B-29 'Doc' Restoration Update

[Bomber_12th]

Since about February/March of this year, under new ownership, the restoration of the B-29 'Doc' (to be flown when completed) has been going at a steady pace once more. As reported elsewhere, about 150+ combined man hours are being provided daily in the restoration effort. The work is being done in a hangar that has been provided by Boeing for the next two years (and may just end up being donated to house 'Doc' well into the future). Earlier this year, under the new ownership, it was decided to follow in the footsteps of the CAF and re-engine the aircraft with the same, new, hybrid R-3350 types that were built for use on the B-29 'FIFI', designed to have significantly greater realiability than the R-3350 types originally used on the B-29. The original plan, by the previous owner, to utilize the original type engines fitted to B-29's during WWII, was looked upon with great concern by those who had dealt with all of the difficulty with those engines over the service life of the B-29 and the operation of 'FIFI' by the CAF. As experience has shown with the re-engined 'FIFI', it is a very smart decision to make. The first of these hybrid engines has already recently been delivered to the folks restoring 'Doc', with the others to follow in the weeks and months to come. Some considerable modifications to the nacelles will need be made in order to fit these new engines (the same as was required with 'FIFI').

This coming weekend the left wing section will be attached, and within a few weeks the right wing will also hopefully be attached, thus making the aircraft essentially complete (minus engines). If you'd like to follow the restoration of 'Doc', you can check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DocsFriends and/or their web site here: http://www.b-29doc.com/news.php

I can't wait to see all of that polished metal gleaming as she takes flight for the first time! It sounds like the current plan is to just do everything that is absolutely needed to get the aircraft flying, first, and then down the road, once she's flying, during scheduled winter maintenance periods more items will be added like the turrets and internal military equipment (much of which had been stripped out even when the aircraft was still in service).

[ST0RM]

Good to know that Doc is finally getting some attention again. Having seen it stashed away across the runways in the ANG hangar for many years, I was wondering if it would ever be completed. Sounds like more money was finally raised to bring the project out of mothballs.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop and good luck.

-Jeff

[stansdds]

That is great news and I think ditching the original design R-3350's for the hybrid design used on Fifi is a wise move.

[TeaSea]

The R3350's were supposedly a maintenance nightmare. Okay when used in a warplane with virtually unlimited funds and other engines readily available when you needed to pull one....not so much when using it for Civilian flying or flying "museum" pieces.

Definitely a power plant from another era....probably best to stay there.