American

030124 - MEMPHIS BELLE: Biography of a B-17 Flying Fortress

By Brent Williams Perkins

The "Memphis Belle" led a blazing trail of invincibility through the flak and fighter-filled skies over the Third Reich during WWII. After losing a total of nine engines, both wings, both landing gear, and two tails, she was the featured star of a landmark Hollywood film documentary that made her famous the world over. Forgotten and forlorn, the Belle was nearly turned into waffle irons and coffee pots. Here you will read its fabulous story, from bullets to bandages, freezing skies, round engines, and the love that made a B-17 Flying Fortress legend.hts, the controversy over sonic boom shockwaves, the years of service and the disaster that finally brought them to an end. A decade after Concorde's last flight, the chances of Concorde's resurrection are examined and the future of supersonic transport is explored.