FIFI is Airborne!

[Bomber_12th]

This morning, the CAF's B-29 FIFI is back in the air! It has been 4-years since it last flew, and 6-years since it last flew regularly. The aircraft has been the subject of a tremendous overhaul since 2004, which over the past four years, mainly consisted of a complete re-engine program, which saw the old, original, un-reliable engines switched out, in favor of new, re-engineered highbreds, that are to be much, much more dependable, solving the issues that had plagued FIFI for many years - the same issues that plagued B-29's during their service career. Its first airshow appearance is scheduled for the Colorado Sport International Air Show, August 28-29.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[Snuffy]

:applause:

Good News! :salute:

[TomSteber]

YAA HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great news

[Daveroo]

wow thats great...id love to see her and how the heck do you know this stuff bomber?...( i think its great that you do,,and even greater that you share it) so thank you for doing so...

did the B29 have the 4360?...and if so..what did they do to the engine to make it a hybrid?...

[Cazzie]

:salute: Two thumbs up.

Thanks Bomber, had the opportunity back in the '90s of seeing her fly and going inside at Charlotte-Douglas.

Caz

[oakfloor]

wow thats great...id love to see her and how the heck do you know this stuff bomber?...( i think its great that you do,,and even greater that you share it) so thank you for doing so...

did the B29 have the 4360?...and if so..what did they do to the engine to make it a hybrid?...
They had C-W R-3350's there made up of various updated parts from differnt marks of the engine. C-W refined these engines for many years, and they went on to be a very good powerplant in there time. I dont know what "hybrid" would be.

[Bomber_12th]

FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.

[Daveroo]

FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.
eccelent...thanks for the info....what airplanes where the 4360s for?..i allways thought it was the b29...or was it a post WWII plane?

[Willy]

The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was used in the B-50 Superfortress, C-97 Stratofreighter, B377 Stratocruiser, XB-35 and B-36 amongst others.

[Bushpounder]

Can't wait to see this!! Hopefully they will stop in ROA for fuel someday. :)

Don

[Bomber_12th]

Some photos from its successful test-flight this morning are now on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Midland-TX/Commemorative-Air-Force/263893947509

How cool to have a Sea Fury as a chase-plane!

First reports from the crew indicate the aircraft ran extremely cool - completely gone are the old overheating issues the original engines had.

[Jagdflieger]

Back in the 70s I was in transit through Buckley Air Base east of Denver, Colorado. Fifi was parked on the ramp there. Don't know what she was doing there, but I always regret that I didn't have a camera with me as I was able to walk all around her.

[Bomber_12th]

More here, with a video of the takeoff:
http://commemorativeairforce.org/?page=cms/event&eventID=79

[traindriver98]

Great news. I saw her in OK in '92:salute::salute::salute:

[oakfloor]

FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.
Great info, and at those power settings they should run for many years.

[robert41]

Excellent news. Thanks for the info on the engines B 12.

[stansdds]

:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::applause::applause:

[Bomber_12th]

I must add, that while the 60's era -95W engines, could produce 3,500 horsepower in their original form, the way in which the hybrid engines are configured, they are rated at just 2,400 horsepower each. The WWII-originals, produced 2,200 horsepower. So, over the airframe, there is an extra 800-horsepower gain.

[stansdds]

The extra power may give them a better margin of safety during takeoff and landing, but I expect the hybrid engines are close enough to the originals in terms of power that there will be no difference in handling or airframe durability.

[Ghostrider]

Very cool!

[Pips]

More here, with a video of the takeoff:
http://commemorativeairforce.org/?page=cms/event&eventID=79


What a majestic looking aeroplane. Simply beautiful. :)

[Ken Stallings]

This morning, the CAF's B-29 FIFI is back in the air! It has been 4-years since it last flew, and 6-years since it last flew regularly. The aircraft has been the subject of a tremendous overhaul since 2004, which over the past four years, mainly consisted of a complete re-engine program, which saw the old, original, un-reliable engines switched out, in favor of new, re-engineered highbreds, that are to be much, much more dependable, solving the issues that had plagued FIFI for many years - the same issues that plagued B-29's during their service career. Its first airshow appearance is scheduled for the Colorado Sport International Air Show, August 28-29.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

God! I wonder what the flight hour costs are to operate that airplane! It has to be gargantuan!

Ken

[MaskRider]

Wow! What a thrilling sight!

[PRB]

That's awesome. I had the great pleasure of seeing FiFi fly at one of the Chino Planes of Fame air shows in the 1980s. There was a B-17 and a B-24 there that day as well, and the thing I'll always remember obout the B-29 was how different it sounded from the -17 and -24. The B-29's sound was a much deeper, lower pitched, base-filled sound than the others. Happy to see her back in the air.

[stansdds]

God! I wonder what the flight hour costs are to operate that airplane! It has to be gargantuan!

Ken
That thought crossed my mind as well. Bet they won't be selling 30 minute rides for $100! If I recall correctly, the last time I saw Fifi, which was 1985-ish, the CAF charged admission just to climb inside to look around the cockpit. It's bound to be an incredibly expensive aircraft to maintain and operate.

[Bomber_12th]

With it back and airworthy again, they also are now cleared with the FAA to offer rides - the first time ever, that the public has the chance to fly aboard a B-29. There are jump-seats installed in the aft section of the aircraft, which is where passengers will be, where-as the front section will be off limits, due to the fact that most of the front section is filled with people and areas critical to flying the aircraft. I think the CAF hopes to make up for a lot of the operating costs this way, as long as there are enough paying customers. There have been TV-monitors set up, so that while one tours the back section in flight, one can also have views of the cockpit. Also, part of the cost of the ride, gets you a video of the flight to keep, once the flight is completed - which includes external and internal footage.

[Sundog]

With it back and airworthy again, they also are now cleared with the FAA to offer rides - the first time ever, that the public has the chance to fly aboard a B-29. There are jump-seats installed in the aft section of the aircraft, which is where passengers will be, where-as the front section will be off limits, due to the fact that most of the front section is filled with people and areas critical to flying the aircraft. I think the CAF hopes to make up for a lot of the operating costs this way, as long as there are enough paying customers. There have been TV-monitors set up, so that while one tours the back section in flight, one can also have views of the cockpit. Also, part of the cost of the ride, gets you a video of the flight to keep, once the flight is completed - which includes external and internal footage.

That is very cool! I took the cockpit tour when I saw her at the Dayton Airshow back in 2000 or 2001, I don't remember the exact year. Also, we just had the Collings Foundation B-17 buzzing around the area and I'm sure the people riding on it were enjoying. I was enjoying watching it. Of course, if I had an 88 around I could have given them the full effect! ;)

I love the sound of Radials.

[crashaz]

Great that she is back!

I remember the reenactment of the Hiroshima bombing... boy what a brouhaha.

[Bomber_12th]

It flew again yesterday, but only for a short time - it came back and landed right after it took-off. There hasn't been much stated other than that, but it sounds like the #2 engine was smoking a bit, and it is grounded until the issue, whatever it is, is sorted out. Hopefully it isn't too bad/big of an issue.

[stansdds]

Smoking engine? Oh, no. Hopefully it something simply like a leaky oil line.

[JorisVandenBerghe]

If I ever get to the US...this is one of the highest ranked aircraft on my 'must-photograph' list of airplanes. Good job CAF :salute:.

(That said, there are also a lot of others...the US is full of magnificent warbirds and military aircraft...)

[crashaz]

This will make the trek to Midland for AirSho 2010 just that much sweeter!:jump:

[johnr]

Did they find something wrong post flight? Or is this something they forgot to take off the website?
http://commemorativeairforce.org/?page=cms/index&cms_page=1421

Kind regards

JR

[Cactuskid]

If I can get access to a scanner, I've got some great pics of Fifi, inside and out, that I took when they were filming the TV movie "The Enola Gay" at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson in 1980. I got permission to go inside her and got some excellent pics of the flight deck, engineers station, belly section, and tail gunners section. They were doing T & G's with a Learjet camera plane, and I got to watch the whole thing. Unfortunately, because of liability, we could not go for a ride. We moved some of Pima Air & Space Museum's planes onto D-M's tarmac for static use, and I've got some good shots of Patrick Duffy and Billy Crystal filming some scenes next to our C-47 and P-38. If I can get these pics scanned, I'll post them...