Some Neat Pictures

[Greg_in_Ohio]

The YB-52 was cannibalized to keep the XB-52 in operation. The XB-52 operated out of Wright Patterson with its two outboard pods replaced by single J-75 engines during the early days of the YB-52's display at the museum. The YB-52 was removed from display and towed to the base fire pit by 1965 and some of its remains were visible in the fire pit and dump into the early 1970's.

The NB-52C 53-0399 was at Wright Patterson until 1969, but it was painted silver overall for its last several years at WPAFB, so I estimate that the picture of this aircraft with dayglo paint and white belly was taken in late 1950's or early 1960's. If you look closely at the NB-52C, you can see that it had the prototpye installation of J-57-43 engines that were later used on the B-52F.

[Edward Sheetmetalhands]

That B-29-55-MO is a special machine--notice the "Andy Gump" engine cowling and nacelle modifications, and the trusses for carrying the X-7/XQ-5 missile.

Great photos!
Scott

This is a general bump to see if anymore information turns up on that B-29. I found the following; but unfortunately not much more than what Scott has already said.

From the X-planes website:

And from Baugher's website: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1944_6.html
86402 used as mothership for X-7/XQ-5 programs. Reported early 1970s
to be at Aircraft Industries Museum, Louisville, KY

44-84073 Bell-Atlanta B-29B-60-BA Superfortress
Used as mothership for X-7/XQ-5 programs

1. E-mail from John Withers on 41-10571, 44-47519, 44-84073, 44-86402, 46-002, 46-011, 46-687/8, 48-068, 48-069, 48-209, 49-879, 50-509, 59-1838, 51-2848, 52-5528, 53-399, 56-766, 63-8372, 82-0003, 83-1120. Plus more A-30 RAF/USAAF serial tieups

So evidently, two B-29's were modified to carry the X-7 and XQ-5's, plus possibly a B-50. If anyone had a photo of the other B-29; B-29B-60-BO, serial 44-84073 it would allow us to compare the two to determine:
1. Did the modification package include updating the engines also; or was that unique to 86402? Did the Martin Omaha B-29's use the Boeing Wichita wing join style at bodyline zero, or the Renton B-29A style which bolted the wing halves to a wing box? If it was the Renton style wing, then possibly the modification could have been a B-50 wing swap. The sole B-29D/XB-44 used these engines, but that was B-29A-5-BN 42-93845.
2. Was the tail cone consistent with both aircraft? It looks very much like the tail cone on the B-50's modified for the three hose and drogue refueling. More B-50 parts. Was 402 a composite of a B-29 and a junk B-50? Was there a purpose for the tail cone on the X-7?
3. What happened to the Aircraft Industries Museum in Louisville, KY? Is it still there? Not easy to find on the web. Was 86402 scrapped sometime after 1973, or does this exist as a display somewhere? The world wonders.

Funny they would have scrapped one when others were recovering B-29's out of Aberdeen.

[Canso42]

Chris, I thought the six seat BT was a Spartan too. But the windows looked odd, like little bomber windows and the tail is wrong. But it sure fooled me at first glance.

[Shay]

Now under restoration to fly in Urbana (or atleast some of it.)







Shay
_____________
Semper Fortis

[Second Air Force]

That B-29-55-MO is a special machine--notice the "Andy Gump" engine cowling and nacelle modifications, and the trusses for carrying the X-7/XQ-5 missile.

Great photos!
Scott

This is a general bump to see if anymore information turns up on that B-29. I found the following; but unfortunately not much more than what Scott has already said.



So evidently, two B-29's were modified to carry the X-7 and XQ-5's, plus possibly a B-50. If anyone had a photo of the other B-29; B-29B-60-BO, serial 44-84073 it would allow us to compare the two to determine:
1. Did the modification package include updating the engines also; or was that unique to 86402? Did the Martin Omaha B-29's use the Boeing Wichita wing join style at bodyline zero, or the Renton B-29A style which bolted the wing halves to a wing box? If it was the Renton style wing, then possibly the modification could have been a B-50 wing swap. The sole B-29D/XB-44 used these engines, but that was B-29A-5-BN 42-93845.
2. Was the tail cone consistent with both aircraft? It looks very much like the tail cone on the B-50's modified for the three hose and drogue refueling. More B-50 parts. Was 402 a composite of a B-29 and a junk B-50? Was there a purpose for the tail cone on the X-7?
3. What happened to the Aircraft Industries Museum in Louisville, KY? Is it still there? Not easy to find on the web. Was 86402 scrapped sometime after 1973, or does this exist as a display somewhere? The world wonders.

Funny they would have scrapped one when others were recovering B-29's out of Aberdeen.

I'll see if I can clear up a couple of the questions. (Or make it even more confusing....)

1. Only Renton airplanes had the integral center section carry-through. All Wichita, Omaha, and Marietta airplanes have identical wings. The Andy Gump nacelles were not widespread, but they did appear on some special use aircraft, notably a few tankers. That leads into question 2.

2. That tailcone does indeed look like a tanker stinger. It is possible that '402 was a testbed for the tanker conversion program or was actually configured that way in "normal" service. We'd have to get the IARC to be sure. If you put the Andy Gump cowlings and the tailcone together it would appear that she was either a dedicated tanker or development KB-29 airframe before the X-7 assignment.

I haven't any idea on question 3, but I'd like to know what happened to these old girls too.

Here is a really interesting side-view of '073. http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/764/3/3/27
This is probably pretty accurate. I'm not certain if this airplane was assigned to the 315th Bombardment Wing or not, but several ships with higher serial numbers were. No tailcone mods either. I thought the JATO was an interesting addition, also!

The last time we were at AFHRA I discovered some documents pertaining to Superfortress use in the postwar period. The simple version is this: Strategic bombers (nuclear armed, via Silverplate or Saddletree) were to standardize on Boeing Wichita airframes only. The USAF hand picked low time airframes for this purpose, up to around 300 planes. All the rest, high time Wichita, Renton, Martin, and Bell were used for tactical bombers in Korea, tankers, parts donors, RB-29s, and all the utility uses. That is why you see a fairly large number of Martin and Bell airplanes modified for odd uses--the Bs and some Martin aircraft came from the factory sans turrets and other equipment.

Scott

[Edward Sheetmetalhands]

I'll see if I can clear up a couple of the questions. (Or make it even more confusing....)

1. Only Renton airplanes had the integral center section carry-through. All Wichita, Omaha, and Marietta airplanes have identical wings. The Andy Gump nacelles were not widespread, but they did appear on some special use aircraft, notably a few tankers. That leads into question 2.

2. That tailcone does indeed look like a tanker stinger. It is possible that '402 was a testbed for the tanker conversion program or was actually configured that way in "normal" service. We'd have to get the IARC to be sure. If you put the Andy Gump cowlings and the tailcone together it would appear that she was either a dedicated tanker or development KB-29 airframe before the X-7 assignment.

I haven't any idea on question 3, but I'd like to know what happened to these old girls too.

Here is a really interesting side-view of '073. http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/764/3/3/27
This is probably pretty accurate. I'm not certain if this airplane was assigned to the 315th Bombardment Wing or not, but several ships with higher serial numbers were. No tailcone mods either. I thought the JATO was an interesting addition, also!

The last time we were at AFHRA I discovered some documents pertaining to Superfortress use in the postwar period. The simple version is this: Strategic bombers (nuclear armed, via Silverplate or Saddletree) were to standardize on Boeing Wichita airframes only. The USAF hand picked low time airframes for this purpose, up to around 300 planes. All the rest, high time Wichita, Renton, Martin, and Bell were used for tactical bombers in Korea, tankers, parts donors, RB-29s, and all the utility uses. That is why you see a fairly large number of Martin and Bell airplanes modified for odd uses--the Bs and some Martin aircraft came from the factory sans turrets and other equipment.

Scott

Thanks, Scott. You are a wealth of information. That was a nice view of the jet engine testbed. Reminds me of the different configuration testbeds that Boeing has put the first 757 through. I suppose there are always the "favorite" hacks for the engineers to play with. Maybe someone from Kentucky can chime in on their memories of that air museum in Louisville.

[Second Air Force]

I think I may have been a bit unclear about those modified cowlings on '402. The "Andy Gump" nacelle project was an attempt to improve cooling and performance of the original 3350s. I may have left the impression that they are part of the later 4360 powered B-29D and B-50. I apologize if I led you astray on that one. The Andy Gump set-up was tested on the XB-29 and there are photos of her with both the original and experimental cowlings installed on the left engines. The Gump-cowled 3350s were installed on a fairly small number of B-29s (fourteen seems to pop into my head for some reason). I have seen pictures of at least a couple of KB-29s with them, and the famous B-29B Pacusan Dreamboat had a set later on. A lot of hope and money was poured into trying to cool those early 3350s, but about the best anyone came up with was the cuffed propellers and shortened cowl flaps.

Scott

[TimAPNY]

Does anybody else see anything wrong with that photo of the YB-52?

Hint, look at the landing gear!

The YB-52

interesting, I never noticed that on other photos I've seen, I guess the nose had my attention.

Tim

[wacoykc]

During the time those were taken, the BT-13 Viceroy was owned by Paul & Louise Pfoutz, who both also owned stock BT-13's that they flew around the midwest attending various shows. After the both died and their strip was sold (now owned by the gal who runs Women In Aviation, Peggy Baty (sp)). The Viceroy sat there for several years and then was flown out to Lebenon/Warren Co. airport where it still resides today. Has not flown in years.