B-29 at the Hill Aerospace Museum

[APG85]

Does anyone know the condition of the B-29 at the Hill Aerospace Museum? I know its been re-painted and is now indoors. Pictures on the internet show the outer wings are removed. What's the interior like?
Just curious. Thank you.

[wendovertom]

I have a bunch of recent museum photos I keep intending to put up. Yes, the wing tips were removed to get her inside. I have not been in it since the early 2000's but at that time it was pretty sketchy. Lots of corrosion. This is partially why they removed the upper turret - the ring might have fallen through into the interior. At the time I was in the plane the crew tube was very weak. The exciting thing is they are having an open cockpit day with the plane in about 2 weeks - I will try and get some photos then! We (Wendover Airfield Museum) have been invited to have a booth as part of the open cockpit day! As the museum sorts out its new space they tell me they intend on getting the outer wings back on.

As I'm sure you know, the plane spent significant time on the Dugway Proving Grounds and that is (without the chemical testing aspect) a pretty corrosive environment.

Tom P.

[APG85]

Thank you for the details. I saw some online pictures years ago of this plane and it looked like it had some pretty severe skin corrosion on the fuselage. Made me wonder what the rest of the structure was like.
Glad it's indoors now. Wonder if they have a restoration plan or if the goal was to just "stabilize" it for now.

[JohnB]

I wonder if there are any assemblies from the parted-out or sectioned B-29s that could be used in lieu of extensive or expensive repairs?

Last I heard, film studios had some sections and even the Air Force too noses off otherwise irreparable aircraft.
One nose ended up in a base museum...Beale? Offutt?

The Hill museum is still on my naughty list for scrapping their B-47 a couple of years ago.