MolaKule
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"DOC" does it again!
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My Grandfather lived in Kechi, KS and worked for Boeing in Wichita during WW2 building wings and horizontal stabilizers for B-17's and later B-29 components. I wish I could ask him if he remembers this tail number but he has been in the great aircraft assembly factory in the sky for a long time. I think he would be proud to see this machine flying again.
Shared!
Flies more stable than modern jet liners.
That's Nice!
MolaKule
Staff member
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
My Grandfather lived in Kechi, KS and worked for Boeing in Wichita during WW2 building wings and horizontal stabilizers for B-17's and later B-29 components. I wish I could ask him if he remembers this tail number but he has been in the great aircraft assembly factory in the sky for a long time. I think he would be proud to see this machine flying again.
That he would.
When I worked for Boeing in Wichita I had a garden at a retired friends house. He worked for Boeing during the war and being of small stature, he was the designated "wing man." I.E., he got up inside the wings for any final assembly and made sure that no tools or fasteners had been left in the wings before test flights.
He, too, would have been proud.
My Grandfather lived in Kechi, KS and worked for Boeing in Wichita during WW2 building wings and horizontal stabilizers for B-17's and later B-29 components. I wish I could ask him if he remembers this tail number but he has been in the great aircraft assembly factory in the sky for a long time. I think he would be proud to see this machine flying again.
That he would.
When I worked for Boeing in Wichita I had a garden at a retired friends house. He worked for Boeing during the war and being of small stature, he was the designated "wing man." I.E., he got up inside the wings for any final assembly and made sure that no tools or fasteners had been left in the wings before test flights.
He, too, would have been proud.
Beautiful! I've never seen a B-29 in flight in person. Did see 'Fifi' parked at the Museum of Flight in Seattle some years ago.
Amazing!! I'd hate to think how much it cost to restore this plane. The B-29 is a pretty complex aircraft. I wonder if this B-29 uses the same "hybrid" engines that FIFI uses. Kevin Cameron had written some stories about the development and early in service issues with the Wright R-3350 engines. An interesting read.
Another interesting B-29 story is the Russian "capture" and bolt for bolt reverse engineering that yielded the TU-4 bomber NATO code name "Bull". Even all the English markings were reproduced, even on the rudder pedals! Between that and the Brits giving them the jet engine that ended up in the Mig-15 we continued to do the usual shooting ourselves in the foot.
CBS "Sunday Morning" had a tribute segment for "Doc" yesterday. They did the right thing and focused on the people who not only restored it but also on some remaining people who originally built and flew it. Most especially in my heart, a 91 year old "Rosie the Riveter" who actually helped build "Doc". The first time.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/restoring-a-world-war-ii-aviation-gem/?ref=yfp
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/restoring-a-world-war-ii-aviation-gem/?ref=yfp
I was impressed by Rosie too. During WWII, the coast for 15 miles south of Boston was a ship yard of one sort or another. Women were a major part of the work force. When I was a ship wright in the '70s there were several women welders including a Rosie.
The Bellevue, Nebraska Martin Bomber plant turned out many B-29s, including both the Enola Gay and Bockscar that dropped A bombs on Japan.
Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
The Bellevue, Nebraska Martin Bomber plant turned out many B-29s, including both the Enola Gay and Bockscar that dropped A bombs on Japan.
Absolutely gorgeous air to air HD vimeo footage of Doc at Flying Magazine!
http://www.flyingmag.com/video-stunning-footage-b-29-doc
I darn near died on the roof of that building you mention in the winter 1972. I was in flight training and solo in a Cherokee 140 that belonged to the Offutt Aero Club. After some local area work I headed back to Offutt. And for the first time ever I was given a right pattern to land. By then I probably had 20 hours and had never approached on a right pattern to any airport. So I entered the downwind keeping about the same distance from the runway as usual and turning right base abeam of the numbers. But when I did I had a HUGE tailwind component and blew past the runway. And then I made the classic mistake - I cranked it over in an effort to get back to the runway - the approach-to-landing stall imminent. I was lucky enough to remember to unload the elevator (trading altitude for airspeed and negative G). But I had precious little altitude to trade and I just barely missed the roof of "the bomber plant" as I was able to increase the power and drive back over to the runway and finally land. I get chills now just thinking about it and can remember it second for second 44 years later!
The Bellevue, Nebraska Martin Bomber plant turned out many B-29s, including both the Enola Gay and Bockscar that dropped A bombs on Japan.
Absolutely gorgeous air to air HD vimeo footage of Doc at Flying Magazine!
http://www.flyingmag.com/video-stunning-footage-b-29-doc
I darn near died on the roof of that building you mention in the winter 1972. I was in flight training and solo in a Cherokee 140 that belonged to the Offutt Aero Club. After some local area work I headed back to Offutt. And for the first time ever I was given a right pattern to land. By then I probably had 20 hours and had never approached on a right pattern to any airport. So I entered the downwind keeping about the same distance from the runway as usual and turning right base abeam of the numbers. But when I did I had a HUGE tailwind component and blew past the runway. And then I made the classic mistake - I cranked it over in an effort to get back to the runway - the approach-to-landing stall imminent. I was lucky enough to remember to unload the elevator (trading altitude for airspeed and negative G). But I had precious little altitude to trade and I just barely missed the roof of "the bomber plant" as I was able to increase the power and drive back over to the runway and finally land. I get chills now just thinking about it and can remember it second for second 44 years later!
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