Warbird Information Exchange

Just for clarification I haven't worked on 44-70016 in more than 20 years. She has been lovingly cared for by many awesome volunteers at Pima since I was around. I was thrilled that she was placed indoors in one of the new hangars.

She was the first B-29 that I ever got to work on and will always be my favorite.

My father gave me a Norden Bombsight that he bought at a garage sale when I was a kid. The sight was disassembled and came as a box of parts; some assembly required. I figured out how to put it together and reassembled it. This was my first bombsight and is responsible for another obsession that I have now, one of many I suppose. Whenever I go to Pima now I love to see that very bomb sight still in the nose of 016.

One thing that has always bothered me which I have wanted to correct. I swapped the forward bomb racks in 016 with the ones in the B-50 which has since been flown to Castle. I traded the racks so I could use a wood platform in the forward bomb bay for storage. The bomb racks that are in the B-50 at Castle are the original ones that presumably flew combat in 016 in WWII and the racks in 016 actually belong in the B-50. I have always wanted to put these racks back where they belong. I have offered to both museums to do all of the work to remove the racks and transport them at my expense to make each aircraft more original but this proposal was not well received. I suppose I should talk to the powers at the NMUSAF to try and get this done. I want to make it right and I guess I am the only one who knows, and cares, about this but I would sure feel better knowing that this has been corrected.

You can asee the difference in the photos posted by Steve and my old photos above. The natural metal racks that came out of the B-50 are visible and the original tinted zinc racks are now at Castle.

Scott:

The B-29 nose section isn't all that hidden away it is outside on the ramp in front of the shop right now. I suppose I haven't posted photos of it because it is pretty scrappy. I haven't done anything to it since I got it except collect parts for it. I will take some shots of it for you soon. It still has its paint job from the 1988 movie Enola Gay with Patrick Duffy. When people ask if it is the real Enola Gay I tell them that it is in fact the original Enola Gay and that the one at the National Air and Space Museum is a fake... Its fun to see the look on their faces before I tell them the truth!

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To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htm

We brought her from: to this in 3 months: Help us get her all the way back

All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.

Thank you!

Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com
'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'

Well, of the three(3) 330th Aircraft that are on display.., I must say, that K-40 is the most pristine example! Indoors certainly help, but the 'love' she received from the onset shows through today!

B-29-75-BW 44-70016 K-40 (with Pima)
B-29A-40-BN 44-61669 K-15(2) transferred to the 73rd BW towards the end of the campaign. (now at March AFB)
B-29A-15-BN 42-93967 transferred to the 19th BG towards the end of the campaign (now at Georgian Veterans State Park)

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S.

I find it amazing that there are three surviving B-29's from the 330th. I guess the next most represented group would be the 509th with Bocks Car and Enola Gay.

_________________
To donate to the PV-2D project via PayPal click here http://www.twinbeech.com/84062restoration.htm

We brought her from: to this in 3 months: Help us get her all the way back

All donations are tax deductible as the Stockton Field Aviation Museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Tell a friend as the Harpoon needs all the help she can get.

Thank you!

Taigh Ramey
Vintage Aircraft, Stockton, California
http://www.twinbeech.com
'KEEP ‘EM FLYING…FOR HISTORY!'

No kidding.,. in doing my research of the 330th's SN's I was stunned to find three survivors.., the last two were with the 330th briefly though. Enough to make it onto their records, but then transferred out. I have a shot of the 19th BG ship (42-93967) half painted 330th, half painted 19th.., pretty odd photo.
44-61669 K-15(2) was brought in the last days of the war as a replacement for an aircraft (K-15) that was totalled in a failed landing attempt on Iwo Jima on 8 Aug. She obviously came from the 73rd BW, but ferried back under 330th insignia as part of the Sunset Project.

The same A/C that totalled K-15 on Iwo.., totalled another aircraft, K-16 while ferrying her back to the states in early November 1945. This time he belly flopped her on Johnson Island. Same pilot.., two aircraft totalled in less than two months. Not a popular guy to fly with!!!

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S.