Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:34 am
Why does there have to be three aircraft named memphis belle? It doesnt matter if it sounds like a catchy name. considering the fact that there was well over 12,ooo of these aircraft made,and all of the interesting stories that go with each and every one of them it seems to my uneducated canadian little self that this is just wasted opportunity.
its my understanding that some of the major motivation behind restoring and flying these birds is to honour the veterans who flew them. i understand that the belle did her thing in the most difficult part of the war as far as bombing missions go,but there were a LOT of other aircrews out there who battled just as hard if not harder each and every mission.
it seems to me that if the true motivation behind these endeavours is to indeed hounour the veterans,then maybe a little less effort should be made to capitalize on a name and a story that is already well represented both in history and on film. why not take the opportunity to expand the horizons of the public, to educate them on a broader level about what REALLY happened to all of the other rank and file air crews out there.
i personally like for the most part what the other operastors of b-17's have done with there representations. i do find it truly sad that the exploitation of a name and a movie to make a buck has taken such a foothold in what is such a limited opportunity to spread the word to the general public. just my two cents.............
its my understanding that some of the major motivation behind restoring and flying these birds is to honour the veterans who flew them. i understand that the belle did her thing in the most difficult part of the war as far as bombing missions go,but there were a LOT of other aircrews out there who battled just as hard if not harder each and every mission.
it seems to me that if the true motivation behind these endeavours is to indeed hounour the veterans,then maybe a little less effort should be made to capitalize on a name and a story that is already well represented both in history and on film. why not take the opportunity to expand the horizons of the public, to educate them on a broader level about what REALLY happened to all of the other rank and file air crews out there.
i personally like for the most part what the other operastors of b-17's have done with there representations. i do find it truly sad that the exploitation of a name and a movie to make a buck has taken such a foothold in what is such a limited opportunity to spread the word to the general public. just my two cents.............
????
Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:46 am
DEFINITELY not. But still impressive for the plane....and the many crewmembers that contributed to the tally.
That's true of the Belle also.
Ever hear of Scott Miller?? He's one of the forgotten Belle gunners
Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:13 pm
Maybe we can get some photos of port side of Sally B and of the Movie Belle being escorted by 3 or 4 Old Crow Mustangs... 
Whomever painted the new girl did a fantastic job. Anyone know the painter?
Whomever painted the new girl did a fantastic job. Anyone know the painter?
Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:34 pm
I think it would be great of the B17's sported different nose art on each side...
Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:43 pm
cost, it all boils down to cost 
. I imagine it is very spensive to paint any warbird. 
. I imagine it is very spensive to paint any warbird.
Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:52 pm
gary1954 wrote:cost, it all boils down to cost
... and the more non enthusiast people will come to see it if it is a name they recognize and hopefully donate a few bucks in appreciation.
Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:20 pm
Sally B was one of the five B-17's used in making the movie "MB" 
. It was the only aircraft fitted with a smoke system on two engines and I believe the only B-17 that had .50's cabable of firing blanks. It was therefore tasked to play many parts in the film.
( Note to self ~ I really must find way of scanning all those 35mm Kodacrome slides one day )
In October 2006 Air Livery at Southend Airport in Essex offered to repaint Sally B as a very cheap price provided it could be delivered in a very short time window. ( The spray airliners normally ). Given this left no time to research a new livery, the Sally B team elected to keep the "movie "MB" paint scheme.
While I can't rustle up a gaggle of P-51's as escort ~ will one do for now ?
As you may guess ~ this was last months free wallpaper from my web site
. It was the only aircraft fitted with a smoke system on two engines and I believe the only B-17 that had .50's cabable of firing blanks. It was therefore tasked to play many parts in the film.
( Note to self ~ I really must find way of scanning all those 35mm Kodacrome slides one day )
In October 2006 Air Livery at Southend Airport in Essex offered to repaint Sally B as a very cheap price provided it could be delivered in a very short time window. ( The spray airliners normally ). Given this left no time to research a new livery, the Sally B team elected to keep the "movie "MB"
paint scheme.
While I can't rustle up a gaggle of P-51's as escort ~ will one do for now ?
As you may guess ~ this was last months free wallpaper from my web site
Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:25 pm
Back before the Belle paintjob she was named "Once upon a time"with some nose art.mustangdriver wrote:Any one remember the old nose art it had? It was a very cool looking nose art. With all Belle talk aside. Why not honor the man who helped save this B-17 by painting it in his markings?
Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:21 pm
Yeah that was it. IT was cool looking.
Re: Return of the "Cursive" Memphis Belle
Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:09 am
Matt Gunsch wrote:
I am one of the type that thinks of a dozen lawyers at the bottom of a pool is a darn good start, we need more pools to hold more lawyers.
The Marianas Trench oughta hold 'em all.
Re: Return of the "Cursive" Memphis Belle
Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:35 am
ZeamerB17 wrote:Matt Gunsch wrote:
I am one of the type that thinks of a dozen lawyers at the bottom of a pool is a darn good start, we need more pools to hold more lawyers.
The Marianas Trench oughta hold 'em all.
Perhaps they can find that elusive B-32 that is down there, while they're at it!
Re: Return of the "Cursive" Memphis Belle
Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:17 am
warbird1 wrote:Perhaps they can find that elusive B-32 that is down there, while they're at it!
Too deep..she'll be found east of the Amami Island group, toward the Ryukyu/Nansei Trench.
Find the records of the submarines performing lifeboat duties that August day and you'll come
close to locating the position where she splashed...probably 600 feet or less...
Re: Return of the "Cursive" Memphis Belle
Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:31 am
airnutz wrote:warbird1 wrote:Perhaps they can find that elusive B-32 that is down there, while they're at it!
Too deep..she'll be found east of the Amami Island group, toward the Ryukyu/Nansei Trench.
Find the records of the submarines performing lifeboat duties that August day and you'll come
close to locating the position where she splashed...probably 600 feet or less...
I said that as a joke in reference to a particular WIX member who is no longer here and made such a claim. This same person made claims of the massive P-38 dumps being recovered in the Phillipines and many others which didn't come true.
Re: Return of the "Cursive" Memphis Belle
Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:55 am
warbird1 wrote:airnutz wrote:warbird1 wrote:Perhaps they can find that elusive B-32 that is down there, while they're at it!
Too deep..she'll be found east of the Amami Island group, toward the Ryukyu/Nansei Trench.
Find the records of the submarines performing lifeboat duties that August day and you'll come
close to locating the position where she splashed...probably 600 feet or less...
I said that as a joke in reference to a particular WIX member who is no longer here and made such a claim. This same person made claims of the massive P-38 dumps being recovered in the Phillipines and many others which didn't come true.
Yessir Warbird1..I remember. I burned alot of time searching for those images of the B-32 ....
But one thing leads to another....
Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:31 am
mustangdriver wrote: There are a ton of F models that served that should and could be honored by the DT B-17 ...
... and what a novel idea it would be to represent one of the hard workin', skip-bombing, Rabaul-plastering SW Pacific B-17s - like: "The Aztec's Curse" or "Reckless Mountain Boys" or "Black Jack/The Joker's Wild" or "The Mustang", or ... or ... etc.
But that'll never happen, cuz everybody knows there were no B-17s in the Pacific, right? Hmmmmm?
Bueller ... Bueller ... ??