The Memphis Belle Exhibit Is Now Open At Dayton’s National Museum Of The USAF
May 18, 2018
The Memphis Belle exhibit at the National Museum Of The United States Air Force is now open in Dayton, Ohio. This historic Boeing B-17 bomber from WWII sits atop 3 steel pylons, lit with beautiful theatrical lighting. During day two, several WWII-era aircraft landed at the Air Force Museum runway, and we were treated to numerous flyovers by the plane commonly known as “Air Force One.” The President was not aboard, so this reverted to being just a Boeing 747 VC-25 (which was awesome to see flying over the museum)
The Memphis Belle exhibit sits diagonally in the back left corner of the first building at this aviation museum. This museum exhibit is unique. I believe it was set up to look as if the plane was in motion. It allows for the turret in the belly of the plane easy to see and understand. Sometimes, planes can be too high or too low to be able to see details. Not this one. The refreshed paint job is impeccable and is far from the hunks of bar fuselage I first encountered in the restoration hangar in 2015.
The photos. below are some of the few aviation photos I have taken that include people. Generally, I attempt to have a more timeless look to my photos. For this event, it was important to include the people that came out for the opening. I especially love the people that dressed up in period-appropriate costumes
Entry to the museum is 100% free and opens at 9 am. Although this historic aircraft became famous for its successes in the war, it regained fame in the 1990s because of the movie, Memphis Belle. This film captured a replica plane but not the real one. Check out my other aviation photography.
Other Memphis Belle Blog Posts
Published Photos Of The Memphis Belle By A Dayton Ohio Aviation Photographer
B-17 Flying Fortresses P-51 Mustangs Flew Into Dayton For The Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle Rear Turret Installation At The National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force
