Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle Restoration: Markings & More

This video includes an interview with Jeff Duford-Curator National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Historic footage and current day restoration at the museum are also included in this video.
BACKGROUND: The B-17F Memphis Belle, the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions over Europe - will be placed on public display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on May 17, 2018 exactly 75 years after its crew finished their last mission in the war against Nazi Germany on May 17, 1943.
Pilot Robert Morgan named the aircraft after his wartime girlfriend,
Margaret Polk, of Memphis, Tenn. Morgan chose the now famous artwork from a 1941 George Petty illustration in Esquire magazine.
After returning to the United States in June 1943, its crew flew the aircraft across the country on a three-month war bond and morale boosting tour. With the bond tour and the 1944 William Wyler documentary color film titled "The Memphis Belle" - which contained actual combat footage - the aircraft and its crew became widely known and celebrated. In 1990 a major motion picture of the same name added to their fame.
Following decades of display in Memphis, the historic aircraft came to the museum in October 2005, when work began on a careful, multi-year conservation and restoration effort including corrosion treatment and the full outfitting of missing equipment, which continues today.
For more information, photos and videos of the Memphis Belle, visit the museum's website.

[@rifleman7.62]

I was born and raised in Memphis, and it is truly embarrassing that the city didn't take care of this national treasure! I used to love to go by and see her when she was on display at the guard armory and later on when she was sat at the airport. Thank you for moving her to a museum where she will be protected, and thank you for such a wonderful restoration job! One thing that surprised me was the wheels, I remember them being red instead of blue, but I saw in the archive film that it was really blue!

[@VictorySpeedway]

How the Memphis Belle appeared on the day of its last mission is the only logical choice for a paint scheme. Thanks to the curator and his staff for making a great decision! I visited the Air Force Museum years ago with friends, and we were fortunate to have passes to the restoration hangar. We were privileged to see the Memphis Belle undergoing a "Smithsonian-quality" restoration. The dedication and attention to detail on the part of those who restored this aircraft is inspiring. I hope to visit the museum again in June, 2021 to see the Memphis Belle. I'm eagerly looking forward to it!

[@stevenroland7472]

I went to the NMUSAF last weekend to see the Belle. Its a magnificent sight. From the attention to detail the respect given the Belle during restoration is obvious. The display around her is informative and helpful. I like that she is shown in midflight where she belongs. It is a fitting tribute to all the young men who went to war in these machine and the 23,000 who never returned. Thank you.

[@johndavidwhite8837]

Jeff Duford, thanks for all your research on "Memphis Belle" and explanation of why it was painted like it was at the completion of the the 25th mission. See you on 17 May 2018.

[@USAFmuseum]

Thanks John, have a great time at the event!!!

[@robertrockwell7581]

agree completely with the restoration and paint scheme being the same after the 25th mission. that is the way it should be. Thank you.

[@philipaddison1582]

How can 43 people give this a thumbs down ????? Fascinating and great help for when i build a detailed model of the Memphis Belle

[@carlfitzpatrick5864]

When I was in A school at NAS Millington Tennessee in 1991 I was able to go to Memphis and see the aircraft I paid $5 to walk thru it I have pictures of me at a lot of the crew positions the one I’m most proud of is me at waist gunners spot it was a time when I was a young AMS Airman in the US Navy I was very proud to serve my country and to have been able to go into the aircraft of some of the people I always considered my heroes

[@USAFmuseum]

Thank you for your service Carl!!! Great memories you were able to make!

[@faronl33]

carl i done the same thing in 1978 i was also an AMS. worked on EA6Bs was a AMS 1 when i got out

[@johnschroyer8469]

01/20/2024 as a lifelong lithium and lover of the Memphis Belle how awesome to see her fully restored ❤❤

[@fuyu5979]

Fantastic all the parties involved to honor n restore the Memphis Belle according to the completion of the original crew's 25th bomb mission. Kudos ! The Memphis Belle is such an awesome n inspiring symbol of determination to the cause of freedom !

[@thomas7johns]

She is....just BEAUTIFUL!

[@haroldmclean3755]

The Memphis Belle is Priceless 👍 Kudos to Everybody involved with the project

[@charlesg1150]

Thank you so very much for posting this video. Hey, look at that...Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach! I spent many years looking out in the same direction where all of those workers are..I was there so many times. Wonderful footage I have never seen!!

[@candaceaustin4258]

Absolutely Beautiful National Treasure.

[@BruceK10032]

Thank you so much for this video, clearing up so many questions. And thank you for all of your scrupulous attention to detail and accuracy!

[@jasonkristunas9427]

Just been to Dayton usa and i have seen the belle a splendid exhibit well done to all concerned with the restoration.

[@RyeOnHam]

Very well done documentary. I learned a good deal just from watching this.

[@LuvBorderCollies]

Great video! While familiar with the Belle's story I wasn't aware of all those little details that makes a good documentary memorable.

[@JungleYT]

Fascinating... Well done!

[@rexwells8422]

I met Robert Morgan years ago at an air show in Batava N.Y. We talked a bit and he sign my stuff. Great guy.

[@hmsmedwayqueen40vogs5]

I love Memphis belle so much I can't wait until she Rolls out and hopefully she can fly and she is Beautiful

[@USAFmuseum]

This will be a static display. We hope you can make it to the opening!

[@gonkymoukeeper]

Well done on everything about this.

[@juanvargaschavarria8772]

Congratulations good work piece history b17 inmortal

[@USAFmuseum]

Thanks so much Juan!!!

[@charlespurcell1865]

U guys did one hell of a job.I Love the old war birds,and history.Thank you.

[@TomJones-hi2wb]

THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS

[@bobadams179]

You all put so much effort into the restoration of this B-17. It seems a shame that she will only be a static display. In my opinion, she should be airworthy. To hear those four radials rumbling away again would be epic.

[@BruceK10032]

There are other flying B-17s. You can see and hear them.

[@treerat7631]

And have it crash like the only airworthy he111

[@6h471]

Considering the record of destruction of these rare and iconic aircraft at air shows etc, over the last 30 years or so, this one definitely needs to be preserved as a static display.

[@Johann-e5o]

내가 기억하는 고전의 폭격기! 영화에선 그들의 눈물나는 전투장면이 아직도 기억에! 멤피스밸! 넌 최고 였어! 그 승조원들도! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@electronicsafrica]

awesome. God Bless America

[@rexwells8422]

Hello, Mr.Jeff Duford was stating that Mr. William Wyler and his film crew shot over eleven and a half hours of film but only used forty min. of the out takes to produce the Memphis Belle movie. Well I think it would be just awesome if the Museum could put that eleven and a half hours of out takes and put it on dvds and package it as the rest of the story of the Memphis Belle. I would buy it in a heart beat.

[@rexwells8422]

Hello, Good news! I have over the last three days watched all those eleven and a half hours of Memphis Belle outtakes. If you go to the U.S. National Archives, and search for Memphis Belle outtakes. There are 34 reels here on KZbin. There is no sound, but you get a good idea of how things were back then. Enjoy.

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

More good news. HBO Documentary Films released a Vulcan Productions/Creative Differences film, The Cold Blue. These folks went back to Wyler's footage (mostly filmed from th Memphis Belle and her sister ships) and put a soundtrack of interviews with 8th AAF aircrew over that excellent colour camera work. I just watched all 1:15 on HBO and it is the best telling (by the men themselves) of losing more men in the allied airwar over Europe than all of the US Marines in WW2.

[@cho1beer421]

Great video. So good

[@arnhemseptember2009]

Great video of a great plane.

[@toshimitsuida9652]

A fortaleza voadora, ótimo filme produzido!!!!!

[@ericharmon7163]

It stinks that the original paint was lost. I cant wait to see Flak Bait. They protected the original paint and markings on that one.

[@kgeorge2364]

Would love to see the Smithsonian restore Flak-Bait. A B26 that flew more missions than any other B26. They have the nose cone at the air and space museum and the rest is in a warehouse.

[@l.cressey6806]

K George was there not long ago. It’s in their restoration workshop along with a He-219 and a DC-3 I believe.

[@aj-2savage896]

I think they are only going to reassemble it, not restore it, because it is so complete and original. Of course necessary preservation of trouble spots would be done. A true contemporary artifact. The Belle has been so physically looted and tortured over the decades, in the weather and relatively unsecured, that it had to be completely done in depth and in detail.

[@paulfuller8985]

Its a very moving story . I have watched the movie several times . The old B17 could take some punishment and still get home . Its bomb load was not as great as the RAF Lancaster or Halifax but it had a crew of ten , rather than seven in the British bombers and had a lot more machine guns . 0.500 Brownings . The RAF bombers only had 0.303 Brownings . Thats less than 5/16 of an inch compared to 1/2 an inch . Much more fire power and weight . No wonder that The Belle shot down German fighters . I like the nose art work of a pretty lady . I have a calender on my workshop wall , the photo is a B25 Mitchell with a pretty lady painted on it . Its call " In The Mood " .

[@maddogryan5799]

great plane have been to bassinboune air base where it flew it 25 missions

[@thomasniner001]

You should make the outtakes available for purchase.

[@NaYawkr]

I posted this on May 18th, 2017 the day after the museum opened the Memphis Belle Exhibit. It was in the newspapers along with a school shooting in Texas that murdered 10 people by some coward !

[@donclark8673]

I was blessed to be there for the unveiling totally awesome now the movie Memphis Belle b17 has the ladies( Miss Margaret) reversed on the nose The red is on the left and the blue is on the right I wonder why they did that

[@craigwaffle5102]

This is a wonderful tribute to the men who served upon B17s during World War II., however the Memphis Bell was not the first B17 to finish 25 missions. The first B17 to complete 25 missions was Hell's Angels from the 303rd Bomb Group flying out of Mollsworth, England.

[@USAFmuseum]

It was the first to 25, "AND" return to the U.S.

[@aj-2savage896]

Watch the whole video. It's covered.

[@edwardeverson7039]

One bad bird !!!!

[@stevehammond9156]

The Memphis Belle is truly are part of our Nation's history. The truth of the matter is that the crew's 25th mission was a "Milk Run", not at all like was depicted in that farce of a movie put out in 1990 where she came back all shot up and barely flying. The War Department did not want to risk the lives of a crew so close to hitting that magical 25th mission.

[@nelsonrayon6281]

Me gustan las historias de los aviones y pilotos de la segunda guerra mundial saludos gracias

[@jiska111111111111111]

I wonder why Olive Drab is so hard to recreate? Is there like no paint or paint code/micture left from back then?

[@talkswithhandswhisper744]

how did the belle come home from europe, with tokoyo tanks? also how did the plane get from memphis to ohio, by truck?

[@MrTallpoppy58]

Outstanding ! Pitty it not flying...

[@olderthanyoucali8512]

It should have been restored to its combat mission condition!, that's the most important part of it's fame. The missions that they completed as well as all the other bomber crews who flew their missions need to be remembered, whether they were the first or last to complete their duty as airmen. The Memphis belle's crew just happened to be selected out of all the rest who did the same. Let's remember all the crews. Not just this one crew.

[@rustykilt]

Is there a chance the full film including the out takes of the Belle will ever be available to the public...It would be great to see all 11 hours.

[@USAFmuseum]

Here is some at the link: www.dvidshub.net/video/533577/boeing-b-17f-memphis-belletm

[@joshboy1st]

I would love to know what the intro music is! Amazing work and keep it up

[@USAFmuseum]

Hello Josh, it's from the Heroic Overtures 10 track CD from Smart Sound.

[@joshboy1st]

wow a huge thank you, i will be buying a 1/32 B17 F by HK models tomorrow here in the UK,and I will be building my very own Memphis belle,this music is so uplifting makes you feel so proud of the those amazing guys. Never forget! Thanks again National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (:

[@aristides306]

verdaderos héroes.-

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

Didn’t they find scratched markings from the crew on the inside?

[@ryanmoeller3308]

How can someone become part of the restoration team at the Museum? I'm in Aviation Maintenance School right now and will be finished in March 2019. Keep up the great work!! 👍👍👍

[@USAFmuseum]

usajobs.gov is where federal job openings are posted here is a link to our volunteer page: www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Volunteer.aspx All the best in your school Ryan!

[@USAFmuseum]

Hi Ryan, how is your time in school going? Keep up the great work!

[@danielmolinaruffini6980]

PORQUE NO ESTÁ TRADUCIDO AL CASTELLANO?

[@comptonghost9013]

The luckiest plane in the world

[@davidringo1399]

I played on the Belle when I was a kid...it was on a concrete slab at the Fairgrounds in Memphis......damn shame the City of Memphis didnt keep her up and didnt give a damn about her......I guess if one of the crew were black they would of enshrined her.....Damn shame...

[@SteveandLizDonaldson]

I noticed the nose art lady (Margaret Polk in the description above) is wearing a blue outfit on the left side, and a red outfit on the right side of the aircraft. Is there any record why they chose to do this? Was that common or meaningful? Beautiful work to our national treasure! I will be there at the rollout!

[@timorvet1]

According to the naming decision in Bob Morgan's book, "The man who flew the Memphis Belle" the decision to use a Batty Girl pin up was Bob Morgans, and he sought permission from George Petty who gave him his blessing and sent up the drawings. Corporal Starcer, an artist on the squadron made up two faithful copies for both sides of the nose, one in blue, and the other in red (it doesn't entirely explain why). This was according to Morgan's orders of which he said "I don't care what colour you put on her bathing suit, as long as you paint a bathing suit on her" ......hope this helps you out mate.

[@chadhoover7540]

The story i heard was that the pilot and co-pilot want her in different colors. So she was painted on the sides in the color chosen by the person on that side.

[@fishinfool247]

When men were men and treated women with respect and class and manbuns didnt exist

[@markfrench8892]

Boy are you deluded about respecting women. I give you that these man, mostly boys had guts a plenty, but the disrespect I saw my father give my mother was unforgivable. And yes he was in the USAAF during WWII.

[@jamesfrancismchalejr7944]

How many B-17 planes were shot down in WW II and how many young men never came home?

[@GaragebandandBeyond]

3:18 hahaha

[@michaela.ofthenorth4530]

I met Robert Morgan years ago at an Air Expo in Anchorage - and he was still an impressive leader, raising money to restore the Belle. (Many don't know he flew even more missions commanding a B-29 over Japan.) He reminded me that ALL Service to our country is equally meritorious - whether mechanic, cook, armorer, soldier, sailor - or command pilot. Although I don't care much for Static Displays of intact aircraft and might prefer she fly and tour the country again, I understand the concern of the Air Force Museum people - the plane is irreplaceable, and if lost at an airshow, would be a real tragedy. But I think a better middle ground would be to actually restore her to completely operational condition - airworthy, freshened engines, working radios, bomb sight, calibrated instruments, controls - just as if she was to go on another mission tomorrow - and then carefully preserve her in that 100% original condition. And then put her back on the Air Force Active Aircraft list - just like the USS Constitution is still a commissioned US Navy warship. The technology (and knowledgable people) to do a complete, 100% correct flying caliber restoration still exists today - it will not in 20 years.

[@740gl7]

Is it possible that the aircraft had a completely different nose art when it was displayed in Memphis? There is a photo on the internet on which it appears that a girl in a bikini is painted on the port side of the aircraft. So at least the port side nose art was already not original anymore in the 1980s.

[@azrenazren8083]

Royal airforce british crew memphis belle 1990

[@pm270100]

what did you paint with

[@Dallyboy33]

Was the dress on the pinup red or blue?

[@USAFmuseum]

Blue on the left and she's blonde, red on right and she's a brunette.

[@Altair885]

Why restore it? It's like wiping away part of the history!

[@geoffreycarson2311]

I HAVE an ORIGINAL B3 JACKET YES ORIGINAL 👍No MARKINGS Just a Tiny label M at the Collar Seam 👍and Coffin Zips and Two SHORT Buckle Straps at the BACK 😊I AM Going to SCREEN PRINT and Paint the NOSE ART of this SHIP !!!on its BACK and RIDE My EARLY 50s TRIUMPH ☺👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍WITH STRAIT THROUGH PIPES 👍✌👊👏 R.I.P. TO ALL the BRAVE LADS Who Flew Her g

[@johnnylee5664]

著名的 夢菲思 比爾 B-17 .

[@edwardeverson7039]

USA 1 .

[@josezurita3742]

"It is better to fall with honor than to win with fraud" Sophocles "The honor is to make beautiful what one is obliged to do." Alfred Victor De Vigny "Never sacrifice honor for achieving honors." Saying "A nation is known by the men it produces, but also by the men whom it honors." John F. Kennedy Profiles of Courage, 1956. "Honor to whom honor is due" Proverb Greetings from Venezuela. "Más vale caer con honor que ganar con fraude" Sófocles "El honor consiste en hacer hermoso aquello que uno está obligado a realizar" Alfred Victor De Vigny "Nunca sacrifiques el honor por alcanzar honores". Refrán "A una nación se la conoce por los hombres que produce, pero también por los hombres a quienes honra" John F. Kennedy Profiles of Courage, 1956. "Honor a quien honor merece" Proverbio Saludos desde Venezuela.

[@BakerImageGroup]

Forget restoration. I want to see the original paint, the original markings, not another artists interpretation of it even if it doesn't look like new.. Just let it be as it was.

[@TheGalwayFarmer]

the original paint was stripped in the 80s

[@bjornericsson4739]

Any conection to Elvis Presley????? Yea!

[@ronclark9724]

Not with the Memphis Belle, but Graceland has on display a couple of Elvis' private jets...

[@gerdesoto262]

Listening and watching the video seeing the original crew to the Memphis Belle who are the names of the original crew it flew that plane from World War II that you see in film that's not there. That plan is all about the guy that came back from the 25th Mission but their names are not there. Ben the better one two guys gun names of the women on the airplane find out who the women are girlfriends wives who knows go and find out who these women were that was Mark on the side of that B25. Somebody knows the answers.

[@azrenazren8083]

Danny boy eugene harry

[@azrenazren8083]

Tate donovan

[@billphung6172]

The trashy spider orally delight because east empirically glue toward a five cancer. stale, majestic guide

[@gerdesoto262]

It doesn't make any sense about the Memphis Belle B-17 and restoring it, and not flying after all that money and time went into it. It make more sense it made a trip to Oshkosh Wisconsin Air Show once a year. after all that money was spent and time in hours to restore this airplane, so more of the public have a chance there to see it to

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+Ger Desoto The original Belle has been restored with all original equipment and some of that is not airworthy standard. It will be a permanent exhibit.

[@gerdesoto262]

@@FiveCentsPlease okay I read what you wrote about the airplane is not air worthy of flying, what would you need to remember it's like any metal machine, if is Broken by man can you fixed and restored by man, that airplane can be nice are worthy again to fly. And mind you you might have me some excuses, but it's just like a old car 50 years old it needs to be repaired and restored and just work to get it done, and a desire with effort and some money to get it done, that airplane and a old car are the same concept, but when it done it's beautiful and nice and to be proud of it when it's done 😀, the only thing parts some times are hard to come by. But the skin of that airplane can be replaced with a better metal by far, there is metal made now where it doesn't rust. Give you one example of that. Grain Ben's on a farm that ben made in the last 25 years, is one type of them of metals being used that doesn't rust. Go and look at one up close. They are all shinny silver and don't rust. Rust is a big issue in airplanes and motor Vehicles, that metal could be used in restoring a airplane or whatever. Find the manufacturer and maybe need to make the metal little thinner for what you need.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@@gerdesoto262 There are other B-17s that are already restored and flying, including one that is painted like the "Memphis Belle". Several more B-17s are being built to fly again. The original Memphis Belle is symbolic and a historical relic that is better preserved in a museum.

[@ronclark9724]

@@FiveCentsPlease I agree, for prosperity... She is priceless...

[@larryburwell8550]

to restore to mint condition and never fly is a waste of money. fly it and let people see it in person. all around the country.

[@USAFmuseum]

Are museum aircraft restored to airworthy status? While most of the aircraft at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force have the potential to be made airworthy, our conservation and restoration work is directed at preserving the historical integrity and accuracy of an aircraft rather than achieving modern airworthiness. In preserving historical accuracy, we choose to use original parts that may be unserviceable or non-airworthy, rather than modern substitutes. The Memphis Belle, for example, will use wiring made to original wartime specification, which does not meet today’s flight standards, rather than wiring used in modern aircraft. This is vital to our mission of preserving the record copies of these aircraft for future generations to come.

[@aerosmithtour1961]

I disagree with you they spent hours restoring several of these plaines when the crash only a photo is left. They aren’t making more b17s!!!

[@larryburwell8550]

Steven Bollman no shit Sherlock

[@stevekenworthy8092]

Larry Burwell you don’t get it

[@gordonmusic9712]

Larry Burwell but if accident happens irreplaceable

[@tyates4398]

whoever okayed stripping off all of the original nose art and marking should be thrown in jail

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+Captain Hecker It was on outdoor display for almost 30 years. The original paint was lone gone years ago.

[@drmrjon]

You should have hired real painters, because the plane LOOKs like crap!!!

[@USAFmuseum]

Our restoration staff does an excellent job at restoring the history of this and other aircraft on display in this museum!

[@jamesmiklasevich6459]

Dude, give some specifics - how does it look like "crap"?

[@LuvBorderCollies]

Just a worthless internet twit with zero life accomplishments. Ignore the tard.

[@shermankelly9062]

Always great to meet a true hater drmrjon. I wish you had done the job yourself you pos.

[@gerdesoto262]

There is only one question is any of the original crew of the Memphis Belle still alive from World War II to that airplane? And if so it be good to hear their stories on film about the missions they took.

[@rifleman7.62]

I was born and raised in Memphis, and it is truly embarrassing that the city didn't take care of this national treasure! I used to love to go by and see her when she was on display at the guard armory and later on when she was sat at the airport. Thank you for moving her to a museum where she will be protected, and thank you for such a wonderful restoration job! One thing that surprised me was the wheels, I remember them being red instead of blue, but I saw in the archive film that it was really blue!