Museum of Flight B-29 out on display (kind of)

[wingman1]

From what I understand, the next priority after the Space Gallery is the Commercial Aircraft Gallery, which is to be built where the Connie, 727, 737, 747, Concorde, and VC-137 currently sit. After that, a Military Gallery is planned. I have been told that it will have room for the 17, 29, 47, and 52 that they have up in Everett.

It has been awhile since I have heard anything about this, though. Hopefully it is still in the works. I know that Boeing donated a large chunk of land adjacent to the Airpark a couple of years ago, so they have the room for the expansions. All they need now is the funds...

Kris

so Doc will not be made airworthy and flown then?

[The Inspector]

Getting the B-52 from KPAE to KBFI will take some considerable efforts on the museums part. About13 years ago three other TRAMCO employees and me de miled that aircraft to meet the requirements of the SALT II treaty, including removal of hydraulics tubing, cutting and removing sections of generator feeder cables, cutting an removing all the engine control cables. The last item accomplished was using a plasma cutter to cut through the cowls and into the turbine section and turbine shaft of each engine, all verified as acceptable by the international inspectors who came to witness the disabling and verify that it would take more than 30 days to restore the systems all stipulations in the treaty.(plus, it's been vandalized while parked @ KPAE and things have been 'liberated') It's finally come to a resting place on a remote corner of the civilian ramp as moving it involved contacting the USAF/DoD to contact the Russians and Chinese to get an OK to move it and to where by GPS coordinates. moving it to that EXACT location then having the location verified by satellites. Then, going through the whole circus in reverse to put it back where it was before after the event (like an air show) which could take months to accomplish, so it would be a disassemble, truck down I-5 to KBFI and re erect.
Same deal (except for the DoD stuff) to get the #2 727-22 Ex UAL from KPAE as United took every rotable when they left it and other parts got sold to TRAMCO customers to replace broken flap tracks or slat tracks on servicable customer aircraft in maintenance as Boeing has figured out how to finally get the '27 out of the air, stop making critical proprietary parts like Kreuger flaps, so it would be another disassemble. truck/re assemble and both aircraft would have to fit under the Convention Center which is built over I-5 in Seattles CBD, about a 30 mile drive.

[Rocketeer]

I find it rather appaling that the two most historically significant aircraft in the MoF's entire collection, the B-17F "Boeing Bee" and the B-29, are neglected from hangar space. I know that Plant 2 was demolished (a terrible action itself), but why were these aircraft locked away in the first place? They restore them...then let 'em rot....then they fix them up a little...then let them rot some more for a decade. If this is the incompetence that drives the MoF, they should sell the planes to someone else in the U.S. who will take care of the aircraft (definately not the government). I really hope they cancel any plans to hang the B-17 from the ceiling, because that's about as dead and stagnant that an aircraft can get in a building. Forget the space shuttle mock up, and let a place that built shuttle orbiter components in the south get one. With the excemption of Kennedy Space Center, the Southern U.S. (where the Shuttle became a reality) got screwed big time.

[cooper9411]

Some people just don't understand!!!!!!

[The Inspector]

Al Sauer (Spooky the cat) has posted several sets of photos of both T Square 54 and The Boeing Bee (lame name). Both have been gone through and restored from the bottom of the tires to the highest place a pigeon can roost inside and out. That's why they are kept mostly out of the elements so all that restoration work isn't ruined by exposure to old Mom nature until a first class facility can be erected to house them. If you've got severals of Millions of extra Dollars burning holes in your pockets to sponser one, the MoF would probably buy you a nice lunch in exchange for those Bux, they might even take you to RANDYS and buy you a double cheeseburger and chocolate malt.

[APG85]

The story of the B-29 restoration from it's recovery, it's time at Lowery and then the MOF is fascinating...

[The Inspector]

And I may have had a fair sized hand in the MoF obtaining T Square 54. While chasing information on the Museums WB-47E 51-7066, I wrote a letter (amongst lots of others) to the Director of Material redistribution @ Wright Patterson on Sept. 25, 1984 looking for a better, or replacement canopy for the airplane. In the letter I issued a mild jab about the B-29 recently (then) sent to the IWM in England and how the birthplace of Strategic Bombers couldn't get a B-29 out of anyone.
On Oct. 9, 1984 I received a very nice letter from Col. Richard Utterstrom, Director of the USAFM reminding me the B-29 to IWM was a Navy deal not an Air Force one, and that the USAFM Museum would place the MoF on a list for potentially getting a B-29 if one became available, although he said there was scant chance of it. He also mentioned that until my request, no one @ MoF had ever contacted them about getting a B-29 (not hard to believe as Howard Lovering and the other founders didn't want ANY airplanes that could be considered as being 'war like' and that everything should be 'Golden Age', that didn't wash with those who paid to visit the Museum and the early visitors made that very clear. They had some severe handwringing over Lew Wallick donating his restored P-12)
I wrote back and thanked the colonel for his help and for his putting the MoF on the B-29 list. A few years later, the newly appointed Director for the MoF, Mr. Bufficano was contacted by his friend Richard Utterstrom about a B-29 that could be gotten from the front yard of the closing Lowery AFB in Colorado.
I know this because, while I gave the MoF copies of my file on 51-7066, I still have the originals here in my desk.

Last edited by The Inspector on Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

[APG85]

And I may have had a fair sized hand in the MoF obtaining T Square 54. While chasing information on the Museums WB-47E 51-7006, I wrote a letter (amongst lots of others) to the Director of Material redistribution @ Wright Patterson on Sept. 25, 1984 looking for a better, or replacement canopy for the airplane. In the letter I issued a mild jab about the B-29 recently (then) sent to the IWM in England and how the birthplace of Strategic Bombers couldn't get a B-29 out of anyone.
On Oct. 9, 1984 I received a very nice letter from Col. Richard Utterstrom, Director of the USAFM reminding me the B-29 to IWM was a Navy deal not an Air Force one, and that the USAFM Museum would place the MoF on a list for potentially getting a B-29 if one became available, although he said there was scant chance of it. He also mentioned that until my request, no one @ MoF had ever contacted them about getting a B-29 (not hard to believe as Howard Lovering and the other founders didn't want ANY airplanes that could be considered as being 'war like' and that everything should be 'Golden Age', that didn't wash with those who paid to visit the Museum and the early visitors made that very clear. They had some severe handwringing over Lew Wallick donating his restored P-12)
I wrote back and thanked the colonel for his help and for his putting the MoF on the B-29 list. A few years later, the newly appointed Director for the MoF, Mr. Bufficano was contacted by his friend Richard Utterstrom about a B-29 that could be gotten from the front yard of the closing Lowery AFB in Colorado.
I know this because, while I gave the MoF copies of my file on 51-7006, I still have the originals here in my desk.

Great story and great job getting the plane!

[APG85]

A couple of pic's from a few years ago (not mine). Does anyone have recent shots?

[Ken]

What does the stencil read on the nose cap?

[mustangdriver]

You know, I have a solution to this. When it was announced that the shuttles were going to be sent to museums there was a list of specs that each musuem was going to have to meet. One of these was that the museum had to have a climate controlled facility to house it. The MOF manned up and built a building to house the shuttle and the rest of their space gallery. Then NASA awards the shuttles to facilities that do not have buildings, or even the funding in place to build the buildings. So I think it is fair that NASA (and anyone else involved in the shuttle placemen hint hint NASM) should have to build the MOF a building to house some of their aircraft.

[The Inspector]

Better go dig out your old Country Joe and the Fish albums and play 'Don't Bogart that joint my friend'-

kids, go ask your grandparents

[spookythecat]

Merry Xmas!

Follow this link to my pictures of T Square 54 taken in April of 2009.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookythec ... tsquare54/

And for an early New Years gift, Boeing Bee from the same day.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookythec ... boeingbee/

[Django]

Cool bit of info Inspector!

It's a shame it has to be outside, but that looks like a decent short term solution.

MoF built a building already for the shuttle? I'm guessing was big enough for a shuttle but not a B-29 (and a B-17)? As a WWII combat vet restored to that caliber, it really should be inside.

[The Inspector]

Boeing Bee (lame name) is a movie star having been in 'The 1000 Plane Raid', 'TORA-TORA-TORA' and the really awful 'MEMPHIS BELLE'. It's dramatic and unplanned accident in T-T-T was stupid luck on everyone's part. The airplane had been painted O.D. over Gray before leaving the West Coast to appear in the film. As they were approaching Hawai'i the right gear wouldn't extend. The Director in a stroke of inspiration had a camera crew hurriedly set up a couple of cameras to shoot the approach and landing, and the gear up landing in the movie was the result.