Warbird Information Exchange

My records show:

44-70102 "Here's Hopin"

44-70049 A complete airframe in storage at Aero Trader (used by Disney). I assume this is the one for sale.

44-84084 Partial airframe in storage at Aero Trader. Wings are installed on 44-61535 Raz'n Hell at the Castle Air Museum.

44-69957 This is the gutted nose section (SB-29) that was in the possesion of the now defunct USAM.

Oops, I mean 44-61535 Raz'n Hell...............

Huh, looks like a "censor" won't allow me to put the correct name of the aircraft. Thought I had done a typo...........

Any chance of some recent photo's of Here's Hopin ?

Nope, she's in a restricted area. I don't have a photo pass and those that do (that I know) won't point a lens anywhere NEAR there. She's a pretty touchy subject around here.

_________________
Rob

Where is she headed after restoration?

Base museum...probably behind Hornet #1, the RF-4, A-6E, TA-4 and the A-7

It's going to be awhile though.

_________________
Rob

Hi all,

Here's a question for you B-29 guys out there. Now please correct me if I am wrong, BUT....didn't the folks who rescued "Doc" for China Lake also find the remains of close to 5-6 more derelicts B-29's there as well ? I think I read something to that effect that after "Doc" went to Boeing Witchita for her restoration, the folks from China Lake swooped in "reclaimed" the rest of the peices and parts that were also recovered.

Anyone have any thoughts on this ?? And the potential for further parts and restorative capabilities of such an aircraft ??

Paul

Well as for the folks who rescued Doc...they only had permission to remove Doc....THAT"S IT!

Everything else that was "recovered" was done so without permission from the proper authority...namely the C.O. of the base and NAVICP.

So when the proper authority caught wind of things they swooped in and recovered their stuff.

Part of the reason there isn't anything left out there is because so many museums that DID have permission to remove aircraft in the past (long before many of the rules were created or enforced) looted what was there.

You want to know where all the spare parts are...just ask the museums and groups that recovered FIFI, Disney (Last Flight of Noahs Ark) and any others that were allowed in back then...

As for the rest...it was all blown to scrap and sent to the smelter before B-29's became popular....they were just surplus aircraft nobody wanted.

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Rob

I've heard/read that a couple of the Silverplate (atomic) B-29's were sent to China Lake and may have been there when the CAF rescued FIFI. Unfortunately they never made it out...........

If that were true...and I certainly think it was possible. To lose one of those birds is a tragety.

But back when the Army Air Corps was getting rid of aircraft by the thousands......and targets were needed for testing future weapons systems....

At least two were saved.

I wonder how many pumpkins were recovered. Wonder how many still lurk under ground in various bombing ranges.

_________________
Rob