Memphis Belle Interior Shots

I forget who was asking for photos of the Belle as she looked before the restoration work started in earnest, but here’s a page from the walkaround center.

http://www.aircraftwalkaround.com/b-17_mbelle/b-17_mbelle.htm

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Well, wasnt me but they are gonna be useful, Thank you very much! also theres a pics that i placed in the other B-17 post, please if you can help me with that i would really appreciate it! :slight_smile:

Good deal, Mandrake. Glad you can use these photos!

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mer1122 was the asker, I think.

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Wasn’t too sure, tho…

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those are great shots. They must have been taken when the Belle was still at the end of the Memphis airport runway. She was pretty sorry looking from the exterior by the time she was taken for restoration. Great shots! - Ed

Wasn’t Meredith going to do a “Belle” build?

Mike

It’s pretty sad that the City of Memphis would let such a historical aircraft get trashed like that! What an absolute mess. Glad she’s restored. Makes me want to venture to Mud Island once again!

Yeah, Renarts, she wanted to convert the Monogram Fort to an F, but I think we all collectively scared her away from the idea for a while!

I think she said she’s going with a 72nd kit for now? Can’t recall…

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The City of Memphis almost blew it a second time. The display area on Mud Island allowed for continued corrosion and wear, so the Air Force almost pulled the plug on the Belle staying there. Fortunately, the powers that be saw the light and have built an enclosed display area for the Memphis Belle that has total climate control. The Belle has been rebuilt in and out, including engines that are airworthy, but she’ll never fly again. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. The important thing is that the Belle has a permanent place to stay again. - Ed

It was sad to see such a historical aircraft in such bad shape. You guys say she’s restored, but does she have instruments, radios, bombsight, and all the smaller details now? I’m just interested. I think it would be nice to have the Memphis Belle as one of the most accurately restored Forts around.[;)]

The Belle is airworthy and totally restored, but she’ll never fly again, 'cause that’s the way the museum and the Air Force want it. Once the engines were tested and instruments checked, the fuel, lubricants and hydraulic fluids were all drained. She’s sittiing pretty now. - Ed

it’s not the Belle , but it’s a nice interior shot

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=358296&WxsIERv=Qm9laW5nIEItMTdHIEZseWluZyBGb3J0cmVzcyAoMjk5UCk%3D&WdsYXMg=Q29sbGluZ3MgRm91bmRhdGlvbg%3D%3D&QtODMg=TmFwYSAtIE5hcGEgQ291bnR5IChBUEMp&ERDLTkt=VVNBIC0gQ2FsaWZvcm5pYQ%3D%3D&ktODMp=TWF5IDIxLCAyMDAz&BP=1&WNEb25u=Vml2aWFuIEEgV2F0dHM%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=TjkzMDEy&MgTUQtODMgKE=SW5zaWRlIHRoZSByZWFyIGZ1c2VsYWdlLCBsb29raW5nIGZvcndhcmQuIE5vdGUgdGhlIHRvcCBvZiB0aGUgYmFsbCB0dXJyZXQu&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=OTQ5&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMy0wNS0yNw%3D%3D&static=yes

Go to www.airliners.net and do a search for ‘Warbirds’ - there are lost of nice photos there

That’s cool! Completely restored and flyable. It’s a fitting tribute to the men who flew her.