B29 Restoration FiFi.

[gbrown]

Something a friend sent me. Just thought I would share. As I have said many times here, may be old stuff. Pretty neat.


From the email:
When I worked for Steward Davis, we traded engines parts with the Confederate A.F. It was the 5th biggest Air force then, That would have in the 1960s -1990s for me. Dick


B29 Fly


This is the only flying B-29 Strato Fortress in the world.


This is one of the combat airplanes that flew from Iwo Jima,

Saipan, Tinian islands to bomb Japan and help win the war. It

was usually escorted by P-51 Mustangs to protect her from

enemy fighters but many thousands of planes and aircrews

were lost fighting for our country.

This happened at a time in history before we had long range

missiles and electronics. These planes were flown by men from

our farms and cities who left their families at home and risked

their lives in high altitude gun fights. It was up close, brutal and

extremely dangerous but they risked it all to protect our country.

Many never came home again. We love, respect and honor all

of our veterans. But we also have a love affair with the planes.

It is a permanent addiction for us so we preserve these wonderful

aircraft so you can see and experience the marvelous machines

that preserved our freedom.



We have completely rebuilt this aircraft and those powerful prop

engines to bring Fifi back to life. It took years to accomplish, many

thousands of donated dollars and thousands of hours of work by

many unpaid volunteers to make this happen so that everyone can

share this important part of our history. This is a unique flying

museum.

If you get a chance to see her at an air show, don't pass up the

chance. You are watching history and she is the only one left

out of thousands.

This is truly a rare aircraft. Enjoy the video.

Col. Tom Leo, Golden Gate Wing

Someone did a nice job of filming Fifi, the only flying B-29



http://vimeo.com/17388627

[TES]

I had the privilege of living with the grandson of "the" Bombardier Ferebee (Enola Gay) during college. The guy had a humble opinion of what he did. He would be proud to know that there is one flying. I also bought a car from a Tibbets not so long ago. I asked if he was related and he gave a simple "we're all related" response.

[JeffinNZ]

Beautiful. I get very emotional seeing such. Makes we think about all those young men on both sides of the conflict who braved death to go up and do their bit.

[phonejack]

About 15 years ago my wife and I were at a airport that had surplus military plane parts. Walking thru the debris I found myself looking at the top part of the pilot, co-polot compartment of a B-29.The plexiglass was gone from the canopy,but in the 3or4 foot section surrounding the canopy I saw 8-10 bullet holes on the co-pilots side. Judging the entry angle I don't think the co-pilot survived.

[square butte]

I saw FiFi fly many years back at an air show in Kalispell. She made several low level passes at about 100 feet above the runway. Wowza - That'll put your heart up in your throat. And if your are sentimental, it will bring tears to your eyes. That was back when the terminal was only about 2500 square feet.

[Moonie]

A couple of years ago the wife and I made the trip up to DC, first stop Udvar-Hazy, we saw the Enola Gay in all her glory. It was an amazing trip.

[pdawg_shooter]

Wasn't the B29 called a "super fortress"? I think the Strato Fortress is the B52.

[10-x]

Wasn't the B29 called a "super fortress"? I think the Strato Fortress is the B52.
Yes, 29's were Super Forts. Went through Fi Fi back in the 90's, I'll post the pics when I find them. The 29 had many problems during it's development, lots of crashes from mechanical issues and the early engines were a PITA. "The Rain of Ruin" is a good book about the bombing campaign against japan.
BTW, who remembers the Cigar chewing USAAF General in charge of the 20th Air Force ?

[bradh]

Curtis Lamay.....

[dakotashooter2]

These where honest aircraft that took a true pilot to fly them. Nothing against our modern jets but with all their computerized systems I don't think they are nearly as durable as the fortresses....................

[square butte]

If I am not mistaken, I do believe that fire control for gun turrets was operated by an early form of computer. Can anyone verify this?

[Cactus Farmer]

I live 20 miles from Fifi's home. I get to see her in the air often and I just have to stop and watch. The airshow they put on @ Midland each year has war birds of all types but the B-29 is the big daddy. BTW, look in the cockpit of a ME-109. Those fellas were tiny. Sardine can small seat.

[Reloader06]

butte

You are correct Sir.

I saw FiFi when she was at Burbank Airport a couple of months back. Tremendous. The good folks who were supporting her told me that they don't have the superchargers on the engine that they use on her. That was the part that kept catching the engines on fire.

Matt

[fouronesix]

If I am not mistaken, I do believe that fire control for gun turrets was operated by an early form of computer. Can anyone verify this?

Yes, I think that is correct. Here's a pretty good write up on another forum thread about the B29 fire control systems. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/military/read.main/26595/

After watching the various videos of FIFI I got kind of emotional. My dad flew both the B17 and the B29 during WWII. Brought back memories of him exchanging stories with other pilots about those aircraft. One thing sticks in my mind. He always said he felt the B17 was much more reliable and much tougher than the B29. The B29 had the range and payload capability needed at that time in history. The closest he ever came to crashing a B29 was during a training mission and had a major systems failure that was in (IIRC) the servo/electrical system- where all the control surfaces locked up. After limping back and landing without major damage, he said all the crew got out and started kissing the ground.

[wch]

If I am not mistaken, I do believe that fire control for gun turrets was operated by an early form of computer. Can anyone verify this?

Yep, you're right, actually the computer was a highly sophisticated ballistic type.
There's a book available called "Bringing the Thunder" by G.B.Robertson, Jr. which is the story of one man's odyssey with the B-29 and the aerial campaign against the Japanese in WWII.
There are numerous youtube videos about the B-29 which you might find informative and very interesting.

[gbrown]

The gun control system was an analog computer. As I understand it, GE made them and there were like one for each position. The aiming was done from periscopes in different parts of the plane. The analog computer is a mechanical device with gears for each variable.(windspeed, aircraft speed, altitude, etc.) The Norton bomb sight was the same kind of computer. A good analogy is a slide rule to a modern calculator. Both will do the same thing, mechanical vs. digital.

[rbertalotto]

A great book on the B29 is "Fire Over Tokyo"...Really gets into what a terrible airplane the B29 really was. 20% of every flight of planes, turned back, crashed or were lost. The engines caught on fire so often they actually experimented with "jetisonable" engines. Hit a switch and drop an engine when it catches fire.

They were built in such a hurry by a number of plants that they had real problems with parts no interchanging from one plane to the next.

I'm sure many of you saw the special on TV where those guys found one in the ice somewhere up north and rebuilt it only to see it burn to the ground while running up the engine. But in this case a gas can fell over............UGH!

A few months after the last one was built, jet engines were already getting established.

But NOTHING sounds like a B29 flying overhead!

[10-x]

Who took my post down????Curtis Lemay was the CO of the 20th AF in WWII.

[waksupi]

Who took my post down????Curtis Lemay was the CO of the 20th AF in WWII.

You must not have clicked the button. I see no deleted posts on this end.

[Gliden07]

Hard to believe this is the only flying survivor.

[pdawg_shooter]

Hard to believe this is the only flying survivor.

Not really. Can you imagine what it would cost to restore and maintain one. How many gallons of av-gas does it burn in a hour?

[10-x]

You must not have clicked the button. I see no deleted posts on this end.
Don't know what happened? Clicked the button to post, thought it went through.
Regardless here's the pics of her back in the 90's.

[dagger dog]

If any of you guys ever get up around the Dayton Ohio area, don't forget to checkout the US AIR FORCE Museum at Wright, Patterson Air Force bases.

They have the B29 "Bocks Car" that dropped the Fat Man bomb on Nagasaki, fully restored setting in an air conditioned hanger.

Other bombers under the same roof include the "Strawberry Bitch" a B24D that flew the North African campaign, and the
B17G "Shoo Shoo Baby" that was a war veteran bought back from internment in Norway.

Although not as glorified as the 2 Boeing Brothers the Consolidated B24 was the most produced with over 18,000 being made and flown in all campaigns. Only one of those flies now, it belongs to the Collins Group.

There was one B29 in full camouflage that "toured" the East Anglian 8th Air Force bases in Great Brittan during WWII trying to dupe the Nazi's into thinking they would be deployed there, but all the rest were flown in the Pacific.

My uncle was a tail gunner in the 2nd Air Division (B24's) 445th Bomb Group Heavy 702 Squadron US Army Air Force , he flew 35 missions over German occupied Europe. The stories he could tell about dealing with weather, equipment, enemy fighters, flak, was spellbinding .

It really took some fortitude to endure what bomber crews did EVERY mission, and you have to hand it to the tough old guys that pounded the hell out of the enemy , if it wasn't for them things would be a whole bunch different for us now.

[gbrown]

I had the honor to know a man who was a B-24 pilot, out of Africa into Ploetsi and other targets over eastern Europe, Italy and I think Austria. He was a true unsong hero. Very quiet, didn't talk a lot of it, would tell you some if you asked. Had some scary moments/missions. Once, almost lost in the desert. He was a wingman to one of the bombers that went down in the Sahara and later found (1960's). He told me about that mission and the anxiety waiting for the return of the missing crew, once. He has passed on to better times now, he was a great guy and a real hero.

[.45Cole]

Hard to believe this is the only flying survivor.

If you guys want to cry, I mean this will ruin your day, then watch this video. It's about an hour and documents the restoration of the Kee Bird (don't google it if you plan on watching the show, it will ruin the surprise)
Great video, if you have the hour to watch!

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/b29-frozen.html

[DougGuy]

If any of you guys ever get up around the Dayton Ohio area, don't forget to checkout the US AIR FORCE Museum at Wright, Patterson Air Force bases.

They have the B29 "Bocks Car" that dropped the Fat Man bomb on Nagasaki, fully restored setting in an air conditioned hanger.

Other bombers under the same roof include the "Strawberry Bitch" a B24D that flew the North African campaign, and the
B17G "Shoo Shoo Baby" that was a war veteran bought back from internment in Norway.



In the mid 60s I lived outside Wright-Patt and would often go to the museum. Many of the exhibits back then weren't really secured, they sat outside in a parking lot type field. Bock's Car sat out there, as did the B17 which I would often crawl inside of and sit in the cockpit, breathe out of the oxygen masks that still had oxygen on them. I could listen to a WWII era prop plane and tell you what it was. Lots of the B29s were repurposed into KB50s and they wore all kinds of different configurations.

Viet Nam was going on then and we were routinely subjected to dozens of B-52s taking off at night, heavily loaded with bombs, a deafening roar that shook everything in the house, usually lasted a couple of hours until they all got airborne including their KC-135s to refuel, but it wasn't the same as hearing a single solitary B-25 or B-29.

In the 1990s I got the chance to crawl all through Fifi and I didn't for a minute think twice about it. Standing at the runway when she took off, there is a symphony in her engines, a rumbling reverberating harmony that nothing else on this planet does. It makes you stand and soak in every note until it fades away into the distance. Unforgettable..

[Reloader06]

I was told that there could be as many as 3 more flying in the next few years. Just imagine watching a formation fly over.

Matt

[10-x]

I had the honor to know a man who was a B-24 pilot, out of Africa into Ploetsi and other targets over eastern Europe, Italy and I think Austria. He was a true unsong hero. Very quiet, didn't talk a lot of it, would tell you some if you asked. Had some scary moments/missions. Once, almost lost in the desert. He was a wingman to one of the bombers that went down in the Sahara and later found (1960's). He told me about that mission and the anxiety waiting for the return of the missing crew, once. He has passed on to better times now, he was a great guy and a real hero.
The 24 lost in the desert was "The Lady Be Good". In the 80's, the QM museum at Ft. Lee had a nice display of artifacts from the site. IIRC "The All American" is one of the flying 24's. Have met many crewmen at air shows in the 80's-90's. Amazing stories they told, true testaments that they are The Greatest Generation.

[sundog]

My uncle was a radio operator on the B24 and flew combat missions out of North Africa. He was shot down twice, and still completed a tour of duty, survived the war, and led a very productive life. People of the 'greatest generation' are my heroes.

[FXDC2005]

Saw on the military channel over the weekend another one is being restored with the help of boeing and many volunteers, some of them had originally built them back in the day.

[dagger dog]

The B17 won the hearts of the public especially the ones of the 1 and 3 divisions of the Mighty 8th Air Force in the European theater
stationed in East Anglia.

But the B24's of the of the 2nd Division 8th Air Force and the 15th Air Force Italy, along with the North African Units, carried the war to the Germans.

The 17's could get higher by about 5,000ft to near 30,000 but the 24's could carry more bombs and do it faster. The B24's stopped the German U Boats from tearing up the convoys of the North Atlantic, they and only they, had the legs to search and destroy unwary pig boats that came to the surface to recharge their batteries. The 24 closed that gap that was mid ocean where other air craft couldn't venture.That allowed the convoys to ferry the war machine from the US to fortress Europe.

One story from my uncle related to the weather at 26,000 feet, was about the clothing needed to survive a 10-12 hour mission.

Knowing your going to fly that day kept you awake so when they came to shake you out of the sack you were already up. You started your first layer with a union suit, over that came a quilted electrically heated suit about an inch thick, then your flight suit (coveralls), thick booties over wool socks then pack boots kept the feet from freezing.

Shuffle off to the mess for coffee and try to gag down breakfast 'cause your stomach's in a knot and you don't feel like eating. Then to the air crew briefing on what target your squadron is going after, if it was a tough one, that kept you geared up even more. Once you get to the hardstands and your plane, the jitters start to subside as you go through the prep and your concentration is on what it takes to keep you alive, your guns and equipment.

The conditions at 26000-28000 feet are deadly without every thing working correctly, on top of the long johns, heated suit, flight suit, goes a leather shearling lined flight jacket and pants, Mae West flotation, parachute harness, and a flak jacket. Head wear included a leather shearling lined cap with throat microphone helmet liner and steel **** pot.

If you are a gunner and in a nose belly or tail turret you don't have room for the chute, so you try to stash it near the entrance to the turret, if you do have to bail you might, just might be able to get out of the turret and grab the chute, some guys actually made it by holding onto an open chute that wasn't attached to the harness. Every turret gunner tried to acquire (beg borrow or steal) an extra flak jacket to cover that precious chute so it didn't get blown or shot full of holes.

The heated suits were notorious about shorting out, they were 32 volt DC and could actually burn you if that did happen, besides that the suit wouldn't keep you from freezing at 30 below zero, so you scrounged some paper clips and kept them at hand to use as jumpers to "repair" any mishaps, if shorted you could jump around the shorted portion and still keep the majority of the suit working. Frost bite was common.

You kept an extra 50 cal round in the pocket of the shearling flight suit, it was used to clear the frost from the air inlet of the oxygen mask, the condensation would build up and as the outside temp dropped and the inlet would ice over, at 26000 + you won't survive long without air so you always kept that inlet clear of ice.

Once in and up flying the pattern to form with the other squadrons, you could start to relax a little, the drone of the engines were soothing in a way and could actually lull you to sleep on a long mission, until you reached into flak or enemy fighter range and then all that dread and worry would come rushing back.

[Cactus Farmer]

My father in law was a bombadier on a B-24 in the south Pacific. 13th Air Force. 309 Bomb Group. Known as the "Long Rangers". B-24s have two bomb bays. The distances in the SP were long and they would load one bomb bay with bombs and the other with a fuel bladder.
We've all heard about Polesti, did you know there was an equal place in the south Pacific? Dutch East Indies had oil and refineries. They were just in range of the "309th". My FIL won the DFC on that mission. We still have all the records of his bombing missions. And the silk escape map too.
He is gone now and never talked to his family about the war but when I was courting his daughter we became friends and he shared some stories.
The lead navigator on the refinery raid didn't have to go but he knew the navigation had to be perfect so he suited up. His plane was hit going in to the target. One big fireball. No one could have survived. No one of the planes made it back to home base. You hear so much about German flack,well the Japonese flack was pretty good too. He said they worried more about that than fighters. They all landed at forward fighter bases,as did my FIL. They almost got it stopped when the hydrallics went out. It ended up in the edge of the jungle. We have pictures of that too. They were truely the greatest generation!

[snaketail]

Thank you for the post -the professional video made my day.

[10-x]

Back in the 90's I met a college professor who was a rear turret gunner on a 15th USAAF 24 that flew off my Dad's fields in Italy( he was an Aviation Engineer). His story should have been made into a movie. He was shot down 3 times, rescued the first 2, then captured by the Germans the 3rd. After recovering from wounds(flak) he was sent to a POW camp. One day he said a kraut officer came around and asked for volunteers to work . Anyone E-5 or above could not be made to work under the Geneva Convention, he was an E-6 and said what the heck and signed up. About 20 GI's were sent to a German munitions plant to "repair the toilets". Turned out the plant was full of French women slave labors. After "fixing the toilets" they were "occupied" in vigorous activities for 2 days. He said they could barely walk when they returned to the POW camp. Patton's 3rd Army liberated them, gave them mild rations to eat and allowed them to go into the closest town. He said he and a buddy found a German shop, broke in a helped themselves to fruit preserves and really bad tasting German bread. They found a jewellery store that had some nazi marked silver flatware which they "liberated". He had several pieces that he showed me when we talked. He was floored when I asked him if he had his Caterpillar pin and knew what it was for. He had it with the red eyes. Amazing guys, all of them.

[Recluse]

Fifi was at a warbirds airshow at Fort Worth Meacham airport a couple of years ago. We stopped by to see her and being USAF veterans, we got to actually tour the front office and sit in the pilot/co-pilot seats. Took a lot of crew to fly that bird.

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:coffee:

[10-x]

Not really. Can you imagine what it would cost to restore and maintain one. How many gallons of av-gas does it burn in a hour?

B-29's consumed 400 gals of aviation gas an hour and 8 gals of oil.

[Cactus Farmer]

I can handle the oil but I may need a little help on the Av-gas.

[10-x]

What is av gas now? Here's some pics of B-24 "The All American" taken at an air show in the 90's

[dagger dog]

10X

That's the B24 of the Collins Group, I was aboard that aircraft in 1988, they flew it in to Bowman Field @ Louisville KY. I worked 3 miles from the field and you could hear the Pratt's from 3 miles away being run up when they were ready to leave.

An old Ford assembly plant in Louisville turned out the Emmerson electric nose turrets for the war effort, the 24's were shuttled into Bowman field and outfitted there with the Emmerson turrets.

[10-x]

Back then one of the guys in our group restored turrets, he had a barn with quite a few different types, mostly Bendix. He fixed one up on scaffolding and took it to air shows and USSAF Veterans reunions. Even had the high speed switch, remember some Veterans having a blast in it. He did some trading with the Smithsonian and Pensacola. Those were the days.
BTW, whats your Dogs name? He's not spoiled is he?

[TXGunNut]

The CAF used to have a bomber based at Meacham Field years ago, quite impressive. Seems it was a B17. Can't recall her name.
Thirty+ years ago I worked with an old codger who was a tailgunner in a bomber, his planes had more than a few "hard landings" and he said the crawl into his turret was a long one, but not near as long as the one on the way out after a hard landing. Found out later at least two of his "hard landings" were crashes in enemy territory.

[dagger dog]

10 X

That's Dolly, the "original dagger dog" she's just a memory now. She ruled the roost for 13 good years !
Spoiled rotten!

[popper]

B24's of the of the 2nd Division 8th Air Force and the 15th Air Force Italy, along with the North African Units, carried the war to the Germans. FIL was navigator on 1 of those, got shot down in the desert, had to pull the wounded nose gunner out and take over. Only told me that story once.
Here is an interesting 1, I ask where the ignition key and blue tooth are. http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/041/B-52D%20Pilot%20Station.html
Actually dad was on the GE design team for the fire control on the '29. Used to take a system onto Erie in the winter to test.

[10-x]

10 X

That's Dolly, the "original dagger dog" she's just a memory now. She ruled the roost for 13 good years !
Spoiled rotten!
Mine is our 1st Grey, Kara. She is gone but never forgotten. Ashes are in a nice rosewood box on our mantel. Our current Grey is a mess. Long walk and ride to bark at duck in the AM, another ride to "duck bark" in the PM........naw he ain't spoiled.

[Chili]

My grandfather worked as a machinist in the Martin Bomber Building on what is now Offutt AFB in Nebraska. 531 B-29's were built there including the Enola Gay and Bockscar. From 1998-2003 I worked in that same building.

[dagger dog]

Does any one know if the Enola Gay is finished and on display ? She was supposed to be restored by volunteers from the Air Force and National Air and Space Museums , the last I heard she was stored in a Maryland warehouse and was under way , to be finished and sent on loan to the Smithsonian.

[10-x]

IIRC, part of her is on display. There was some brew ha ha a few years back about us nuking the japs and the display of Enola . Someone in N. Va should know.