The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio will be holding a three-day series of events next May to celebrate the unveiling of their Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24485 known as Memphis Belle. As all of our readers will surely know, Memphis Belle is an iconic aircraft, being the first Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States following the completion of 25 bombing missions over Axis Europe. While a handful of other bombers and their crews could lay claim to being the first to complete their 25 missions, Memphis Belle and her crew were chosen to celebrate the feat with a War Bonds tour of the USA soon after their final combat mission together.
Museum officials will formally reveal the Memphis Belle in her new exhibit within the WWII Gallery on May 17th, to coincide to the day with the 75th anniversary of her crew completing their 25th mission together. The Memphis Belle flew her final combat mission on May 19th, 1943. According to a recent museum press release, the public ceremony next May will be the opening salvo in a “three day event (May 17-19, 2018) to include a WWII-era aircraft fly-in, WWII reenactors and vehicles, memorabilia and artifact displays, music from the era, related guest speakers for lectures, book signings and films, including both Memphis Belle films in the Air Force Museum Theatre. Activities will be both inside and outside the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.”
The preliminary schedule of events is as follows:
Thursday, May 17, 2018
- B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit ribbon cutting
- WWII aircraft on static display on the runway behind the museum
- WWII reenactors and vehicles
- Air Force Museum Theatre Living History Event ($)
Friday, May 18, 2018
- B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit open
- WWII aircraft on static display on the runway behind the museum
- WWII reenactors and vehicles
- Glenn Miller Concert
Saturday, May 19, 2018
- B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit open
- WWII aircraft flyovers throughout the day
- WWII reenactors and vehicles
- Air Force Museum Theatre Living History Event ($)
Details are still being finalized, and the schedule is subject to change, so please do check with the Museum ahead of time before making your own plans. Outdoor activities are weather dependent.
Restoration Report:
The restoration team at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has spent more than a decade returning the famous aircraft back to pristine condition. She is very close to completion, with a team spending the best part of November applying the paint scheme to the combat veteran bomber. We thought our readers might enjoy seeing some of the highlights of the painting process so far.
