Official B-29 Doc Restoration Thread

B-29 Watcher · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:38 pm

THANK YOU JEREMY; THOSE ARE SOME REALLY NICE PICTURES.

In can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to get the pictures & making the notes so I can place where it is & know what is happening there. I am sure that everyone enjoys them.
He (DOC) looks like a brand new "1945 B29-70-BW-PLUS-NLU"

IF you can get a clear picture of the mascot, so it can be the mascot of this blog.

AGAIN THANKS

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:51 pm

I'm glad you guys liked the pictures. We finished what we were doing early, so I had a few minutes to crawl around in it before the team left for the pub. We really have made every effort to make this thing like new. We could've probably gotten her off the ground much sooner (hell, Fifi went from desert to airborne in 3 years) but I think the extra time we've taken and money spent towards refurbishing everything to like - new status will pay off in the long run maintenance-wise

(And I mean no disrespect at all for the Fifi guys when I say that... they've kept their plane in the air since the 1970s and do a fantastic job maintaining her!)

B-29 Super Fort · **Joined:** Wed Sep 01, 2004 11:12 am **Posts:** 871

Jeremy Housdan wrote:

I'm glad you guys liked the pictures. We finished what we were doing early, so I had a few minutes to crawl around in it before the team left for the pub. We really have made every effort to make this thing like new. We could've probably gotten her off the ground much sooner (heck, Fifi went from desert to airborne in 3 years) but I think the extra time we've taken and money spent towards refurbishing everything to like - new status will pay off in the long run maintenance-wise

(And I mean no disrespect at all for the Fifi guys when I say that... they've kept their plane in the air since the 1970s and do a fantastic job maintaining her!)

Thanks for the photo update Jeremy! Look forward to your continued progress and photos.

APG85 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:42 am

Think I'd have to modify that Engineers Seat for some upper back support... :wink:

Thomas_Mac · **Posted:** Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:35 pm

Great post Jeremy! Thanks for taking the time to do all that.

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

APG85 wrote:

Think I'd have to modify that Engineers Seat for some upper back support... :wink:

Hence the reason for the type of engineer seat we have in "FIFI". Without the armor plate there just isn't much to lean on!

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:51 pm

Brad wrote:

APG85 wrote:

Think I'd have to modify that Engineers Seat for some upper back support... :wink:

Hence the reason for the type of engineer seat we have in "FIFI". Without the armor plate there just isn't much to lean on!

give it time and we may wind up modifying ours too!

Jeremy S · **Joined:** Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:39 am **Posts:** 120

Thank you for the pictures!

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:39 am

Small update guys...

I've been asked NOT to display any photos that are not officially released by our marketing team. I've had to go back and take down any photos I posted of the bomber itself or inside it.

Evidently I'm allowed to take all the photos I like, I just can't post any on public forums until the airplane has been "unveiled" to the public.

There's a million things I could say about this, but it's their airplane, their rules. I'll continue to give updates on how things are going, they'll just (sadly) be picture free.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 11:28 am

Jeremy Housdan wrote:

Small update guys...

I've been asked NOT to display any photos that are not officially released by our marketing team. I've had to go back and take down any photos I posted of the bomber itself or inside it.

Evidently I'm allowed to take all the photos I like, I just can't post any on public forums until the airplane has been "unveiled" to the public.

There's a million things I could say about this, but it's their airplane, their rules. I'll continue to give updates on how things are going, they'll just (sadly) be picture free.

Clearly this marketing team has never visited this site, and never realized the great MARKETING tactic that photo updates like this do for an aircraft restoration project. ESPECIALLY TO THOSE INTERESTED IN AVIATION HISTORY!

They need to talk to someone like Taigh or Chuck Wahl. If anything, their hurting their cause rather than helping it. We (as a very small niche) will probably be more inclined to buy merchandise and so forth if we see transparency and continual visual updates. Just plain silly. Im sure if there was an email we could be directed to, we could make a case.

maxum96 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:23 pm

Warbird Kid wrote:

Clearly this marketing team has never visited this site, and never realized the great MARKETING tactic that photo updates like this do for an aircraft restoration project. ESPECIALLY TO THOSE INTERESTED IN AVIATION HISTORY!

They need to talk to someone like Taigh or Chuck Wahl. If anything, their hurting their cause rather than helping it. We (as a very small niche) will probably be more inclined to buy merchandise and so forth if we see transparency and continual visual updates. Just plain silly. Im sure if there was an email we could be directed to, we could make a case.

Exactly! Boy did you hit the nail on the head. After viewing Taigh's photos and updates on the Harpoon, I bought 3 t-shirts from him. After doing some reading on MAAM's P-61 and seeing photos on the restoration, I bought a T-shirt and a coffee mug from them.

Doc's marketing people are making a big mistake not doing doing current restoration photos and info. I am a railroad foamer (railroad slang for railroad fans) and follow several websites on current steam locomotive restorations. The Union Pacific Railroad recently re acquired a Big Boy steam locomotive from a museum. Their intent is to restore and operate it. The have part of their website dedicated to the acquisition and restoration of the locomotive. They have photos and video updates from the people working on the engine. I have several items of their merchandise that I've bought from them.

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:05 pm

This isn't to say there won't be photos at all, just not ones that aren't approved by the marketing team...

... but I totally understand how everyone feels.

I think this stems from the fact that the marketing team has someone they pay to be the official doc photographer and if they had any inkling that I was making a profit from my photos, I'd get in trouble or at the very least get kicked off the restoration team, as I'm not interested in turning a profit on my doc photos (I've never been paid for them) and I most assuredly DON'T want to be removed from the staff, I'm complying with their wishes.

Rod Schneider · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:29 pm

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:43 pm

Wow seriously?? Are you guys TRYING to get me kicked out? Thanks a lot.

Jeremy Housdan · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:54 pm

It's clear to me that staying as a member here probably isn't a good idea. If you guys are willing to throw me under the bus because you aren't getting to see all the photos you want then you clearly aren't concerned about of I get to stay on the project or not... As I am the only one that will suffer for this. If i don't lose my volunteer status (which thanks to Robs letter I just might) I'm not sure if I will post again

Further to that, it wasn't the marketing team that told me this, but one of the higher ups on the volunteer chain, so they likely won't have any idea what you're talking about.

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