The Memphis Belle (1990)

This was the formation flight from Duxford to Yorkshire.!

Why were they going to Yorkshire?

I seem to remember one of the Great Warbirds airshow videos having an extended piece about the making of the Memphis Belle movie.

Thanks for that Mark. I take it there are more flying B-17s now than back then?

The issue was flying B-17s in the UK. For the film, Europe had three, plus two from the USA. Now there are two ‘airworthy’ in Europe, and there was a US visitor this summer. In the US, numbers haven’t changed that much, I think. They are the ‘common’ four-engined bomber…

Noisy Brutes!

I was working at Hatfield in those days and driving up & down the A505 each day to work – amazing sights of multiple B-17s in flight.

The most memorable occasion was one Friday evening when I was working in the garage – getting our bikes ready for a triathlon that weekend – probably Windsor but I digress! Anyway, there was this amazing noise of aero engines heading my way and as I walked out onto the drive the entire film unit flew low over the house, all five B-17s, plus a motley collection including a B-25, a couple of P-51s, Buchon and I think there may have been an Avenger mixed in there too! This was the formation flight from Duxford to Yorkshire.

My ears were ringing for an hour after that!

Thanks for that Mark. I take it there are more flying B-17s now than back then?

Are there any books or films available that cover the making of the 1990 version of the Memphis belle ??

Best printed reference is the After The Battle special. Have a look through the referenced threads for more.

Are there any books or films available that cover the making of the 1990 version of the Memphis belle ??

🙂 For those interested these are the threads

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18789&highlight=memphis+belle
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34240

Any updates anyone:)

I myself spent three days (12th, 13th & 14th July) at Duxford, watching and photographing the making of Memphis Belle, some of the time on the fire dump (should I have admitted to that?).

Whilst there I photographed:
Sally B (G-BEDF – 485784) as 124232 DF-Q “Sally B”
N17W (42-29782) as 124299 DF-X “C-Cup”
N3703G (44-83546) as 124485 DF-A “Memphis Belle”
F-BEEA (44-85643) as 124292 DF-U “Baby Ruth” and
Pink Lady (F-AZDX – 448846) as 25703 DF-S “Mother & Country”

I had originally had the one day off work (I think the 12th was a Wednesday) and what with cancelled flights etc I phoned up my employers (very understanding) each of the first two nights and added the following day as a holiday.

On one of the days a film crew joined me on the fire dump filming a documentary about the making of the film and did I get a shock when watching it, to hear the sound of my auto-winder on the soundtrack.

And I can tell you, there is nothing quite like sitting on Duxford’s fire dump and 5 B-17s taking off one after the other and passing within a matter of yards (other than perhaps the Vulcan scramble I witnessed at one of the Finningley air shows).

Yes I know, another Memphis Belle thread. I’ve looked back through the search facility at some of the pics from the actual filming, some of which are fantastic. My question is this –

Does anyone have a list of the 8 (?) B-17s involved in the filming, their fate and current wareabouts?

Thanks in advance, I’m sure someone will know

Steve

You cannot believe what it was like to be present at the making of this film, I’ve mentioned some of my experiences on previous threads, I was lucky enough to live and work locally, have flexible working hours and have a client, ‘in the know’.
There was no internet in those days to send you racing of to see what was happening, it was mainly a matter of luck.
I was fortunate enough to be working in Bishops Stortford, lunch hours involved a 20 minute drive up the M11, 20 minutes or rather stretching it a bit at DX then a 20 minute drive back. If things looked to be very interesting, I would inevitably go back in the evening, well I did most days anyway, it was an opportunity that I knew would never occur again, or will it?
I was pretty annoyed at being unable to attend Legends this year and seeing 3 B-17’s on the flightline, but having stood with 3 tearfull genuine American vets, just turning up to visit a museum and unaware that a film was being made and watching 5 B-17’s taxi in front of us for take off was something I’ll never forget, it was one of lifes unforgettable experiences.

Why is Pink Lady going to be grounded?

At Flying Legends they spoke about the limited availability of people to keep her airworthly.

Why is Pink Lady going to be grounded?

Plus two radio controlled 1/6 scale flying models and three studio GRP 1/6 scale models used in the squadron take off sequence and crash scenes.

The ‘Belle’ was played through most of the film by the Late David Tallichett’s B-17G, now reworked to more closely resemble a B-17F and flying in ‘MB’ colours.

The only real ‘F’ mark Fort was the Late Bob Richardson’s B-17F, now in the Museum of Flight at Seattle.

Steve

5 Flyers and some cardboard ‘flats’

One (French )) burned out at Binbrook, Sally B still at DX, Pink Lady still around but soon to be grounded, seemingly. Other two flew back to USA.
No doubt some keen type will be along any moment with all the serial numbers etc.