PIMA's B 29
Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:35 pm
I heard a story, that a movie [don't know which] spent $1,000,000.00 on pima's B 29 so that they could get some footage of it taxing on the runway. Does anyone know if I heard right or wrong, or was I just dreaming. Thanks
Re: PIMA's B 29
Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:09 pm
tex-fan wrote:I heard a story, that a movie [don't know which] spent $1,000,000.00 on pima's B 29 so that they could get some footage of it taxing on the runway. Does anyone know if I heard right or wrong, or was I just dreaming. Thanks
They would have to pull her and digitize the props turning!
Photoshop anyone!
Jamesintucson would have the 'truth'!!!??
Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:22 pm
well, the way it was told to me, it was before all this new era of tech, so if a movie wanted to film a b 29 or any other planes you had to actually have the real thing. like i said i may have heard the story wrong, i don't remember it wright.
Re: PIMA's B 29
Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:30 pm
tex-fan wrote:I heard a story, that a movie [don't know which] spent $1,000,000.00 on pima's B 29 so that they could get some footage of it taxing on the runway. Does anyone know if I heard right or wrong, or was I just dreaming. Thanks
Our B-29 appeared in the TV movie "Enola Gay." It was static and did not taxi. The movie production may have paid us something for our trouble but I doubt it was anywhere near a million bucks.
James
Pima B-29
Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:08 pm
The B-29 used in "The Last Flight of Noah's Ark" was "Fertile Myrtle", which was flying at that time, and now in the Weeks collection.
Four China Lake hulks were destroyed for the various set pieces, though I don't know what condition they were in before Disney got ahold of them.
Four China Lake hulks were destroyed for the various set pieces, though I don't know what condition they were in before Disney got ahold of them.
Re: PIMA's B 29
Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:47 pm
[quote="jamesintucson"][quote="tex-fan"]I heard a story, that a movie [don't know which] spent $1,000,000.00 on pima's B 29 so that they could get some footage of it taxing on the runway. Does anyone know if I heard right or wrong, or was I just dreaming. Thanks[/quote]
Our B-29 appeared in the TV movie "Enola Gay." It was static and did not taxi. The movie production may have paid us something for our trouble but I doubt it was anywhere near a million bucks.
James[/quote]
ok thanks, i guess i was dreaming. congrats again, on your B-36
Our B-29 appeared in the TV movie "Enola Gay." It was static and did not taxi. The movie production may have paid us something for our trouble but I doubt it was anywhere near a million bucks.
James[/quote]
ok thanks, i guess i was dreaming. congrats again, on your B-36
Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:04 am
Both "Fertile Myrtle" and the CAF's "Fifi" were the two flyables
in "Enola Gay" with Pima's as a static item as mentioned.
It was shot at Davis-Monthan in Tucson in 1980.
Pima acquired the remains of two B-29's from "Noah's Ark"
via Disney Studios after thay had appeared in "The Right
Stuff" in 1983.
Maybe the $1 million was the budget for the Aerial Unit?
in "Enola Gay" with Pima's as a static item as mentioned.
It was shot at Davis-Monthan in Tucson in 1980.
Pima acquired the remains of two B-29's from "Noah's Ark"
via Disney Studios after thay had appeared in "The Right
Stuff" in 1983.
Maybe the $1 million was the budget for the Aerial Unit?
Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:03 am
So, how much north of $1m would it take to get K-40 up and running?
What a dream.., she looks better now than i think she EVER did.., but flying.., ahhhhhhh..,
What a dream.., she looks better now than i think she EVER did.., but flying.., ahhhhhhh..,
Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:26 am
[quote="the330thbg"]So, how much north of $1m would it take to get [size=18][b][color=orange]K-[/color][/b][/size][b][size=18]40[/size] [/b]up and running?
What a dream.., she looks better now than i think she [size=18]EVER[/size] did.., but flying.., ahhhhhhh..,[/quote]
I talked to Pima yesterday, and he stated that they don't actually own K-40, the air force does, but my uneducated guess to get her flying, $9,000,000... My thinking is that Fifi was an airworthy plane, and it's costing over a million to get new engines on her. but K-40 flying, yeah WAY COOL.
What a dream.., she looks better now than i think she [size=18]EVER[/size] did.., but flying.., ahhhhhhh..,
[/quote]
I talked to Pima yesterday, and he stated that they don't actually own K-40, the air force does, but my uneducated guess to get her flying, $9,000,000... My thinking is that Fifi was an airworthy plane, and it's costing over a million to get new engines on her. but K-40 flying, yeah WAY COOL.
Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:07 am
Pima's B-29 was brought over to the southern perimeter fence of Davis Monthan AFB with a bunch of other aircraft which was the start of what was then called the Pima County Air Museum.
They were protected by a simple barbed wire fence which evidently didn't slow down too many folks and several of the aircraft were vandalized. The B-29 was looted pretty heavily. The instrument panels were taken along with radios and equipment in both the forward and aft pressure compartments.
She was/is a TB-29 that had her turrets and associated systems removed. She also had avionics upgrades that removed many of her original WWII radios. She still had bomb racks installed in both of her bomb bays. I think she was retired to DM in 1958 but I am not sure of this.
When I started as a volunteer at Pima around 1978 a gentleman named Earl Heath had started putting her back together, Earl was a Korean war air crewman who flew on the B-29 Honey Bucket Honshos (as I recall). He and Bob Johnson (Director of Restoration) had gone to China Lake and retrieved a lot of parts for 44-70016 to make her more representative of a combat ready B-29. They brought back a set of 5 turrets, CFC seat, equipment racks and the instrument panels to replace the ones that had been stolen.
I asked and was allowed to help work on the B-29 to put the gear back in which soon became my obsession. I scrounged all of the instruments, radios, radar and everything else I could find to make her interior more complete.
Here are some photos of her from the good old days.
Hers is the aft unpressurized compartment with the APU on the right. "my" boarding ladder is laying on the floor in the middle. This ladder and several other parts were borrowed by the CAF during the filming of the 1988 movie "The Enola Gay" and never returned. Boy was I pissed about that!
Forward bomb bay looking aft. I had begun to stash B-29 parts in the bomb bay so they wouldn't get lost.
Aft bomb bay looking forward
I think this is Bob Fawver who was the museum director at the time but I am not certain of this.
Starting to fit the instrument panels and instruments. These panels came from China Lake
As you all said she does look a lot better than she did. For an aircraft that flew in in the late 1950's and was looted pretty heavily she has come back a long way.
I am not sure of the cost to bring her back to an airworthy status but I did personally fly her for hundreds of hours back in the late 1970's!
They were protected by a simple barbed wire fence which evidently didn't slow down too many folks and several of the aircraft were vandalized. The B-29 was looted pretty heavily. The instrument panels were taken along with radios and equipment in both the forward and aft pressure compartments.
She was/is a TB-29 that had her turrets and associated systems removed. She also had avionics upgrades that removed many of her original WWII radios. She still had bomb racks installed in both of her bomb bays. I think she was retired to DM in 1958 but I am not sure of this.
When I started as a volunteer at Pima around 1978 a gentleman named Earl Heath had started putting her back together, Earl was a Korean war air crewman who flew on the B-29 Honey Bucket Honshos (as I recall). He and Bob Johnson (Director of Restoration) had gone to China Lake and retrieved a lot of parts for 44-70016 to make her more representative of a combat ready B-29. They brought back a set of 5 turrets, CFC seat, equipment racks and the instrument panels to replace the ones that had been stolen.
I asked and was allowed to help work on the B-29 to put the gear back in which soon became my obsession. I scrounged all of the instruments, radios, radar and everything else I could find to make her interior more complete.
Here are some photos of her from the good old days.
Hers is the aft unpressurized compartment with the APU on the right. "my" boarding ladder is laying on the floor in the middle. This ladder and several other parts were borrowed by the CAF during the filming of the 1988 movie "The Enola Gay" and never returned. Boy was I pissed about that!
Forward bomb bay looking aft. I had begun to stash B-29 parts in the bomb bay so they wouldn't get lost.
Aft bomb bay looking forward
I think this is Bob Fawver who was the museum director at the time but I am not certain of this.
Starting to fit the instrument panels and instruments. These panels came from China Lake
As you all said she does look a lot better than she did. For an aircraft that flew in in the late 1950's and was looted pretty heavily she has come back a long way.
I am not sure of the cost to bring her back to an airworthy status but I did personally fly her for hundreds of hours back in the late 1970's!
Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:06 am
Taigh Ramey
thanks for that info and those great pics. your B-29 is really a gem. and thanks to you and all the GREAT folks at PIMA you all do so much for all us warbird nuts.
thanks for that info and those great pics. your B-29 is really a gem. and thanks to you and all the GREAT folks at PIMA you all do so much for all us warbird nuts.
Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:24 am
This plane is a beauty now. Thanks for posting the pictures. When are you going to post some shots of that nose section you've got hidden away Taigh?
Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:49 am
Thought I'd share these I took last X-mas 
Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:02 am
WOW.., I did not realize she came to you in such a state!
and just look at her now.., amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
Great job boys.., i never knew the backstory on her.., by the looks of her now.., i just assumed you found her tucked away in a forgotten hangar somewhere to be in such an amazing shape.
GREAT JOB ALL!!!!
and just look at her now.., amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
Great job boys.., i never knew the backstory on her.., by the looks of her now.., i just assumed you found her tucked away in a forgotten hangar somewhere to be in such an amazing shape.
GREAT JOB ALL!!!!
Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:43 am
hey steve, your last pic is great, she looks like she could just taxi out and go on a mission, and with that P-63 flying cover.