[STARMAN 352ND]

I need info on this A-10 known as Memphis Belle III
Any info would be great.
Thanks,
JP

[mustangdriver]

That is the first I have seen that one. Pretty cool. I will check around.

[Waltz41]

I recently saw this somewhere....darn........I just checked all my A-10 references, and nothing. However, I would venture to guess that it is nose art applied to an aircraft during Desert Storm. A lot of the A-10s carried nose art during the conflict. I'll keep looking though, see if I can't dig something up.

Something interesting....looks like it's not listed here, probably because it was so temporary, I've read that a lot of the nose art on the Desert Storm Hogs were taken off before they returned to the states. Although I'm sure also this might not be comprehensive either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Belle_%28B-17%29

[STARMAN 352ND]

What got me was this A-10 has that Nose art of "Memphis Belle III" ......When there already was one on a B-52...
So the A-10 should of be named "Memphis Belle VII"
I'm still clueless on what Sqn this A-10 came from too.
JP

[mustangdriver]

Known aircraft named "Memphis Belle"
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle" - the original and real deal being restored at the NMUSAF
Republic F-105 Thunderchief "Memphis Belle II"-Restored and on display in the South East Asia Gallery in the NMUSAF
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress"Memphis Belle III"- Nose section on display at the NMUSAF.
Republic A-10 Warthog "Memphis Belle III"- Still researching
Rockwell B-1 "Memphis BelleIV" -Still in active duty
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy "Memphis Belle V"- In active duty with Memphis ANG.

[Waltz41]

add these from the wikipedia article:

A General Dynamics FB-111 (68-0267) was also nicknamed Memphis Belle II for a period during the 1980s.
The first B-52H constructed (60-0001) took the nickname Memphis Belle IV. It is currently based at Barksdale Air Force Base, flying for the 2nd Bomb Wing.
A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (67-0024) became the Memphis Belle V. It has recently been transferred to the AMARC inventory.

I honestly think that nose art was added 'in theater' and at the time the guys didn't either know how many belles there were or didn't really care. Maybe someone just took a guess.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Thats what i'm thinking too....They took a guess.
I'll tell you what if we can track this A-10 down it would be great to make one of these in a diecast too.
This has to be the hardest thing so far i'm trying to track down...
We need to find the darn pilot who flew if....That be a big help.
JP

[Waltz41]

Hey JP,
did you get what you needed over on Warthog Territories? I was going to ask over there but you beat me to it! Interesting stuff though, nice find on that one.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Yes i did as a last resort i got a book on the A-10 the next day and found out more info on it and then i checked back with the site and it helped a little too. .....I searched high and low about that darn A-10 and still only found out a little bit about it...Must of not been that big of a deal during the Gulf war of 91 for that (A-10)...I still would like to find the pilot who flew it.
The 511th was the only A-10 unit there during that time too.
But at least now i have a good idea what that A-10 looked like back then and the tail numbers and letters.
I think it be a cool diecast model to build too.
JP

[mustangdriver]

I bet the 511th has a pic of it somewhere.