Restored WWII Bomber Memphis Belle Makes Public Debut
DAYTON, Ohio (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — For the first time since getting a yearslong restoration, the World War II bomber Memphis Belle is set to go on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.
The B-17 "Flying Fortress" will be introduced Thursday morning as the anchor of an extensive exhibit in the Dayton-area museum's World War II gallery.
The Memphis Belle has spent the last dozen years or so undergoing a piece-by-piece rehabilitation, from the clear plastic nose cone down to the twin .50-caliber machine guns mounted in the tail.
The plane was celebrated for being the first bomber to survive 25 missions over occupied Europe and return to the U.S.
For years, it had been displayed outside in its namesake Tennessee city, deteriorating from weather and vandalism.
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