Sally B is identifiable a by its checkered starboard inner cowling
in memory of Ted White. Sally B is currently marked as Memphis Belle since
the making of the movie. She still retains the Sally B markings on the
port nose.
Photo by Ben Rogers
Sally B serial number 44-85784 rolled-off the
Lockheed/Vega line at Burbank in 1944. Her first operational assignment
was at Wright Field, Ohio in May 1948. She carried the buzz number BA-784
and was modified with wing tip pods to evaluate manned gun pods, however
the project was abandoned. She was also stationed at Schenectady, New York;
Hill, Utah; and Olmstead Field, Pennsylvania. During this time all the
turrets came off and were faired over.
On 18 March 1958 she touched down at Le Bourget,
Paris, to begin a civilian career with the Institute Geographique National
registered as F-BGSR. She joined a fleet of other B-17s operated
by the IGN and modified with photographic equipment for aerial survey work
around the world.
In 1975 F-BGSR was acquired by Ted White arriving
at Biggen Hill on 15 March 1975 and registered as N17TE. Named "Sally B"
she made her air display debut at the Biggen Hill Air Fair on 18 May
1975. In October 1979, Colonel John R Vanden Heuvel DSC solemnly unveiled
a plaque dedicated to the memory of the 79,000 American airmen who lost
their lives in Europe in World War II. This plaque is carried in the radio
room of Sally B making her flying memorial.
Tragically Ted White was killed when his Harvard
crashed in Malta in June 1982. Sally B's starboard inner cowling will always
carry the same black and yellow checkered markings as his Harvard.
In 1989 Sally B had her chin turret removed
to represent a B-17F for her starring role in the movie Memphis Belle.
When the filming was over her chin turret was reinstalled. She is still
painted as Memphis Belle in honor of the famous plane, with the exception
of the checkered engine cowl and Sally B picture on the port nose.
These pictures are of previous markings of Sally B.
If you have any comments or have found information on my page that
is incorrect, please e-mail
me! If you know of a surviving B-17 that is not on my page, please let
me know!
