Memphis Belle Restoration is Finished

[jmcquate]

Pretty sure that NASM is getting the Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby

 

[BenDog]

That is correct. Shoo Shoo had been flown into the AF Museum. Sad that they cant be displayed together, sad that Shoo Shoo won't fly up to DC....
Super happy that the Belle is back and looking beautiful. Last time I saw the Belle she was still in Millington looking pretty sad.

 

[jmcquate]

Udvar needs more WWII that wasn't one offs/experimental. MoUSAF has been good about spreading the love. This is the 3rd B-17 that they will have had on display, loaning the other two.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Udvar needs more WWII that wasn't one offs/experimental. MoUSAF has been good about spreading the love. This is the 3rd B-17 that they will have had on display, loaning the other two.

They're going to be moving a lot of the artifacts and displays from NASM to Udvar-Hazy while they're doing the renovations. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them wound up staying out at Dulles.

 

[Pags]

They're going to be moving a lot of the artifacts and displays from NASM to Udvar-Hazy while they're doing the renovations. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them wound up staying out at Dulles.

They’re renovating the NASM a time the mall? If so, thank god. That place was looking rough last time I was in there.

 

[Uncle Fester]

They’re renovating the NASM a time the mall? If so, thank god. That place was looking rough last time I was in there.

Yeah, they’re renovating it in phases over seven (?) years, one section at a time. The biggest job is going to be replacing all the exterior marble facade, which was cut thinner than it should’ve been for cost-weight reasons back when it was first built in the ‘70s. But it needs a lot of work overall. The exhibits are very dated. I read an article recently where the head of the museum was saying the tough part is finding sponsors for the essential but non-sexy stuff. The “Lockheed Martin Raytheon HVAC plant” doesn’t sell.

Massive Air & Space Museum Renovations Expected to Begin Next Summer

 

[Renegade One]

The “Lockheed Martin Raytheon HVAC plant” doesn’t sell.

Thousands of airmen with AFSC 3E1X1 beg to differ...

 

[Flash]

They’re renovating the NASM a time the mall? If so, thank god. That place was looking rough last time I was in there.

It was a little depressing when I went 2 months ago, the dust in the Ready Room of the Navy section was pretty bad along with the circa 1989 movie about carrier ops among others.

 

[Pags]

It was a little depressing when I went 2 months ago, the dust in the Ready Room of the Navy section was pretty bad along with the circa 1989 movie about carrier ops among others.

Yeah, I’m not sure how hard it would’ve been for someone at NASM to reach out to a PAO or some old fleet buddy and get a more recent video. I thought that video was awesome when I was a kid but thought it was embarrassing for both NASM and USN when I was there last.

 

[jmcquate]

Belle's on display

 

[Gatordev]

Sun 'n Fun '18 (the day after)

I'll let the airplane nerds say whether the one on the left is "Memphis Belle"-actual. I'm guessing no, but that was her livery.

 

[jmcquate]

Not her, but played her in a movie.

 

[Gatordev]

Not her, but played her in a movie.

Ahh, makes sense. I was only able to walk by her once, otherwise we were mobbed and it was tough for us to get away to enjoy the show.

Still, pretty cool to see two up and running at the same time, right before we were firing up.

 

[nittany03]

Is that the Collings Foundation B-17? Flew out of the Fort Smith airshow behind her in Meridian days.

Pretty cool to hear “Bobcat XX, hold short; you’re number two behind a B-17.” ?