WIX site and read about the plans for displaying the "Belle" after it's restoration.

One thing that was mentioned that I thought was amazing and incredibly, amazingly and incredibly stupid that is, was . . .

"The Memphis Belle is going to be displayed inside the new Conference Center. The plan is to put the Memphis Belle onto a turntable that will spin the aircraft around 360 degrees very slowly."

If the Air Force Museum has the kind of money to waste that it would take to build a platform on a turntable that would be big enough and strong enough to support a B-17 (Have you ever seen a locomotive turntable at a roundhouse?), plus the building it would need to allow the wings to clear everything, then they sure as hell don't need any more donations from anyone.

I've been told that the current person in charge, a General "Moron" Metcalf, is pretty much disliked by the aviation museum operators around the country. And if he had any part of this ignorant idea, I can understand why.

[DryMartini]

Well, a locomotive weighs in around 200,000 lbs plus.

A B-17 is a comparable lightweight at only 35,000 lbs. empty.

[DIK SHEPHERD]

My reference to the locomotive was only to the design of the turntable, not the weight of either the aircraft or a locomotive.

Either way, a turntable being used to hold 35,000 pounds would still have to be somewhat massive. Especially since the aircraft would have to sit on it for extended periods of time.

However, my point was that any monies wasted on such a assinine idea could be better spent on other restorations or facilities.

Personally, I would like to see the "Memphis Belle" displayed in a flying altitude on a special build mount. That's where the beauty of a B-17 is, with it's gear tucked in and it's tail high in the air, not squating on it's mains and tail wheel, turning around and around on some fanciful turntable.

Now, you tell me, wouldn't you just love to walk into the Air Force Museum's convention center and see the majestic "Memphis Belle" fifteen feet in the air, in the horizontal position?

[hang the expense]

I agree, what a waste of money.Maybe they want to sell rides on it for the little kiddies. IMO If they have that much room put it on a diorama that looks like Basingbourne, with bomb haulers and ground crew loading up for another mission.Kind of what Kermit did with his static 17 at polk field.

[gary1954]

The status of the ]Memphis Bell. Hmmmmm The continued restoration of the Memphis Bell has been, at least to me, somewhat baffling. Baffling in that many of her original parts seemed to have….vanished, and parts had to be collected together to bring her back to original specs. At least this is what I have heard over the years.
Anyway, I would like to see the USAF take the Memphis Bell back into inventory, totally restore the Bomber, and fly her on the air show circuit with the Air Force Thunderbirds. “The United States Air Force proudly presents the Memphis Bell the B-17 that completed the first 25 Combat Missions over Occupied Europe During World War Two”. The Bomber makes a low pass in front of the crowd and they watch her climb with a P-47 and a P-51 at her 5 and 7 o’clock positions. That would be cool. Just my thought on the subject.

[hang the expense]

That would be the first B-17 returned to the states that completed 25 missions.Lets be accurate.

[gary1954]

Glad ya pointed that fact out to me. I knew there was a catch in there somewhere with the "missions" thing. I specialize in the B-25. The B-17 has been on the back burner for decades. Thanks again

[Chuck Giese]

Now, you tell me, wouldn't you just love to walk into the Air Force Museum's convention center and see the majestic "Memphis Belle" fifteen feet in the air, in the horizontal position?

Nope, not me. The sexiest airplane view in the world is a B-17 slowly taxiing away from you. It's particularly sweet if you've been busting your hump getting it ready to fly. If it ain't flying, it should be pointing at the air.

Chuck

[DryMartini]

...and the squeal of the brakes.
Ahhhh. Music to my ears!

[hang the expense]

And that smell.Ya just gotta love that smell.