B-29 restoration to fly in Connecticut?

[K5DH]

B-29 buffs, I need your help. I heard from a questionable source that there is allegedly a B-29 currently under restoration to flying condition somewhere in Connecticut. My source said he'd read this somewhere just recently, but he couldn't recall where. He said it was in print, not online. I told him about FIFI, Doc, Kermit Weeks' ship, and the one in California that was towed through out of China Lake through the desert not long ago, with these being the only B-29s in private hands that were either being restored to fly or are considered candidates to be restored to flying condition. He said none of these were the one he read about, and he was sure about his information. I told him I'd look into it, but I really think he was mistaken. Perhaps there's a static B-29 in CT that's getting a cosmetic restoration, and he either misunderstood or it was mis-reported in whatever medium he was reading? This fellow is not a pilot or a serious warbird enthusiast, but he is somewhat of an aviation buff and he works at Bell Helicopter on the V-22 program.

[Warhawk]

The only one I've heard of in Ct is Jack's Hack (B 29A 44-61975(front) and 44-61739 (rear))at NEAM. It's no flyer though. http://www.neam.org/58th/hack.asp

[TAdan]

I agree with Warhawk, perhaps they are just misinformed about the NEAM's static example. It is a beautiful restoration and it certainly "looks" airworthy.

[mustangdriver]

My ex-sister in law was in those parts a few years ago, and said that someone told here there was a B-29 being restored to fly as well. I had just assumed someone was telling her about Jack's hack.

[Jerry O'Neill]

"Jack's Hack" has been undergoing restoration for many years and is a remarkable project. This airframe is indeed a privately owned example, the US Army giving clear title to the aircraft when it was recovered from Aberdeen back in 1973.

This aircraft, along with the cockpit section of "Big Time Operator", also in the NEAM collection, are the only B-29 airframe parts in CT that I'm aware of.
Jerry

[APG85]

I'm sure this is a confusion with Jack's Hack which is never going to fly due mainly to its vertical which is a swap from DOC and has been cosmetically restored but is incapable of flight. The only B-29 close to flight is FIFI. DOC is years away. Anything else (Fertile Myrtle) would need buckets of money and a huge effort to get back into the air...

[Jerry O'Neill]

Actually, the vertical isn't the main reason that "Jack's Hack" will never fly. Long before the trade of vertical fins, the damaged spar from the tornado was going to be repaired with another complete airworthy spar taken from another B-29 at Aberdeen. The powers that be decided that it would be easier to just cut the new spar and splice the ends onto the old spar ends. Hence, the splice is not airworthy.

Too bad an airworthy spar was cut, but that's they war the cookie crumbles!
Jerry

[K5DH]

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm sure my friend was reading about Jack's Hack, and there was probably some confusion either in the article he was reading or in his own head. I'm sure they'd *like* to make Jack's Hack flyable. . . and I know we'd all *like* for that to happen. . .

Cheers, everybody!

[Nathan]

Last time I was at Geneseo a few weeks ago a couple of the office people where talking about a B-29 coming to Geneseo. I didn't even bother telling them I don't see that happening. But it seemed they were serious about it! I dont know.

[richkolasa]

I was up at NEAM this past Friday. As Jerry said, it's the spar that is questionable, but even with a good spar, this B-29 would never fly. I'm sure that our guide, Paul Giguere, a former B-29 waist-gunner, would have mentioned another potential flyer if one existed in CT.





Rich

[Edward Sheetmetalhands]

As mentioned, the rudder, vertical, and dorsal fins were not airworthy. Doc's original vertical/dorsal/rudder assembly were long gone, having been sawzalled off decades before when it was being towed to its resting spot (to get it under power lines). Unfortunately, they never found it. They did find a vertical from a different B-29, also cut for the same purpose and then ground strafed by Navy planes. Obviously, the irregular cut lines did not match at all and made for a difficult job to build a static example. With all new skins, it looks good on the outside, though. If I recall correctly, the original Jack's Hack vertical had a Briggs and Stratton data plate on it having been made by a different subcontractor. The New England parts were disassembled, cleaned up, repaired, and individually painted prior to reassembly for Doc. That meant reskinning two dorsals, two verticals, and recovering two rudders.

Last edited by Edward Sheetmetalhands on Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Rich;
Were you able to get a look inside "Jack's Hack" during your visit?
It's pretty fabulous inside.
Jerry

[Second Air Force]

Rich;
Were you able to get a look inside "Jack's Hack" during your visit?
It's pretty fabulous inside.
Jerry

I haven't seen her in person, but from the photos I've seen that airplane is pretty fabulous on the outside, too. I tip my hat to everyone that worked on that restoration.

Scott

[APG85]

Beautiful restoration. Any interior pictures? Where did they get the turrets?

[mustangdriver]

She is a beauty.