Almost Weeks B-29 ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7818

Close but not close enough I guess (one digit off)...

Per Wiki, 44-70049 - in storage for Kermit Weeks at Borrego Springs, California. One of four B-29s obtained by Walt Disney Studios from the U.S. Navy at NAWS China Lake, California for use in the movie The Last Flight of Noah's Ark.

Per Baugher's lists, 70049 (c/n 10881) reported 1975 in storage at NAS China Lake, CA. Acquired 1987 by Weeks Air Museum and reported later same year stored dismantled at Borrrego Springs, CA.
No listing for 44-70048 with Baugher that I could see.

AAIR states 44-70048, http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/ ... Submit4=Go
Looks like a ground loop in 1945 and taxing accident in 1952.

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:01 pm

Wonder why the (presumed) gray paint?
Most postwar B-29s were natural metal.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7818

A lot of "stuff" missing as well.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:44 pm

How do you groundloop a B-29? :shock:

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7818

Dan Jones wrote:

How do you groundloop a B-29? :shock:

Was thinking the same thing.

Ken · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:41 am

Dan Jones wrote:

How do you groundloop a B-29? :shock:

I suppose an engine failure on takeoff or some other engine/prop malfunction on landing has the potential to make the airplane do something off into the grass that might later be described as one. No nosewheel steering to assist the pilot on those birds, right?

Ken

b29driver · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 6:47 am

No boosted flight controls, no nosewheel steering, no anti-skid brakes, no prop reverse, really grabby brakes. In a crosswind it will often try to do what it wants, not what you want. You have to be ready to use all of the correct rudder and 24' long aileron on roll out which requires twisting the wheel 180 degrees of travel. Sometimes it requires adding power to the upwind outboard engine. In a B-29 it is wise to choose your runways carefully so as not to be required to demonstrate your crosswind landing prowess. :supz:

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7818

Interesting about no prop reverse. I posted this video a while back. At 6:21 in the film it looks like the B-29 is rolling in reverse under it's own power.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=play ... 9v5sW6t0zI

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 8:48 am

The Silverplate B-29s had reversable props, regular B-29s do not.

daviemax · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:15 am

Did the Silverplate B-29s have reversible props on all four or just numbers two and three?

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:23 am

My father had transitioned from 24's to the B-32 and he said that they took the props off the 32 to put on the 509th aircraft as they had reverse props. Logic is that if they had to abort the take off with the bomb on board, they wanted to be able to stop before they ran off the end.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:37 am

b29driver wrote:

No boosted flight controls, no nosewheel steering, no anti-skid brakes, no prop reverse, really grabby brakes. In a crosswind it will often try to do what it wants, not what you want. You have to be ready to use all of the correct rudder and 24' long aileron on roll out which requires twisting the wheel 180 degrees of travel. Sometimes it requires adding power to the upwind outboard engine. In a B-29 it is wise to choose your runways carefully so as not to be required to demonstrate your crosswind landing prowess. :supz:

Just out of curiosity what does the afm give for a x-wind limit?

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:13 pm

I am sure soem of you have far more info but as far as I know all four engines on the 'Silverplate' B-29s had Curtis eletric reversable props.

There was a near death experience by one of the 509th crews due to the reversable props. Fortuanatly the plane still had plenty of altitude when on approach one of the engines (props) was accidentally put into reverse pitch - if i recall correctly it was the Jim Price crew but don't quote me on that. Anyway they recovered and landed only a little worse for the wear!

Tom P.

Larry Kraus · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:57 pm

The B-29J "Andy Gump" airplanes had reversalbe Curtiss Electric props on all four engines.Here are some pages from the flight manual:

These two pages list the differences between the various B-29 models:

Here's info on the Prop Controls:

Here are the illustations of the Reverse Controls on the Pilot's Aisle Stand:

Here's what the manual has to say about Cross Wind Landings:

For those of you who aren't familiar with the reason for the B-29J being nicknamed "Andy Gump",it was due to the area under and behind the engine cowlings.It looked like it was missing it's chin.Andy Gump was a popular character from the daily comics who was definitely lacking in the chin department:

daviemax · **Posted:** Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:13 am

Larry - Wow - Thanks!

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