Warbird Information Exchange

Doc is a B-29B which never had gun turrets.

It's the racing model

Don't care...install them anyway. Artistic license....

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Has anyone ever heard if they plan on setting up another webcam in the hangar like they did before?

To "B" or not to "B"????

According to all the sources I can find, all the "B" models were made by Bell in Atlanta and Doc's serial number puts her smack dab into B-29-70-BW territory.

So, she's not a "B"?

Also Baugher shows that most of the aircraft from her block had WW2 combat history. I have noticed a lack of early history on a lot of the surviving B-29's. I don't think I have ever seen a history on Fifi.

FiFi's history was pretty well listed on the squadron's website. It was a training aircraft in the US its entire service life, went to storage at 2 different locations, then bailed to the US Navy where it went to China Lake as a target until the CAF got her.

from google;

July 31, 1945 ~ Delivered to USAAF, Salinas, Kansas.
August, 1945 ~ To 247th base unit, Smoky Hill Field, Kansas.
September, 1945 ~ To 232nd base unit, Dalhart Field, Texas.
October, 1945 ~ to 242nd base unit, (Continental Air Forces - changed in May, 1946 to Strategic Air Command), Grand Island Field, Nebraska.
April, 1946 ~ Modified to TB-29A, used for operational training.
November, 1947 ~ Status changed to "excess" at Grand Island and transferred to 414th base unit (Air Material Command), Pyote AFB, Texas. Assignment was "SA" administrative aircraft (probably some Colonel's private plane).
January, 1948 ~ Status changed to "SS" - storage (noncocooned) - polite for "left in desert."
October, 1951 ~ To contract maintenance and modification. Returned to B-29A configuration in April, 1952.
September, 1952 ~ Assigned to 310th Bombardment Wing (SAC), Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
April, 1953 ~ To Sacramento Air Material Area for depot maintenance.
May, 1953 ~ Returned to 310th Bombardment Wing (SAC), Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
August, 1953 ~ Assigned to 3510th Flying Training Wing (Air Training Command), Randolph AFB, Texas.
November, 1953 ~ Modified to TB-29A (trainer).
October, 1956 ~ Transferred to U.S. Navy (believed flown from Randolph, Texas to China Lake Naval Weapons Center, Muroc Dry Lake, California at this time.
1971 ~ U.S. Navy to Confederate Air Force and flown to Harlingen, Texas.

Thanks! I appreciate that! Every time I look surviving B-29's all I get on FiFi is her history from China Lake Forward.

Also, "Doc" is a "B-29", not a B-29A or B-29B. Per Baughter, 44-69972 is a Boeing B-29-70-BW Superfortress built at Wichita. According to a couple of sites, it has Korean War history (not WWII) and was used as a Radar Trainer afterward before going to the Navy and sitting alongside "FiFi", "Peachy", and "T-Square-54" at China Lake as a target.

Anyone requested the service card from the USAF to get the full history?

Actually, it was no where near Fifi or any of the others. It was a radar target parked a few hundred yards from the "LB Compound" and any hit on it would have showered that building full of range guys with shrapnel! The SB-29 on Airport lake was also to be saved but some weekend bomb jocky blew it up without authorisation. Sadly, not much in the way of defecation collided with the rotary wind generator over it. I remember when it was towed from there to the defunct museum in Inyokern. "Here's Hopin" followed a year or two later sans much of her parts and is now still sitting in the airfield boneyard.

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Rob

Speaking of China Lake, are there any B-29's in storage there for possible restoration?

This one?
http://www.aerotrader.net

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

The local news here in Wichita is going to talking about it tonight. Should be on www.ksn.com of course I have to take a train to Nebraska so I'll have watch it tomorrow.

Warbird kid, the one that Aero Trader has advertised is a former china lake airframe
of two that Kermit Aquired for use as parts to use in the restoration of Fertile Mertyl
which has extensive corrosion in the wings.

those advertised by aero trader are in storage with Aero Trader at Borrego.

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Expert:
Ex: Former.
Spurt: A drip under pressure.

Super Fort, there are a few B-29's bits and pieces left at China Lake, but not a full restorable airframe like Doc or Fifi. Biggest piece is likely B-29A "Here's Hopin" which is a partial airframe in the museum storage yerd. A few other partial airframes out on the range but with major damage from weapon tests.

Easy to spend many hours on google maps trying to spot what is out there.