the B-17 is one of my favorite WWII bombers, especially when I was growing up. I'd watch the movie over and over again just for the fighting scenes. Then, as I got older, I learned more stories about the infamous B-17 that weren't just the Memphis Belle. "Old 666" and "Ye Olde Pub" (from the Charles "Charlie" Brown and Franz Stigler 'incident') are two of my other favorite stories.
There are few things more graceful than the B-17. The sound of the engines on start up send chills down mine spine. And,,, Lets not ever forget this is the plane that won WW2 in Europe or the crews that sacrificed their lives to end the war, especially those in the early years with out P-51 Mustang long range support!
I definitely have to agree with you on that Community!! 🇺🇸🇬🇧❤🙏 Both the 8th Air Force bombing during the day and the RAF bombing during the night increased the destruction of the Luftwaffe sooner than later... With the 8th Air Force doing precision daylight bombing raids deep into Germany and then with the RAF doing indiscriminate bombings at night it pushed the Luftwaffe pilots to breaking point!! Both the 8th Air Force and the RAF didn't have an easy time...both had their disadvantages.... Neither time was safer for our Boys risking their lives to destroy the Luftwaffe.... God Bless Each And Every Single Airmen, be it American or British!! ❤🙏🇺🇸🇬🇧 Who Sacrificed So Much To Win The Air War Over the European Theater....
On of my greatest experiences in life was flying back seat in a P-51 !! back 15 years ago. But while in the Army i was sent to the Dominican Republic. And their air force were P-51s. I went to the airfield and asked a crew chief if could sit in the cockpit and he said yes but don't touch anything. It was fully loaded with rockets and 6 50 cal. machine guns. I'm 80 years old now in 2022 and it's safe to say none of these current pilots EVER had that experience with a fully loaded P-51 !!!!
I always remember speaking to a ball gunner from the 91st bomber group when I bumped into him and some of his friends from the group in Norwich Norfolk and the things he told what him and he his fellow crew members saw . Well I take my hat of to them . I shook his hand and said Sir thank for what you have done then thanks to your airforce and the Raf you helped to get ride of NAZISIM. They all should get a medal. Yet know forgotten hero's in the mists of time
Qué hermoso avión es el B-17!!!! Es increíble que después de tantos años, aún pueda remontar vuelo como lo hacía cuando se dirigía a sus misiones durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Eso dice mucho sobre la nobleza del avión, y también sobre el cuidado amoroso que le dan quienes lo mantienen en ese estado. Felicitaciones a todos ellos por preservar una porción de historia.
Had the privilege of flying on the Belle some years back for the Centennial celebration of a town I lived nearby in the state of Idaho. I work in radio and was offered a media pass to ride aboard for free. It was a genuine thrill and blessing to get that opportunity which I will never forget.
B 17 F, is yet the best WW2 Bomber, also the most beautiful and even after the time, it's demonstrated its reliability. I will always love this venerable machine and all crews that shed their lives, in pursuit of freedom we enjoy today.
Me too and we often ask ourselves of why do we cry a few tears when you see these fly around? It;'s because of the great sacrifices our nations armed forces have given to us that makes all of us still free today and tomorrow too that is why it's homorable to show our nations men and women the dignity,honor,respect all of them deserve always.
Awesome is not enough to describe how good this is! I would love to even go inside and look at something like this, let alone fly in it over San Fransisco!
I met Captain Morgan (the a Colonel) pilot of the Memphis Belle.I am so honored...made my day I can tell you that! Very personable and kind--told me a lot of WWII stories with the Belle.
They're flying out of Buchanan Field in Concord, about a half hour drive from SF. I used to live just across the freeway from the field and every year when the warbirds would come in they would roar right over the house on their way west. Those engines are LOUD!
No puedo seguir viendo estos videos del Memphis Belle, porque me emociono demasiado y eso me hace mal al corazón. Fueron tan valientes y sacrificados estos héroes.....
Got to fly in B17G (sat in Right Waist Gunner position)- Sentimental Journey in Mesa, Arizona, Commemorative Air Force Museum, well worth it. Once in lifetime experience. Not the Belle, but a close second. A big Thank You to the Brave men who flew in them, and pray for those who didn't make it back home.
I got my own ride on the same bird at the National Warplane Museum Airshow in Geneseo, New York 3 or 4 years ago. Nothing quite like sticking your head out in the slipstream and shooting video of the engines, looking down from the open upper hatch!
I knew Levi Dillon who was a top turret gunner and engineer on 6 missions on the Memphis Belle who got wounded. He was hired for the movie as an advisor!
I saw the Memphis Bell during restoration at Patterson. It was on all three missions my Uncle Frank flew. His story can be found on RU-vid as well search “3 Days In May 1943”. look for the image of B17 in front of America flag.
This has got to be the plane from the movie, yes it did serve during WWII but the original Memphis Belle is in Dayton, Oh under complete restoration for the past 7 or more years. The original was in Memphis on Mud Island and the pilot Robert was trying to get the plane moved to the Air Force Museum before he passed away. This plane flying is a warbird but not the original.
Before Mud Island it sat on a large concrete slab at an old National Guard armory at the intersection of Central and Hollywood where it became weather beaten and worn. The old armory is now a children's museum.
San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge. See how it curves on the island, overall is shaped like an "L". and Alcatraz Prison is on the island in the harbor. Flaps are down for the landing; he's got to keep his engines on the slowing curve of speed, but doesn't want to stall, so he keeps lift maintenance even at lowering speeds by having his flaps down so he can flair onto the beginning of the runway, not stall onto it, which would be akin to dropping onto it, something planes don't do without serious damage, even crashing. DF A are the correct plane ID letters for the "Belle".
凄いな！大きなラジコン機が飛んでいるみたい。 船じゃないけど、板子一枚外は地獄（The Crew has only an inch of plank between him and death.）ですね。 操縦席から見る湾内や地上の風景は、エンジンの音も相まって映画「トラ！トラ！トラ！」を思い出しました。 （映画「メンフィスベル」はDVDで持っています） かつて地獄の空を飛んだ飛行機。今も飛べるのがすごいですね。
X me è stato il più bel aereoplano mai costruito oltre che la sua linea Un bombardiere quadrimotore quasi conosciuto in quasi in tutto il mondo Penso che un'altro velivolo così non ci sarà più Anche se un giorno forse tenteranno di farlo Non sarà mai uguale al B17
Visual error the swimsuit on the Memphis Belle lady figure was Red on the Starboard side whistle the Port side had the figure with a Blue Green bathing suit. Reference the WWII 16mm color film Memphis Belle. Wonder if it was painted like the Red and Green navigational light set up on a sea vessel.
I know that this is the one used move in the move. but if you want to see the real Memphis Bell. go to Right Patterson Air Base in Ohio. they have finished the restoration . and the old girl is beautiful .
Just wondering, can modern radar detect the aircraft if it flew on the air space? Nicely flown. Great purpose in order to increased the availability of the asset and strengthen the defence force in your country.
Looks like a no-flaps takeoff, probably b/c she was light - no tons of bombs and thousands of .50 cal machine gun rounds. Also the B-17E had 13 Ma Deuce (M2) machine guns that ran around a hundred pounds plus apiece, including the mounts, ammo tracks and ammo boxes.
A judgement call by the pilot, especially if he is the regular pilot and knows her unique flight characteristics very well. Each type of plane has its own flight characteristics; some do not require flaps at minimum take off weight, and using them when not needed actually can slow the plane down, in return for more lift that is not needed. Engines are revved up for takeoff, while they are expected to be slowed down during a landing. Flaps give lift, at the cost of drag due to obtrusive control surfaces. Planes with very powerful engines, favorable wing loading factors and good, favorable oncoming winds can easily take off using airspeed alone. Notice how she really soars once she has hit "V2" (Lift off" speed). Stories from Navy and Marine pilots during WW2 forgetting to lower their flaps on carrier takeoffs abound; if anyone runs out of runway very quickly, it is a Navy or Marine pilot looking at miles of water off the carrier bow. Yet unless seriously loaded with ordnance, such as a CAP aircraft, the-end-of-war Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine in the Hellcats and Corsairs were pushing between 2,400 and 2,800 hp, a significant increase from the beginning-of-war 2,000 hp versions of those same engines being used in planes which had very little modifications during the war. The Hellcat had only 3 "versions", one of which was simply putting a solid steel plate instead of a window right behind the pilot's head; a bullet from an enemy MG or cannon would go through the window, but would be stopped or deflected by the plate. and unless a person knew what to look for, the other two changes were also so subtle as to be unnoticeable without a listing. So weight was remaining relatively stable, but engine power was increasing. On the other hand, a landing is a tricky balance between engine rpms, aircraft speed, and watching that the plane doesn't stall. The easiest way to prevent a stall is to get more lift, from engines on takeoff, but from flaps on landings. If the engines can't handle takeoff weight, (such as a heavy ordnance load) then flaps must be used. If you watch their landing in San Francisco, you will see the flaps drop, but when they take off again, no flaps are used.
@@planetside11 It's also probably a smoother ride for the passengers, rather than subjecting them to the g-loading of the thing launching upward. That landing was pretty float-y as well, likely for the same reasons.
