Historic B-29 ‘Doc’ expects to be back in the air by spring

Opinion: Even though the B-29 was the best we had at one time it really was a POS in many ways. The electric prop system was a bugger just to name one feature I was not impressed with. But for it's day and time it was the best we had.. I hope they get the old girl flying again; which is the plan.

The historic B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc,” will stay warm inside a Boeing Wichita hangar until next spring — when it is expected to make its first flight.

Volunteers restoring the bomber had thought it would fly by the end of 2014.

“We had some delays putting in the fuel system, and that was our biggest hold-up,” said Jim Murphy, the program manager for the restoration project. “Now, we’ve got it all done, and we could go outside anytime. But the temperature is really our hold-up now.”

Making sure the fuel system was done correctly was a big job.

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a reply to: 727Sky

Both it and Fifi will be flying together at Oshkosh this year.

Compared to what is flying now yes the B-29 might seem dated but show a little respect, maybe its not to late to re-phrase with better terms? That was one of the top of the line machines all those years ago and brought a lot of innovation to the aviation world. Look at what the B-17 crews had to endure that the B-29 changed.

Oshkosh is one of those shows you just do not want to miss, I traded a guy in my car club some parts for copies of his pics and there has to be 150 maybe more aircraft to see and lots of other aviation/military exhibits. Definitely going to make an effort to get there for the 2015 show. A pair of B-29s will be a sight, might even get a good pic opportunity for a B-17/B-29 formation flight. Heritage bomber flight would be one hell of a sight too.

B-17, B-52 Heritage Flight
Lancaster with "FiFI"

a reply to: StratosFear

It really was an amazing feat of technology, but at the same time, they lost at least one aircraft on take off every mission because of the engine problems that they had. It was designed to fly high enough that fighters couldn't intercept it, but the engines couldn't go that high with a payload. At one point they actually removed guns from them to reduce weight so they could climb higher.

Fifi visited here in 2012. What an awesome sight!

a reply to: Zaphod58

It was pressed into service before that was worked out wasn't it? I didn't know the engine problems were that bad to lose an aircraft or two on every mission from engine failures. I suppose with the loss rates of B17s the numbers for the B29 looked good back then. Glad that part of history is over.

a reply to: StratosFear

Yeah, they had to press it into service fast. They were actually afraid that either Enola Gay or Bockscar would crash on takeoff spreading radiation over the area.