B-29, 45-21768 "Kee Bird"

[brent p h]

Took this in March...

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"FIFI" Is AWESOME when view in person! I have personally seen this aircraft flying over the metroplex on several occasions!

 

[MURedhawk]

What happened to FIFi?
I swear I just saw her fly a few weeks ago on a photo mission. Just saw her being worked on In addison yesterday...

 

[SteveCostello]

What happened to FIFi?
I swear I just saw her fly a few weeks ago on a photo mission. Just saw her being worked on In addison yesterday...

I'm pretty sure she needs to be worked on almost all the time.

I saw her when she came through KSUS after OshKosh last year. What a treat it was. Just enormous and impressive. She sounded amazing on startup. Good Lord, what a sound. Seeing her take to the skies was something else. After her one hour stint, she did a low pass over the field. Yowzah. What a terrific story she has. Here's hoping that the National Museum of the United States Air Force and Congressman Michael Turner do not get their way and have all these beautiful warbirds permanently grounded. (http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2012/04/22/fifi-under-attack/)

 

[///AMG]

He was the guy who oversaw building an F-104 from random spare/grey market parts, painted it purple/pink (cant remember) and then punched out of the thing, right?

 

[TurdBird]

What happened to FIFi?

I think FIFI is fine. I was just posting the picture after someone mentioned her.

 

[Hacker15e]

He was the guy who oversaw building an F-104 from random spare/grey market parts, painted it purple/pink (cant remember) and then punched out of the thing, right?

It was red, white, and gold...and he punched out because he had a gear problem. And, he isn't just some schmoe...he was a Lockheed test pilot with the Skunk Works. Pretty amazing dude and great pilot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N104RB_Red_Baron

 

[///AMG]

^ Thanks for the link Hacker. I wasn't meaning to imply that the guy was a schmuck.....actually quite the opposite.

 

[USMCmech]

And, he isn't just some schmoe...he was a Lockheed test pilot with the Skunk Works. Pretty amazing dude and great pilot.

The people who are critical of his attempt to retrieve Kee Bird are out of line IMHO. It was a high risk/high reward project that didn't work out. Everybody involved with that project knew that is was risky, and they all still took part. If he hadn't attempted it, then the aircraft would have rotted away up there anyway. Maybee it could have been disassembled and lifted out of there in pieces, but that plan could also have ended in disaster as well.

The CAF did basicly the same thing when they took FiFi from China Lake and flew it to Harlingen.

 

[MikeD]

The people who are critical of his attempt to retrieve Kee Bird are out of line IMHO. It was a high risk/high reward project that didn't work out. Everybody involved with that project knew that is was risky, and they all still took part. If he hadn't attempted it, then the aircraft would have rotted away up there anyway. Maybee it could have been disassembled and lifted out of there in pieces, but that plan could also have ended in disaster as well.

The CAF did basicly the same thing when they took FiFi from China Lake and flew it to Harlingen.

Agree. The accident with KeeBird was an unforseen fluke. By the time the fire was discovered, it quickly grew beyond any ability to control with fire extinguishers that were on hand. Its not like there was a fire truck available on scene.

One has to wonder, in a weird sort of way, if KeeBird was destined to remain there where it was. That if it wasn't the fire, it would've been something else that would've kept the bird there, never allowing it to leave.

I do wonder about the engines being drained and left on site?

 

[Hacker15e]

It was a high risk/high reward project that didn't work out.

Totally agreed. Too many MMQBs, unfortunately...none of whom have ever put up the money or effort to try something like this.