Combat Aircraft to Museum Artifact

After the bond tour, the Memphis Belle went to MacDill Army Air Field, Florida, to be used for training. At war’s end, it was stored at Altus Army Airfield, Oklahoma, with other surplus bombers awaiting scrapping.

In 1946, the city of Memphis, Tennessee, acquired the aircraft and displayed it outdoors at a National Guard armory. In 1977, after decades of deterioration from weather and vandalism, the Memphis Belle was moved to a local airport for restoration and placed on loan by the US Air Force to the newly-formed Memphis Belle Memorial Association (MBMA).

From 1987-2002, the MBMA displayed the aircraft under a canopy on Memphis’ Mud Island. It was then moved to a local airfield for additional restoration. However, in 2005, after many years of dedicated work, but with limited resources for the restoration, long-term care, and display of the aircraft, the MBMA released the Memphis Belle to the National Museum of the USAF by mutual agreement.

From 2005-2018, Museum restoration staff carefully restored the Memphis Belle, including thorough corrosion treatment, replacing missing equipment, and applying accurate markings. The Memphis Belle was placed on public display at the National Museum of the USAF on May 17, 2018, seventy-five years to the day after the crew’s 25^th mission.