B-29 Surviving Airframes

[Warbirdnerd]

Is there a website anywhere detailing the recovery effort of Kee Bird? I was overseas in the AF when all that occured, and I missed the show. I'd love to get a copy of that video, but if its anything like the History Channel video of the Glacier Girl recovery (it quit working after the first time I watched it) I'll save my money for something else.

B

I bought the video a couple of years ago from PBS and it has held up.
I may have to upgrade to the DVD at some point.
Here is a partial transcript of the program:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2303b29.html

[jmkendall]

Hi,

I have had an interest in the "Disney Bombers" since around 1980-1 when I worked as a guard for the production company that did "the Right Stuff".

Our portion was filmed at Hamilton Army Air Field, Novato California.

In the hanger were not one, but; four B-29 forward fusalage sections. I was told these were the Disney birds.

In fact I have seen pics of from an interview with the director of "the Right Stuff" where you can make out the three fusalages that were on the east wall of that hanger. The main fusalage was on the western wall facing south.

I know for years it has been stated, variously, that they were dumped at sea and made into an artificial reef; turned back over to the Navy; given to Pima, ect.

Most accounts that mention any of them surviving say that only two survived. I think they may actually mean two complete aircraft; and two partial aircraft.

Anyway my two cents.

Joe

[APG85]

Thanks for all of the inputs to "the list". And for what it's worth, the PBS documentary B-29: Frozen In Time is well worth the money. I've had the VHS version for years and I just ordered it on DVD through Amazon...

[Andy Marden]

Scott,
To concur with what others have said, great list!
A few comments from me:

I have also seen 44-62112 quoted as being at Borrego Springs. Can anyone confirm if parts of this are there?

The location of 45-21739 in Korea is Sacheon. There is a photo on the museum's website at:
http://aerospacemuseum.co.kr/

On the "copies" side:
Tu-4 2805103 is at the Russian Air Force Museum at Monino, as 01 red.

There are indeed two at the Chinese museum:
2806501 (note correction to c/n) is an AEW version, coded 4114.
225008 is a drone launcher version, coded 4134.

Regards,
Andy Marden

USA Military Out of Service
World Military Out of Service

[retroaviation]

I have also seen 44-62112 quoted as being at Borrego Springs. Can anyone confirm if parts of this are there?

I can't say that I know for sure which airframes are which (although the Fertile Myrtile remains are definitely part of this pile), but here's a sample of what's at Borrego Springs........




















Gary

[TAdan]

Thanks Gary, now I know what to put on my christmas list...

[Taigh Ramey]

The last photo in Gary's post above is the Disney nose section that came from Pima.

The remaining Disney airframes (fuselages only) at Pima were turned back into the base (Davis Monthan) and were disposed of through Surplus Properties. They had been stripped out and filled with expanding foam so they would float. There were 55 gallon drums of the foam placed in the fuselages and the catalyst was put in the through the bung hole and the foam flowed right back out and effectively cemented the barrels in place.

I was told at the time that one of the airframes (an externally complete one) was sent to Hawaii for filming there and it stayed there. It was also foamed so it could float.

[muddyboots]

Hey! "Here's Hopin" is MY bird!

It was damaged by a simulated nuke blast, btw.

uM...no....

You might be thinking about "Echo Bird" which is out on that range. Here's Hopin is in the airfield bone yard about 1/2 mile from where my butt is currently parked here at work.

BTW I discovered Here's Hopin's name one day when I still had acsess to it.

Obviously I am, since Echo is where I was doing my dig. So they call it echo bird, huh? All I ever got to see was it sitting in the disance, looking lonely. Oh, that and the UFO's at night

[the330thbg]

I have also seen 44-62112 quoted as being at Borrego Springs. Can anyone confirm if parts of this are there?

I can't say that I know for sure which airframes are which (although the Fertile Myrtile remains are definitely part of this pile), but here's a sample of what's at Borrego Springs........
PICS EDITED OUT JDK -MOD

So what is left here.. anything?

Ocotillo Wells or Borrego Springs?

[retroaviation]

It's all still there. It belongs to Kermit Weeks and is at Carl Scholl's place in Borrego Springs (or at least that's where he told me we were ).

Gary

[B-29 Super Fort]

It's all still there. It belongs to Kermit Weeks and is at Carl Scholl's place in Borrego Springs (or at least that's where he told me we were ).

Gary

You can even buy one for $1.5 million. Now if I can only win the lottery.

http://www.aerotrader.net/

[Clifford Bossie]

This is a list I've put together of surviving B-29 airframes. Feel free to make corrections/comments. Enjoy...


COMPLETE AIRFRAMES ON DISPLAY OR IN STORAGE






25. 45-21748 B-29-97-BW DUKE OF ALBUQUEQUE (name does not appear on the aircraft). National Atomic Museum, New Mexico. Name not original to the aircraft. Briefly served with the 509th from Dec 1946 to Aug 1947. Used as a ground training aircraft at Chanute AFB, Illinois. Eventually put on display as Enola Gay. Aircraft was disassembled and moved to the NAM when Chanute closed in August 1993. Aircraft is on outdoor display and in poor condition. Entire plane is painted gray including the props. Aircraft is currently on Kirtland AFB at the old museum site awaiting transfer to the new museum.

The aircraft was moved to the new location in January. As of about three weeks ago she was still not put back together.

[Canso42]

Banndit, there is a book out on the Kee Bird story. I acquired it about ten years ago from Military Book Club but gave it to a friend. It was a good story but was still bittersweet to read since I knew how it would end. Anyone else familiar with this work? I'll see if I he still has it and get the correct name and author. It alternates chapters between the Kee Bird effort and the background of the participants and how the all met up. I found the latter part pretty interesting.

[steve dickey]

Hey Doug;

"Hunting Warbirds" author: Carl Hoffman
copyright 2001, I can get ya an ISBN #

[BHawthorne]

4. 44-69957 B-29-70-BW United States Aviation Museum; Inyokern, California. Severely damaged and gutted nose section recovered from China Lake. This aircraft took a direct hit from a weapons test.

The was a group at Inyokern who planned to restore a B-29. Apparently the B-29 went onto be come "Doc". Is the nose section of 44-69957 now with the same group, or some other organization. Does anyone know where it can be found? Is it in public view?

Mike

For awhile it was sitting in the grass next to KAM. That was over a year ago. There were also some pretty well beat up B-29 engines there too. All that was cleaned up sometime about a year ago. No idea what "cleaned up" entailed or where the stuff went though.