B-29 For Sale
Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:42 pm
Found this from Air Classics in June 2004:
Kermit Weeks offers one of his spare B-29s
Kermit Weeks is offering for sale, through Aero Trader, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress restoration package that is surplus to his amazing collection. This aircraft had been one of the machines stored for many years at China Lake, California, where the Navy used the veteran bombers as targets for modern weapons. Fortunately, this machine was not damaged by weapons. "What is being offered for sale is a fairly complete package," states Aero Trader's Tony Ritzman. "As a flying restoration, the B-29 is about 85 percent complete and as a static restoration it is nearly 100 percent complete. The Superfortress project comes with four engines and propellers. Over the years, the interior has been picked of instruments and other components but this plane certainly could fly again." For more information on the B-29 restoration package, call Tony or Carl Scholl at 909-597-4020.
Does anyone know if this sold?
Kermit Weeks offers one of his spare B-29s
Kermit Weeks is offering for sale, through Aero Trader, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress restoration package that is surplus to his amazing collection. This aircraft had been one of the machines stored for many years at China Lake, California, where the Navy used the veteran bombers as targets for modern weapons. Fortunately, this machine was not damaged by weapons. "What is being offered for sale is a fairly complete package," states Aero Trader's Tony Ritzman. "As a flying restoration, the B-29 is about 85 percent complete and as a static restoration it is nearly 100 percent complete. The Superfortress project comes with four engines and propellers. Over the years, the interior has been picked of instruments and other components but this plane certainly could fly again." For more information on the B-29 restoration package, call Tony or Carl Scholl at 909-597-4020.
Does anyone know if this sold?
Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:43 pm
Neat pictures but.... Yikes, what a mess.
Definately looks like another fuselage is there also.....
Definately looks like another fuselage is there also.....
Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:02 pm
Yah...that other fuselage section is the other half of 44-70102 "Here's Hopin" that's sitting in the China Lake boneyard...
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:06 pm
Wonder if theres any chance of those componenets being re-united....
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:08 pm
Actually, it looks like a least two forward and rear fuselage sections are in the pictures........
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:17 pm
Well unless those parts of 70102 that wandered off get donated back to the Museum here it ain't likely to happen.
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:26 pm
How much of 70102 still exists???
The USNAM got a cockpit section of a B-29 stored away at the Kansas Aviation Museum (not to mention a whole wing and some horizontal stabilizers).
The USNAM got a cockpit section of a B-29 stored away at the Kansas Aviation Museum (not to mention a whole wing and some horizontal stabilizers).
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:39 pm
Well everything from the aft pressure bulkhead forward is mostly "there". It got robbed for parts, sombody took a saw to the fuselage over the bomb bays to get the crew tubes out. Part of the greenhouse was sawed off so if you sit in the bombardeers seat your feet hang out in the breeze. It's a hulk, but with time, money and her missing bits brought back she'd make a good static display, which all we want to do at this point. Now if sombody bought Weeks' two B-29's and worked something out with the Navy for those missing bits (slaps self.....what am I thinking! deal with NHC and that mess? 
)
Anyway, she sits for now, tucked away from the scavengers.
I know where that SB-29 nose came from......that's a sore subject around here as is even mentioning USNAM
)
Anyway, she sits for now, tucked away from the scavengers.
I know where that SB-29 nose came from......that's a sore subject around here as is even mentioning USNAM
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:45 pm
Well, if it's a sore subject...not much I can do. Do you know its serial number?
Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:57 pm
No...all the data plates are missing. the only way I was able to ID it was from a Squadron/Signal book and some other photos I have of various B-29's that USED to inhabit parts of the base. Here's Hopin has damage in very specific areas that no other B-29 here had. Also where it was in correlation to where the photos were shot, match.
I was also the one that found her nose art and 6 bomb symbols while cleaning her up.
She was assigned to the 444th bomb group and judging from the bomb symbols, made 6 trips.
there is some confusion though....the only wartime photo I've found does NOT match her tail number, maybe she was #2 after the first one got junked in theater?
I was also the one that found her nose art and 6 bomb symbols while cleaning her up.
She was assigned to the 444th bomb group and judging from the bomb symbols, made 6 trips.
there is some confusion though....the only wartime photo I've found does NOT match her tail number, maybe she was #2 after the first one got junked in theater?
Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:15 pm
I'm confused after looking at the Aerotrader photos of the B-29 for sale. It appears the nose section of Fertile Myrtle is sitting there as well, yet in the other photo below it shows the nose section restored. Was the Aerotrader photo an old photo before it was restored? See below:
Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:52 pm
Gee...that nose greenhouse section looks like it'll fit perfectly.......
Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:24 pm
I'm just curious how many of the B-29s out there could be restored to flying condition. Could the Korean one and the IWM one be restored with relative ease?
Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:15 pm
In regards to the "Fertile Mrytle" nose art on the fuselage. If this was a recent photo, then there is a chance that it was one of the B-29's used in "The Last Flight of Noah's Ark", since the B-29 "Boat" was painted with the same nose art. Can anybody out there confirm where the "Noah's Ark" B-29 parts are or went?
Jerry
Jerry