The Memphis Belle WWII bomber is back on display after 13 years of restorations - here's what it looks like

Daniel Brown,Associated PressMay 18, 2018, 23:18 IST

US Air Force

Hundreds of visitors turned out to at the Air Force Museum to see the World War II bomber Memphis Belle, and the legendary aircraft rarely has looked better.

The plane went on public display at the museum near Dayton, Ohio, for the first time on Thursday morning after a restoration project that required 13 years and 55,000 hours of work.

After a brief ceremony, visitors crowded around the plane trying to get the best photos with their phones.

The B-17 "Flying Fortress" will anchor an extensive exhibit in the museum's World War II gallery, paying tribute to the thousands of men who served on B-17s on daylight bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe.

Here's what it looks like.

See The Memphis Belle WWII bomber is back on display after 13 years of restorations - here's what it looks like >>

The Memphis Belle was the first B-17F to survive 25 missions during World War II, completing its last mission against a German submarine base in 1943.

The bomber was also the subject of the 1944 documentary "The Memphis Belle."

Source: History.com

Here's a shot of the Memphis Belle 10-man crew in 1943.

The Memphis Belle was powered by four 1,200 horsepower Wright R-1820-97 engines, and had a maximum speed of 325 mph.

Source: US Air Force

And it was armed with up to 13 .50 caliber machine guns and 8,000 pounds of bombs.

Source: US Air Force

Here's a shot from the front gun turret of the Memphis Belle in 2014.

The Memphis Belle was also made famous for its racy "pinup girl" nose art.

Source: CNN

It was finally put on display after 13 years of restorations on Thursday — exactly 75 years after completing its last mission — at the National Museum of the Air Force.

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