Help me, B-29 geeks....

[Speedy]

You know how they say that the journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step? Well...this is my first step.

Got kind of a pet project swirling around, and I need pointed in the right direction.

Back in the 1950's, the Air Force converted 16 B-29's to SB-29 "Super Dumbo's" for use in the Air Rescue Service. Where would I even start to look to find out what the serial numbers were on those 16 airframes?

Any help would be appreciated.

[mike furline]

Where would I even start to look to find out what the serial numbers were on those 16 airframes?

Google!
http://forum.armyairforces.com/Sixteen- ... 44339.aspx

http://books.google.com/books?id=5SdDW6 ... rs&f=false

Regards,

[Ken]

Wasn't it said that the B-29 marked as The Great Artiste on static at the main gate at Whiteman AFB, MO was actually a SB-29? Possibly the only surviving SB-29?

Rumors - I'll let the experts chime in.

Ken

[Second Air Force]

Yes, 671 is on the list. Go to the third page of the first link Mile posted above to get more information. Both Steve Birdsall and Bob Mann show her as an SB.

[Speedy]

The end result here is trying to locate a photograph of one of the SB-29's that my father flew. 3rd Air Rescue Group/76th Air Rescue Squadron out of Hickam AFB. He joined the squadron in 1955 and said that he flew the -29's for about a year before they were phased out for the C-54s and SA-16's.

He said that while he was there they had four SB-29's in the 76th ARS. Of the serial numbers I have been able to track down the ones that 'sound familiar to him' are:

44-61671
44-69957
44-84084
44-87761

What I'd like to try to do is research those airframes and see if those are correct.

I know the 3rd Air Rescue Group/76th Air Rescue Squadron was previously the 33rd Rescue Group/Squadron out of Okinawa.

My father says that one of the SB-29's was called the "OUTHOUSE MOUSE" (no...not the B-17....) and had the 'nose art' on the nose landing gear door. Was supposedly a cartoon of Mighty Mouse carrying an A-3 Edo lifeboat in his hand underneath his body.

I want to try to find out which airframe that was, and find a photograph of the artwork.

[APG85]

It would be neat if they could reconfigure that Whiteman B-29 back to it's SB-29 configuration with the lifeboat the NMUSAF just finished restoring....

[Second Air Force]

Speedy,

I did some rooting around in my B-29 stuff and I might have found your airplane. The 497th Bomb Group had an Outhouse Mouse, serial 44-70119, and she was later converted to a SB-29. I'm going out on a bit of a limb as far as the name goes, but I'm guessing that she kept her wartime nickname postwar. Here's a ship listing for the 73rd Wing with her I.D. toward the middle of the list. http://b-29.org/73BW/bomb-wing-data/nickname.htm

It may be a different airframe that ended up being named Outhouse Mouse during the SB-29 days, but the coincidence of name, serial number, and conversion to ASR duty are worth investigating.

Of the four airplanes you listed earlier, Mann has no record of 44-61671 being active after 1951 and 44-87761 having never been converted to SB-29 status. These results are per the Individual Aircraft Record Cards. The other two were definitely converted.

More later,
Scott

[Speedy]

Speedy,

I did some rooting around in my B-29 stuff and I might have found your airplane. The 497th Bomb Group had an Outhouse Mouse, serial 44-70119, and she was later converted to a SB-29. I'm going out on a bit of a limb as far as the name goes, but I'm guessing that she kept her wartime nickname postwar. Here's a ship listing for the 73rd Wing with her I.D. toward the middle of the list. http://b-29.org/73BW/bomb-wing-data/nickname.htm

It may be a different airframe that ended up being named Outhouse Mouse during the SB-29 days, but the coincidence of name, serial number, and conversion to ASR duty are worth investigating.

Of the four airplanes you listed earlier, Mann has no record of 44-61671 being active after 1951 and 44-87761 having never been converted to SB-29 status. These results are per the Individual Aircraft Record Cards. The other two were definitely converted.

More later,
Scott

Hi Scott.

Thanks for the info...that sounds like a good starting place. When we were going over the list of potential airframes, "0119" didn't ring a bell for him. But if there was some history of the name/airframe, it could make sense.

As for 1671...that was a point of discussion with my dad, because "671" and "761" were two of the numbers that 'sounded familiar'...both of which were SB-29's. But he admits that some of the numbers he was trying to remember could have been from the SA-16's or C-54's that he also flew.

[Second Air Force]

I'm chasing another possible lead, maybe a photo (cross your fingers on that one). I'll let you know what turns up. With relatively few airplanes to pick from I'd hope we can find something.

Scott