There's a Vulcan at the MER museum too. Pretty cool.
How to piss off the CAF
- Thread starter fholbert
- Start date
There's a Vulcan at the MER museum too. Pretty cool.
Area 5150
Model citizen, Zero discipline
Nice. I would hope that it sits in a climate controlled environment.
And, as a side note, not many museums around the world can boast that they have a SR-71 on property. KBAD was lucky enough to get one, but it's getting beat up too, by the elements. Not even sure why they keep a museum at KBAD.
Nice. I would hope that it sits in a climate controlled environment.
And, as a side note, not many museums around the world can boast that they have a SR-71 on property. KBAD was lucky enough to get one, but it's getting beat up too, by the elements. Not even sure why they keep a museum at KBAD.
The Vulcan is outside at MER, but besides sun, there's not much in the way of moisture. The SR-71 at the Pima Air Museum here is kept in indoor display.
knot4u
Repeat Offender
Mike Looney(CAF B-29 FE) was a good friend of mine and was one the folks tasked with figuring out how to make the "hybrid" engines a reality. He and myself were very involved working on Rare Bear at the time and he was telling me that a lot of that program was basically a copy of the power and supercharger sections of our race engine with a different nose case. I wonder if Doc is running the same package? At the reduced power settings they were using I was told that the engines were lasting significantly longer than the original set up.
Tyler Pinkerton
Well-Known Member
Yes the TU-4
However, if you believe that the CAF is just fine and dandy with a second B-29, you are mistaken. The individuals who actually do the work may be, but corporate is not. I have already heard it from at least one show organizers that when they mentioned the idea of both 29's being there, the CAF began balking and threatening to not attend. Business is still business.
And as much as Diamond lil is touted as a B-24, it is not. It was built as an RLB-30 and it is type certified as such. While not exactly the same, Painting a DC-3 that never saw military service into military colors and installing military features does not make it a C-47 or a C-53 or any of the other sub variants that were made by taking civilian aircraft off of the production line and giving them to the military. If the Military converted it, then yes, I would say it is a B-24, but it was not.
However, if you believe that the CAF is just fine and dandy with a second B-29, you are mistaken. The individuals who actually do the work may be, but corporate is not. I have already heard it from at least one show organizers that when they mentioned the idea of both 29's being there, the CAF began balking and threatening to not attend. Business is still business.
And as much as Diamond lil is touted as a B-24, it is not. It was built as an RLB-30 and it is type certified as such. While not exactly the same, Painting a DC-3 that never saw military service into military colors and installing military features does not make it a C-47 or a C-53 or any of the other sub variants that were made by taking civilian aircraft off of the production line and giving them to the military. If the Military converted it, then yes, I would say it is a B-24, but it was not.
A Life Aloft
Well-Known Member
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
Doc ready to fly.
For those in the Witchita area or can get there, return to flight for Doc is scheduled for early on Sunday, July 17.
For those in the Witchita area or can get there, return to flight for Doc is scheduled for early on Sunday, July 17.
USMCmech
Well-Known Member
mastermags
Well-Known Member *giggity*
No B-50s flying and no B-36s either.
My Grandad had a picture of his B-29 commissioned but the artist ended up putting a B-50 tail on it by accident. He still swears that he is going to get the guy to fix it for him (he's 91 now).
No B-50s flying and no B-36s either.
My Grandad had a picture of his B-29 commissioned but the artist ended up putting a B-50 tail on it by accident. He still swears that he is going to get the guy to fix it for him (he's 91 now).
None flying indeed. I am curious though if one or more could be made for flight. Pima Air Museum's B-50 actually looks pretty good, not knowing its internal condition. But it appears it could be made flight worthy.
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
Kermit Weeks still has Fertile Myrtle, which was an airworthy airplane up into the 1980s. It is all still complete and undamaged, although it has some of the same wing-box corrosion that FiFi had; it is just disassembled and obviously hasn't flown in 30 years.
If anyone with big $$ comes along in the future and wants a flyable B-29, and Kermit will part with it, that's a definite candidate to take to the air again.
Kermit has big money - if anyone was going to do it ...
I actually know Kermit - really good guy.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
Agreed. I've only met him a handful of times, but his reputation sure matches your sentiment.
Kermit has other things on his plate currently -- like the impossibly rare Hawker Tempest -- along with a long line of other cool projects that IMHO he prioritizes well above the B-29.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
The CAF will spin it, it was the "first only" flying B-29...
Honestly all my CAF buddies are super excited for Doc...
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
This is mostly true. The CAF isn't perfect but they certainly paved the way, the hard way, to get Fifi airborne and reliable. I think these are the only B-29s we will see flying but there are other airframes. Weeks has one...
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
lol I suppose that can be considered as a potential airframe...
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
Yeah that must have been terrifying to fly those things against jet fighters. I'm guessing a lot of those optical sights for the guns would have been pretty clapped out by then. Plus a host of other problems.
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
Yeah, I'm the exec secretary of the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society, of which Kermit is a member - he was previously working on a replica Benoist to fly for the centennial of the first ever commercial flight here in Tampa Bay. Unfortunately he just couldn't get the engine just right in the time required, but not after giving it a hell of an effort.