Pink Lady

B-17G 44-8846 Association Forteresse Toujours Volante, Paris-Orly Airport, France. Flies as 48846, Pink Lady.
Photo by Xavier Méal/Le Fana de l'Aviation	Photo by Franck Lenoir

     Shortly after B-17 44-8846 left the Lockheed/Vega plant in Burbank, California, it was modified into a radar equipped pathfinder. On 1 March 1945 she left the US to join the 351 Bomb Group, 511 Bomb Squadron, based at Polebrook, England. She flew six combat missions, most of them in her pathfinder role, against Germany until 20 April 1945.
     When the 511 BS  returned to the US she was transferred to the 365 BS based at Chelveston. She then performed photographic duties throughout Europe until the unit was disbanded Christmas Day 1946. On 22 March 1949 it was redesignated a RB-17G based at Weisbaden, Germany until February 1953. Finally she was transferred to the US again, at the Ogden Air Materiel Command Center, Hill AFB, Utah where she finished out her Air Force career.
     On 5 December 1954 she was sold to the Institute Geographique National and flown back to France for aerial survey duty. Registered as F-BGSP, she was modified with survey equipment and flew missions around the world  until she was put in storage at the end of 1979.
     In 1985 the Association Forteresse Toujours Volante (Still Flying Fortress) was formed and she was named Lucky Lady and registered as F-AZDX. She was repainted as 25703, Mother and Country with DF-S tail codes for the filming of the Memphis Belle in 1989. When the filming was over in August 1989 she flew back to France. She still flies today, being based at Paris Orly Airport, marked as 48846, Pink Lady.
 

Another web page on Pink Lady by Frédéric Janik
Starboard nose art.	Nose art during film Memphis Belle.
Photo by Frédéric Janik