Quote:
Originally Posted by WVOtoGO
“FIFI” is the only (kept) airworthy B29 at this time. It is based out of the Commemorative Air Force, CAF (Previously named the Confederate Air Force, based in Harlingen TX, until they decided that the salt air wasn’t good for the aircraft and the “not so politically correct” name wasn’t good for business.) headquarters in Midland, TX. (seems they out grew their San Marcus base and are slowly heading north.)
There will (we should all hope and pray) be two more B29s taking to the sky in the future.
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I remember watching a show on Discovery a few years back, a documentary about a B29 that had been discovered up in Greenland, I think - preserved in the ice for 50+ years. A team went up there and restored it over a course of time - I remember a guy actually died during the restoration. They got the thing airworthy and were warming it up to take off from a runway they'd plowed in the snow, and there was an accident inside with a heater system in the back that cause the aircraft to catch fire and burn to the ground right there. The whole team just sat beside it watching it, completely dumbfounded. My eyes teared up pretty good watching that plane burn. Such a tragedy.
We're lucky enough to get buzzed a few times a year by one of two airworth Avro Lancasters in the world. The noise from 4 Merlins is awesome. Last year my son and I were at its home airport and stood about 100 yards behind it as it fired up and taxied out to go to an airshow - the propwash and noise was unbelievable.
05-16-2010, 11:56 AM
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