The Last B-29

[fredball]

This is so cool to see the old war bird fly.




Click here: B29

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[KeepnitReel]

Is that the one they found at the bottom of lake? Talk about a investment. I would do just about anything to have the chance to fly one of those. Cool post Fred

 

[KeepnitReel]

Nope that was a B-17. Either way, money money money

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Cool video .... Thanks for sharing.
Andy

 

[HB of CJ]

They found this B29 somewhat intact out in the CA desert waiting its turn to be a ground target? Somewhat East where I used to live. It appears this one may be special in that it was a low hour late war or post war built Bell Silver Plate version?

Years ago I paid big bucks to ride in the back seat of a Cavalier P51 Mustang. Hot, sweaty, smelly, very noisy and very very fast. He said we got up over 300 mph. I will take his word for it. Very neat indeed. $300 bucks for 15 minutes. $Tip$.

Also a short noisy smelly windy ride in a B17. No chin turret. Stayed at the waist gunners positions. Another $300 bucks for a 30 minute ride. About 10 of us in all. Another tip. If I had the money today, another short expensive ride in that B29 would be soosss cool.

At that Mojave CA air show years ago also got to shake General Yeager's hand. Also Bob Hoovers. Those were the days. Saw the Red Baron crash? The guy walked away? That Shrike Commander energy management display was cool. Whistled quite a bit.

Also got to ride several times in a DC3. Also as a young kid as a passenger in a Super Connie. Age six. Still distinctly remember the smoky flames during the #2 engine start. Big 3350 turbo compounds? Long ago, far away. Good memories.

Edited and embellished my me. Thank you. Maybe too old now.

 

[albin25]

The smiles on the faces and light in those old Vets eyes brought tears to mine.
Will there ever again be a generation as great.

 

[SA Shooter]

Great story! I had no idea there was still a salvageable B-29 at China Lake.

 

[KeepnitReel]

One of the first twin engine planes I flown after my twin engine check ride in a Seminole was the shrike commander. Amazing aircraft and the way he tosses that bird around is nothing more then amazing.

They found this one somewhat intact out in the CA desert waiting its turn to be a ground target. Just East where I used to live. It appears this one may be special in that it was a late war or post war built Bell Silver Plate version?

Years ago I paid big bucks to ride in the back seat of a Cavalier P51 Mustang and a short noisy smelly windy ride in a B17. If I had the money today, another short expensive ride in that B29 would be soosss cool. I am old.

At that Mojave CA air show years ago also got to shake General Yager's hand. Also Bob Hoovers. Those were the days.

Also got to ride several times in a DC3. Also as a young kid as a passenger in a Super Connie. Still distinctly remember the smoky flames during the engine start. Big 3350 turbo compounds. Long ago, far away. Good memories.

 

[clearconscience]

I had a great experience when I was in Kentucky.
I got to see a B17 and a P51 take off up close at the airport. It was an unbelievable experience.
There was something eerily nostalgic about it.

 

[clearconscience]

I am not a Veteran, I never served. And by no means wish to take anything away from the men and women that have served over the years. I am truly in awe of all of them.

But there's is something remarkable and honoring about speaking with Vets from that era. Maybe it was just that America was so different and Patriotic back then, maybe it's the war they fought the purpose behind it. I don't know.
I have had the privilage to talk with a couple WW2 Vets and it's such an experience. Like it takes you back to a time when America was at it's best.
Truly the greatest generation.

I love hearing all kinds of war stories, Vietnam, Iraq/Astan, but there always a twinkle in the eye of a WW2 Vet just beaming with pride.

Probably has a lot to do with the support and attitude of the country and world at the time.

 

[Stomper]

The Soviets reverse-engineered and made their own copies....


Tupolev Tu-4 - Wikipedia

 

[Goosebrown]

Anyone get buzzed by a B17 today? We were in Beaverton Snd it was flying around all afternoon

Love seeing them.

 

[Mark W.]

Not to put to fine a point on it but this is not the LAST B-29 it is the LAST B-29 that is in a condition to be restored to flight.

from Wiki:
Twenty-two B-29s are preserved at various museums worldwide, including two flying examples; Fifi, which belongs to the Commemorative Air Force, (which I have been on and extensively photographed all by myself!)and Doc, which belongs to Doc's Friends. Doc made its first flight in 60 years from Wichita, Kansas, on 17 July 2016.[76] There are also four complete airframes either in storage or under restoration, eight partial airframes in storage or under restoration, and four known wreck sites.[citation needed]

The B-29, Miss Marilyn Gay, which flew 27 successful bombing missions mainly over Japan during the Second World War, and five POW relief missions is displayed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia. There is a restored B-29A, Jack's Hack, located as part of the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. The Enola Gay (nose number 82) the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, was fully restored and placed on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air & Space Museum near Washington Dulles International Airport in 2003. Similarly, the weapons delivery aircraft for the Nagasaki raid deploying the Fat Man, the Bockscar (nose number 77) is restored and on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

Only two of the 22 museum aircraft are outside the United States, one is the B-29A It's Hawg Wild in the American Air Museum (Which I have seen in 2004 right after the museum opened) at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in the United Kingdom, the other at the KAI Aerospace Museum in Sachon, South Korea



The Air museum in Tillmook has a Mini Guppy which is built from a Boeing 377 the passenger plane version of a B-29 many of the parts are the same.

 

[Ruger Rich]

Just plain outstanding. Gave me a shiver. Thanks for sharing.