B-29 42-24791 "Big Time Operator" - New Home and inside!

APG85 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:23 pm

Any updates on this nose section restoration...?

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Nope. Nothing has been done other than to bring her inside from the the weather. I have put out tons of requests, looking for the inside parts...but so far, nothing.

I have been able to find enough ANM2/M2 parts for one of the tail turrets though (not from BTO...another B-29). I am currently working on those now.

APG85 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:36 pm

Ok, thanks!

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Update on the BTO. The New England Air Museum put all of their spare parts up sale. Well.....I purchased all of their parts that go into the nose section of the B-29. I will post pictures once I inventory everything, but this is what I now have to go into the nose of BTO for restoration: Pilot and Co-Pilot rudder pedals with mounts - couple on the stands that hold the instrument panel, Pilot Instrument Panel, Pilot and Co-Pilot Throttle Quadrants with the complete mounts, Pilot and Co-Pilot Yolks (Control Wheel), Engineer's Control stand with Throttle Quadrants, Radio Mounts, plus a truck bed of other parts that I haven't yet inventoried. All in all it was a trailer and truck bed full of parts. Bottom line.....the BTO will be well on her way to being a fairly complete nose!

I will post pictures later once I clean and inventory everything.

What I know I will need: Pilot and Co-Pilot Seat, Flight Engineer Seat, Radio Operator Seat, Navigator Seat, Pilot and Co-Pilot Control Wheel Arm/Mount, Norden Bombsight Mounting Bracket.....plus lots of small stuff, but I figured I'd throw out a quick list.

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

Quest Master wrote:

Update on the BTO. The New England Air Museum put all of their spare parts up sale. Well.....I purchased all of their parts that go into the nose section of the B-29.

Glad you received my Facebook message about that sale! I sure did want the engineer's station parts but they didn't want to split up the inventory. Glad it all went to a good home.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Yeah....most of these parts came out of the BTO....so it makes me very happy to put them back in her. Still a bunch missing...but a GREAT start! :drink3:

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:06 am

Great news Van! keep it going!
Jerry

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Jerry,
Thanks! I'm putting the pieces back in the cockpit right now and photographing as I go! Updates will be posted on the Quest Masters Fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/QuestMastersMuseum

I really need a pilot and co-pilot seat!

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Well, I have gotten the big pieces unloaded, photographed and re-installed into B-29 42-24791 "Big Time Operator". Plenty more to unload....but enjoy these pictures for now! More updated pictures are on the Facebook Fan Site: http://www.facebook.com/QuestMastersMuseum
So....here you go: :drink3:

Keep your eyes open for a Pilot and Co-Pilot Seat. I still need 'em!

APG85 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 04, 2013 9:09 pm

Neat project. If you can, I'd strip and repaint before I would reinstall anything else...

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

APG85 wrote:

Neat project. If you can, I'd strip and repaint before I would reinstall anything else...

Absolutely not! I've done way too many restoration projects. First step is the acquisition of all of the missing parts and making sure they fit correctly. Once all....and I mean all...of the missing parts have been obtained, then I will make the decision if the cockpit should be restored....or just preserved as she is right now. This aircraft has over 60 combat missions during WWII under her belt. She is the highest B-29 combat mission veteran left in the United States (correct me if I'm wrong), just behind "It's Hog Wild", which is now in the UK. I am not going to just slap her together. There is a lot of history here....and it will take time to do her correctly. Not trying to start an argument...but preservation is, in my opinion, much better than straight restoration just to make her pretty.

But for now....enjoy the pictures. I will keep y'all updated as I find the bits and pieces to put her back together!

APG85 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:04 am

If she had been properly cared for indoors, I would certainly agree. But since she has sat outside for years, open and exposed to the elements I would opt for full restoration. Either way, very cool that you have saved this historic nose section.

peter · **Posted:** Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:24 am

Repair and restore what you have to.. conserve what can be.. simples..

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:29 am

Ordinarily I'm definitely in the "conservation over restoration" camp, but in this case it looks like there are already several coats of paint on many of those parts from previous restoration efforts, and of course after years of mistreatment and exposure evrything will need thorough cleaning and corrosion control. Certainly anything original that's still in good shape should be conserved, but it looks like most of it will need a full-up restoration to ensure long-term preservation.

In any case, this is a really fantastic project! I hope you're eventually able to completely outfit the flight deck, including turrets. :drink3:

SN

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Restoration Update:
After 2 years of searching, I have finally found a Pilot and Co-Pilot seat for the cockpit of the B-29 "The Big Time Operator". These are the pictures of the seats fitted to the cockpit interior. The B-29 Superfortress and B-24 Liberator used the exact same seat.
A ton of parts are still needed, but I thought you guys and gals would like to see how the BTO is progressing.

You can always follow the restoration and other projects on the Facebook fan site:
http://www.facebook.com/QuestMastersMuseum

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B-29 42-24791 "Big Time Operator" - New Home and inside!

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