Memphis Belle interior color.

[OhioAstromech]

I went to the USAF Museum today and learned something new.

I was always under the impression that the interior color of all WWII and most Cold War aircraft was Zink Chromate.
I found out today that in the case of the Memphis Belle the true interior color is bare aluminum.

I went on their behind the scenes tour and got to get up close to the old B-17.
The guide that was with us was a part of the team who is putting her back together.
He told us that during the last restoration to prevent corrosion they painted the interior but before that it was bare aluminum.

They are currently bead blasting all the interior surfaces back to bare metal.

The reason why it is bare is because they never felt that a B-17 would last through the war so the need to prevent corrosion wasn't seen as a priority.

When they stripped the paint from the exterior they found something interesting.

Around the Tail Gunner's fuselage were the names and towns of many different people.
It was hidden under the paint so they feel that the when they were traveling the country on a War Bond drive, people who purchased War Bonds were allowed to scribe their names in the skin of the plane.

Lastly I found out that the Memphis Belle was not the first B-17 to make it through 25 missions.
Another B-17 named Hell's Angels was really the first.
This wasn't found out until the crew of the Belle were introduced to the Royal Family as being the first.

The Memphis Belle was said to be the first Bomber Crew to survive 25 missions without losing any of it's crew.
The Hell's Angels lost 3 crew members during it 25 missions.

They at least got a Biker Gang named after them.... Bad Joke Sorry.

When I get the images off the camera I will post them.

Scot

 

[Ham Salad]

I went to the USAF Museum today and learned something new.

Neat. i did not know that: the only B-17 I flew in was painted inside...I thought it was for protection, and because the yellow made it easier to see your way around: it's a lot more cramped in there than it looks like in movies.

 

[OhioAstromech]

I flew on the B-24 Witchcraft last year and it was roomy in the back but getting to the nose was a pain.

I sat in the nose turret and the tail gunners position.

I really loved the 30 min flight.

It was pained inside as well but I am unsure if it was painted after the war.
The guide at the museum mainly was talking about the Memphis Belle but when we looked inside the "Swoose" they are restoring it was bare metal inside as well.

Scot

 

[OhioAstromech]

I need to let you know that when I mentioned the interior I ment the walls.
Parts like the gun turrets were painted different colors.
You will see when I post the images later.
Scot

 

[Ham Salad]

I flew on the B-24 Witchcraft last year and it was roomy in the back but getting to the nose was a pain.t

For me it was scary going through the bomb bay in flight: there's that narrow catwalk, and it shakes a lot, and you can't help notice that if you fell off you'd land on the inside of the bomb bay doors...what if they popped open?

I kept banging my elbows and head all the time in there...it seemed to me it was pretty cramped.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Thanks for the report.
Look forward to the pictures.

Those old planes are freedom you can touch.


http://www.airshowbuzz.com/videos/view.php?v=a90b6882

 

[OhioAstromech]

Nice video

 

[pennausamike]

I went to the USAF Museum today and learned something new.

I was always under the impression that the interior color of all WWII and most Cold War aircraft was Zink Chromate.
I found out today that in the case of the Memphis Belle the true interior color is bare aluminum.

Scot

WWII USAAF interior colors is the subject of a lot of study and debate among warbird scholars.
There are a huge number of variations depending on contractors and sub-contractors, slight changes in the chemical mixes of the corrosion control coatings (they weren't really paint per se) and some colors that were applied to reduce interior glare.

The Memphis Belle was a fairly early F model B-17, built by Boeing.
She would likely have had some interior surfaces covered in a sort of "upholstery".
Bulkheads in the cockpit would have been painted a medium to dark green.
Not necessarily the Belle, but I have seen B-24's with sub-contractor supplied stringers coated in yellow zinc-chromate and then all the hull metal left in bare metal with the aluminum supplier's grade stamps still on the individual pieces.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum staffer Dana Bell is probably the world's foremost authority on WWII US aircraft interior paints and coatings.
Google "dana bell aircraft interiors" for enough info to keep you busy for quite a while.
I took a quick look and found this thread interesting.
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=146405

To quote one of the posters on that thread, "You're right, of course..there's no real definitive answer. Until the last decade or so, everybody just assumed that ALL WWII U.S. aircraft interiors were painted "Interior Green." Thanks to Dana Bell, we've now got all sorts of (often confusing and conflicting) information to argue about. Mr. Bell is a heckuva nice guy, BTW. His seminar/slide shows at the IPMS Nationals are always a hoot, and one of the high points of the convention for me."

So, there are parts of the Memphis Belle that were likely bare metal, but it is nearly impossible that the whole interior was bare metal.

Glad you were able to get a tour of the Belle, a special experience I'm sure you'll remember a long time.

Mike

 

[OhioAstromech]

Here is the forward fuselage of the Memphis Belle.
The rear fusage has been stripped of paint and bead blasted on the interior.



They had to rebuild a couple of the hatches because vandels used a crowbar to get inside and steal the gages out of the cockpit.

They told us that if the seal broke on the gages the radioactive paint they used inside of them could cause heath problems.

I'll post more as I get more photos off my memory stick.

Scot

 

[OhioAstromech]

Here are a few more Memphis Belle Interior Photos.

This is what the entire fuselage will look like when they are finished.

Rear Fuselage looking aft:
Photo 1

Ball Turret removed from the Memphis Belle.
Photo 2

Have you ever wanted to know what the interior of the Ball Turret looks like?
Photo 3

I have more Ball Turret interior photos I can post if anyone wants to see them.

Top Turret removed from the Memphis Belle.
Photo 4

Interior of the Top Turret.
Photo 5

I have a few more to post of the Belle and will get them up as soon as I can.

Scot

I had to remove the photos from the body of the post to save bandwidth.

 

[mjhenks]

Awesome Scot.

Any more pictures?

I am trying to hook up here in Orange County with Bill Lyon or someone at Martin Aviation where he keeps his B-17. Want to see "Fuddy Duddy" up close and show off my B-17 waste gunner trainer. (Mac Glashan E-11) Someday......

 

[OhioAstromech]

Awesome Scot.

Any more pictures?

I am trying to hook up here in Orange County with Bill Lyon or someone at Martin Aviation where he keeps his B-17. Want to see "Fuddy Duddy" up close and show off my B-17 waste gunner trainer. (Mac Glashan E-11) Someday......

I took a few more of the Ball Turret, some up close of the scribed names on the tail gun area and a couple of the inside of the wings and engines.

I will be going back in a few months to check on its progress and take more photos.

 

[Jack Knight1979]

my dad flew a b-24. there's one in MI that takes you on 30 minute flights. when my son is old enough to appreciate it we're doing it. It's a bucket list thing for me.

 

[OhioAstromech]

my dad flew a b-24. there's one in MI that takes you on 30 minute flights. when my son is old enough to appreciate it we're doing it. It's a bucket list thing for me.

Worth every penny.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Very cool. My grandfather knows a guy working on the restoration so I'm hoping to go up there this spring to see it. There's also a B-17G being restored at Grimes Field in Urbana, OH. He also knows a guy there and we stopped and they showed us around. Last time I was there the fuselage was completely gutted with nothing attached. In fact I think they just put the skin on. They found a pencil sketch of the idea for the noseart inside the plane on some aluminum panel when they took it apart. There's also a couple B-25s sitting at the field, but that was last summer.

 

[micdavis]

About 8 years ago I happened to find myself in Palm Springs on the weekend they were offering rides in a B17. It wasn't cheap but 3 of the guys in the group, who were offering the rides, were actual crew members during the war in this B17. That was almost as cool as the ride. I spent four house talking with these guys after the flight.

Love the shots of the Belle. I watched the movie just last night.

 

[OhioAstromech]

When we were boarding the B-24 they were telling us that once we were in the air we could walk around.
They said that we needed to be careful about not stepping on the bomb bay doors.
"If you step on the bat doors they will break. At that point you will exit the plane. If that happens they card you signed saying you were on the flight will go out the window with you."

I'll see about posting some video to Youtube of the flight.

Scot