DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – The tail gun turret of a fabled World War II bomber undergoing restoration at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio has been re-attached.
The Memphis Belle is being restored at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton before going on display next spring. The B-17F "Flying Fortress" was the first Army Air Force bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe. It arrived at the museum a dozen years ago in pieces.
The Memphis Belle and the famous Esquire magazine pinup girl painted on its nose survived six months of punishing air combat in 1942 and 1943.
The crew and plane embarked on a highly publicized tour of the U.S. to help sell war bonds after the 25 missions were completed.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.