B-29 "Doc" Awarded New Airworthiness Certificate

USAFSS-ColdWarrior said:

YES ! There are now TWO flying B-29's.

FIFI has been in the air for a while now.

DOC's restoration was completed much more recently. And THIS THREAD is all about DOC being issued a fresh AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. That means that she is not longer flying under the "experimental" rules, but is in fact now considered to be a "real airplane" again. when they want to fly her she just file a flight plan and go (abbreviated explanation) like a little Cessna or Piper would.

Earning that CERTIFICATE is quite an accomplishment.

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Ok, gotcha.....

FIFI is a B-29

I asked about B-24s...the "Liberator".....

Sorry, carry on "Doc"

OOPS - my bad.

(I'll blame the cataract that's been clouding my "good" eye. VA Appointment on Tuesday to consult on a new lens.)

I mis-read the B-24 os B-29. . . . . SORRY.

marchplumber said:

Any B-24s still flying? Thanks Chappy!

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The desert tan aircraft is the B-24A from the Commemorative Air Force. The aluminum aircraft is a B-24J from the Collings Foundation. Both are airworthy and fly at airshows around the country. There also may be other B-24s that are airworthy, and several more are static displays in aviation museums.

I believe I have seen the tan B24 in the air in the past.

That would be interesting to know how many B-24's that are still airworthy. As a kid, when I lived in Yorba Linda, we used to hike over a small mountain range, (more like big hills) to Chino Airport, to look at old war birds. There were at any time two to four P-38's, three to five B-25's, one to two B-24's. And a mess of Mustangs. This was in 1966 or 1967. Some of the P-38's and B-25's were owned by a company that did mapping, for the oil companies.

The P-38's were of the (I think) F models. Longer nose, for the cameras. The B-25's had no glass in the nose, and were also strangely elongated. Top turrets were gone, side gun positions were covered over. There was also one B-17. I never saw the B-17 fly, but the others were in the air fairly often. Or some of them anyway. It was not unusual to find old war birds in other small airports. There was a P-38 in Blyth and another someplace not far from Hoover dam. Cant remember the name of the palace, its been 50 years ago. It was a dream come true!

Speaking of Hoover Dam and B-29's, there is a B-29 in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam. Or used to be, it someone hasn't stole the whole thing. I read a story a long time ago about it crashing there.

Guyfang said:

That would be interesting to know how many B-24's that are still airworthy. As a kid, when I lived in Yorba Linda, we used to hike over a small mountain range, (more like big hills) to Chino Airport, to look at old war birds. There were at any time two to four P-38's, three to five B-25's, one to two B-24's. And a mess of Mustangs. This was in 1966 or 1967. Some of the P-38's and B-25's were owned by a company that did mapping, for the oil companies.

The P-38's were of the (I think) F models. Longer nose, for the cameras. The B-25's had no glass in the nose, and were also strangely elongated. Top turrets were gone, side gun positions were covered over. There was also one B-17. I never saw the B-17 fly, but the others were in the air fairly often. Or some of them anyway. It was not unusual to find old war birds in other small airports. There was a P-38 in Blyth and another someplace not far from Hoover dam. Cant remember the name of the palace, its been 50 years ago. It was a dream come true!

Speaking of Hoover Dam and B-29's, there is a B-29 in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam. Or used to be, it someone hasn't stole the whole thing. I read a story a long time ago about it crashing there.

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Guyfang. This is a picture of the Lake Mead B-29. The wreck is normally about 300ft. deep, but with the drought, the wreck is about 100ft. deep. The shallower water enables divers to dive and explore the wreck........nobody has stolen it yet, although there have been some souvenirs taken.

Thats where I learned to water ski. Man was it nice water to ski and fish!!

I wouldnt mind is someone salvaged the wreck to rebuild/ restore a static display, but hope no one takes little parts off until it's all gone.

One may goto
http://www.b-29doc.com/ for all about Doc

or Diamond Lil or Fifi at

http://www.cafb29b24.org/

There is a B24 as a display out front at (MKE) General Mitchell Airport in WI. Great looking plane.

Bert

There are currently two airworthy B-24s; an A model Diamond Lil and a J model Witchcraft. Two others are currently undergoing restoration to be airworthy again. There are also two PB4Y-2 Privateers currently airworthy. They aren't technically the same as a B-24, but the PB4Y-2 was derived from the B-24 airframe so they're very similar.

sigo said:

There are currently two airworthy B-24s; an A model Diamond Lil and a J model Witchcraft. Two others are currently undergoing restoration to be airworthy again. There are also two PB4Y-2 Privateers currently airworthy. They aren't technically the same as a B-24, but the PB4Y-2 was derived from the B-24 airframe so they're very similar.

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Was that the airframe used for USN anti-submarine warfare in the Pacific?

That's the one. I think they saw some use in the Atlantic as well.

Early this week a friend of mine took this picture of the B-24J flying overhead near John Wayne airport in So. California. The other picture is a Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.

While the PB4Y-2 is derived from the B-24, it was a new aircraft and looks pretty different.

However, the early PB4Y-1 was essentially just a B-24D in Navy markings. Later PB4Y-1s had the Erco ball turret mounted in the nose, but were still virtually identical to USAAC B-24s.

Pic 1 is an early version with the B-24D's glazed nose, Rovin Redhead is the later version with the Erco turret.

Cheers

T. Highway said:

There is a B24 as a display out front at (MKE) General Mitchell Airport in WI. Great looking plane.

Bert

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If it the one I'm thinking it's a B-25. The B-25 like the airport are named after Gen Billy Mitchell.

jasonjc you are correct. Here is a picture taken at General Mitchell Airport in 2012. The last time I was there was 1996, and I could swear the B-25 was on it's landing gear, and in this picture it's mounted on a pylon. Anyways I have trouble remembering what went on last month, let alone remembering details from 1996.

I was in Dallas Wed, and saw a B-29 taking off and doing a circle of the city it must have been this plane, very thin profile and very impressive to see flying!!!

That was probably FiFi.

Cheers

http://napoleon130.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/sexysue.pdf

This beaut flies regularly out of the airport where my desk is parked. The nose art is not safe for work BTW.

The grandson of the Enola Gay pilot will be in Wichita on Friday to take the controls of the B-29 Bomber, “Doc.”
McConnell Air Force Base said in a news release Tuesday Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV will fly Doc from the right seat when the Wichita-built and restored Boeing Superfortress travels to Whiteman Air Force Base for the Wings Over Whiteman Airshow on Saturday and Sunday.
Tibbets IV is the grandson of Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets Jr., who was commander of the B-29 Enola Gay on its mission to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945.

Here's the WHOLE article....
http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article154576399.html