What's Going On W/ The B-29 At The Museum Of Aviation?
Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:36 am
A friend took these two pictures last week and I was curious about what was being done to the B-29? Any info out there? Thanks...
Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:52 am
well, could be one of several things:
1) they are going to move it someplace else in the museum, but there was not enough room, so they removed the outer wing panels.
2) They are creating a new racing class at Reno and they clipped the wings for more speed.
3) The AF museum is going to move another plane.......................
1) they are going to move it someplace else in the museum, but there was not enough room, so they removed the outer wing panels.
2) They are creating a new racing class at Reno and they clipped the wings for more speed.
3) The AF museum is going to move another plane.......................
Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:54 am
3) The AF museum is going to move another plane.......................
uh, oh!
I note that the #4 prop looks bent?
Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:58 am
I believe it is just being made ready to move into the new WWII hanger building.
Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:00 am
John Kerr wrote:I believe it is just being made ready to move into the new WWII hanger building.
That is what I read as well.
Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:03 am
From their web site.
The Museum of Aviation will �cut the ribbon� on its new World War II Exhibit Hangar tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. celebrating the completion of the 60,000 square-foot hangar which will honor the contributions of World War II veterans. The ceremony is free to the public and will feature music by the Band of the Air Force Reserve.
The large aircraft and exhibit hangar is the first new building added to the Museum complex in 12 years and brings the indoor space available for exhibits and education programs to more than 204,000 square feet in four buildings.
�We will now be able to bring inside 15 or 16 more historic airplanes in our collection to better preserve and protect them,� said Museum Director Ken Emery. �And eventually we plan to consolidate our World War II exhibits into this new hangar to offer students and visitors a better understanding of the historical significance of this major world conflict.�
The Museum will integrate the hangar and its exhibits into its education tours and field trips. Groups will learn about the war through photographs, actual WWII artifacts, aircraft and equipment and a 20-minute film being produced on D-Day seen through the eyes of a young French girl. Entitled Papa Said, �We Should Never Forget,� it was filmed in the French city of Graignes where paratroopers landed and fought on D-Day.
Over 70 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed in World War II making it the deadliest conflict in human history. More than 292,000 U.S. Military personnel lost their lives and another 671,000 were wounded. An estimated 10,000 allied military troops were killed during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Piedmont Construction Group, Macon/Atlanta, Georgia, built the new Museum hangar with designs by JMA Architechure, Perry, Georgia.
The Museum of Aviation will �cut the ribbon� on its new World War II Exhibit Hangar tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. celebrating the completion of the 60,000 square-foot hangar which will honor the contributions of World War II veterans. The ceremony is free to the public and will feature music by the Band of the Air Force Reserve.
The large aircraft and exhibit hangar is the first new building added to the Museum complex in 12 years and brings the indoor space available for exhibits and education programs to more than 204,000 square feet in four buildings.
�We will now be able to bring inside 15 or 16 more historic airplanes in our collection to better preserve and protect them,� said Museum Director Ken Emery. �And eventually we plan to consolidate our World War II exhibits into this new hangar to offer students and visitors a better understanding of the historical significance of this major world conflict.�
The Museum will integrate the hangar and its exhibits into its education tours and field trips. Groups will learn about the war through photographs, actual WWII artifacts, aircraft and equipment and a 20-minute film being produced on D-Day seen through the eyes of a young French girl. Entitled Papa Said, �We Should Never Forget,� it was filmed in the French city of Graignes where paratroopers landed and fought on D-Day.
Over 70 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed in World War II making it the deadliest conflict in human history. More than 292,000 U.S. Military personnel lost their lives and another 671,000 were wounded. An estimated 10,000 allied military troops were killed during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Piedmont Construction Group, Macon/Atlanta, Georgia, built the new Museum hangar with designs by JMA Architechure, Perry, Georgia.
Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:10 pm
Thanks for the update!
speed mod for the unlimited bomber class
Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:44 pm
Nathan wrote:3) The AF museum is going to move another plane.......................
uh, oh!
I note that the #4 prop looks bent?
its experimental!
Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:00 pm
The B-29 has been stored indoors for a number of years now, (since the mid 1990's, I believe) and to move it to the new hangar required that the wing panels be removed (as they had to be to get it in the hangar where it's been). The plane is in great shape on the exterior (not sure about the interior as I've not seen the inside).
When I was in the Georgia Wing of CAP, we used to have banquets in the hangar with the B-29, the SR-71, P-51D and a few others I can't recall now. Great ambiance.
Walt
When I was in the Georgia Wing of CAP, we used to have banquets in the hangar with the B-29, the SR-71, P-51D and a few others I can't recall now. Great ambiance.
Walt
Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:47 am
I've been researching the B-29B aircraft for some time now. This airplane is 44-84053, originally a B-29B-55-BA, and I have not been able to find good information as to where she was assigned after being accepted by the AAF. No records of assignment to the 315th Bomb Wing have surfaced so far. It would be nice to replicate the APQ-7 and APG-15 radar antennae and install them.
Scott
Scott
Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:14 am
RareBear wrote:The plane is in great shape on the exterior (not sure about the interior as I've not seen the inside).
Walt
Yes, except B-29's were NOT painted silver. Better to leave it natural metal for museum purposes (if there is no money to polish it). It would be neat to see what the interior is like. I think this plane came from the Aberdeen proving grounds (need to check my B-29 history) so I would expect the interior to be pretty rough unless a restoration effort has gone into it...
Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:49 am
I did a peek in the blister and the nose when I was there, and the "areas" that I saw appeared to be pretty much complete. If I can get over there some time in the near future, I will try to coordinate a real peek&Photograph....I am sure that there are rules against that. It's like...its closed and we cannnnnnnnot open it.But ya never know.
Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:59 am
Early 2007 I was performing my Reserve duty at Robins and made a special arrangement for them to open the nose of the B-29 so that my neighbor (who was a flight engineer called up for KB-29s during Korea) could see the FE station. The interior is very rough, although they are slowly but steadily working on it. The foks we met on staff there were very generous and seemed quite sincere in their efforts to preserve the bomber. I have a few snapshots but no photobucket account. When time allows I'll eventually share those and many others - but, believe me, you're not missing much, as she is pretty rough.
Ken
Ken