[pepsi_junkie]

On interesting note, speaking of markings on the plane. Photos from the time (like the one you posted) show swastikas symbolic of something German they destroyed. Aircraft factories, whatever. Anyway the restored plan faithfully recreates the markings EXCEPT the swastikas. I presume they presume some snowflake would accuse them of glorifying nazis or something, ignorant of the true point being made.

[onedoug]

PC crap. Like Roosevelt’s “so help us God” deleted from the WWII Memorial.

Progressives chipping away....

[jaydubya2]

I searched and found this:

But the Memphis Belle presented a challenge, Duford said. It was modified in the theater, and there were no drawings that depicted the changes. That means a lot of unknowns, such as what kind of equipment it carried. And in cases where they don't know what was original, Hassler said, the restorers don't guess. "It's better to leave out than to guess," Hassler explained, adding that he and his team don't want to get it wrong.

"We can always add it later," Duford said.

There's also parts of the plane as it exists today that might be tempting to keep but have to go because they're not original. An example is some of the plane's nose art. Today, it features the plane's model, B-17F, painted on, as well as a series of swastikas representing Nazi planes the Memphis Belle shot down.

Originally, the "B-17F" designation was a decal, Hassler said. In order to make that right, the restoration shop will source up a decal from a specialty company that uses the same font Boeing used when making the plane. But the swastikas and the name of the navigator and bombardier -- all added during the war bond tour -- have to go. The painting of the pilot's girlfriend and a single swastika that was on the plane when it was in combat will stay.

[Bonemaker]

I think they left the original on the port side.