STUART, Fla (September 27th, 2018)- The Stuart Air Show is right around the corner and we are delighted to be able to add yet another piece of history to our already rich line up of static aircraft displays and performers: The Movie Memphis Belle. This B-17 is one of 47 left in the world and only a dozen or so are still flying.
When you hear the mighty Wright engines come to life you will know the sensation of being on an American airfield where brave boys who would become men led blazing trails of invincibility through the flak and fighter-filled skies of the Third Reich to preserve the freedom we enjoy today.
ABOUT:
The Real "Memphis Belle" flew with the 324th Bombardment Squadron of the 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, from USAAF Station 121 at Bassingbourn, England. Her first mission was to Brest, France on 7 November 1942. Her twenty-fifth and final combat mission was to Kiel, Germany on 19 May 1943.
This aircraft is not the real
"Memphis Belle," as this
B-17 was completed too late for WWII combat. It served as a personal transport in the Korean Conflict, and was later acquired by the late David Tallichet in September 1982. Mr. Tallichet was a wartime B-17 pilot with the 100
th
Bombardment Group in Britain and was a pioneer in the preservation of WWII military aircraft.
This plane was painstakingly brought back to its military configuration: including the acquisition, restoration, and installation of original, working gun turrets. The B-17 is under a constant state of restoration to return it to complete authenticity.
This B-17 is the star of the 1990 Warner Brothers film appropriately titled "Memphis Belle". Mr. Tallichet was the brother-in-law of William Wyler, the director of the original 1944 documentary released by the War Department, "The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress", which showcased the original "Memphis Belle". Mr. Tallichet's niece Catherine Wyler, daughter of William Wyler, produced the 1990 film.
TAKE A RIDE BACK IN TIME:
This aircraft will be at the airfield for air show ticket holders to explore, and it will be hitting the sky for rides for purchase. Take your seat and experience first-hand what it may have been like to be a crew member flying over Europe during World War II. Ride in the fuselage where the Waist Gunners, Tail Gunner, Ball Turret Gunner and Radio Operator were, or, upgrade your seat to the nose section and watch the Pilot and Co-pilot fly the plane, as well as checking out the view from the Bombardier and Navigator positions.
Riding in one of the 12,731 Flying Fortresses ever built for WWII, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we are happy to be able to offer to our community, as they get to experience the sights and sounds aboard a WWII bomber.
(Ride prices are $450 per person for the fuselage and $650 per person for the nose section. There are 6 fuselage seats and 4 nose seats.)
General Admission ticket is required and not included in price of ride. To purchase tickets see our website:
https://bit.ly/2MQpcp7
.
This aircraft is being provided by the National Warplane Museum, Geneseo, NY
www.NationalWarplaneMuseum.com
