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waltesefalcon

waltesefalcon

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My daughter and I went and saw the B-29 "Doc" at the Lawton airport yesterday. I have seen Fifi before, at the Altus AFB airshow, but this was my first time seeing Doc. The B-29 is such a marvel of what we aeronautical engineering, I'm sure most of us are familiar enough with it, that I won't bore you with many facts about the aircraft. It was an absolute pleasure seeing a WWII era aircraft at Lawton, this is the first time in many years that one has landed here. In fact, I think I was in grade school the last time a WWII warbird landed here, when the CAF brought in a B-17 and B-24. For the occasion I wore my 1937 Longines, hour angle watch, developed in conjunction with Charles Lindbergh. It's my only pilot's watch from the era.
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Awesome pics! Didn’t think you could get that close or even enter the aircraft. Usually they have it roped off and you can only walk around it.
Thanks for posting the pics.
 
waltesefalcon said:
My daughter and I went and saw the B-29 "Doc" at the Lawton airport yesterday. I have seen Fifi before, at the Altus AFB airshow, but this was my first time seeing Doc. The B-29 is such a marvel of what we aeronautical engineering, I'm sure most of us are familiar enough with it, that I won't bore you with many facts about the aircraft. It was an absolute pleasure seeing a WWII era aircraft at Lawton, this is the first time in many years that one has landed here. In fact, I think I was in grade school the last time a WWII warbird landed here, when the CAF brought in a B-17 and B-24. For the occasion I wore my 1937 Longines, hour angle watch, developed in conjunction with Charles Lindbergh. It's my only pilot's watch from the era.
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Is that a replica of an atomic bomb in between the conventional ordinance?
 
equiprx said:
Is that a replica of an atomic bomb in between the conventional ordinance?
Click to expand...

If you mean photo 4, that long shiny metal thing in the center is the "communication tunnel" so crew can move/squeeze between pressurized cockpit and pressurized rear quarters.

B-29-cutaway-PBS-annotated1.jpg


The 29 had the first "computer guided" weapons system.

Thanks for the photos!
 
Gliderman8 said:
Awesome pics! Didn’t think you could get that close or even enter the aircraft. Usually they have it roped off and you can only walk around it.
Thanks for posting the pics.
Click to expand...
This is actually the second one I have gotten to tour.

When I saw Fifi, you could enter through the tail, and if you so desired climb through the tunnel to the cockpit.

If I had much deeper pockets, today I would be taking a flight on "Doc," however the seats start at something like $500.
 
equiprx said:
Is that a replica of an atomic bomb in between the conventional ordinance?
Click to expand...
No, the atomic bomb would occupy the entire bomb bay. They were pretty huge.

If you are talking about the tube, as Tom suggests, it is the access tunnel from the forward pressurized cabin to the rear. In the fifth picture you can see the forward pressure bulkhead and the tunnel coming out of it. In the sixth picture you can see down the tunnel into the rear compartment.
 
Thanks for the great photos Walt. We saw a B29 here at Wiley Post airport about 10 year ago and got to climb inside for the tour.I think rides were only $400 back then. I imagine it cost well over that just to get that baby in the air.
 
Bayless said:
Thanks for the great photos Walt. We saw a B29 here at Wiley Post airport about 10 year ago and got to climb inside for the tour.I think rides were only $400 back then. I imagine it cost well over that just to get that baby in the air.
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The B-29 sucks down 100 gallons of AV gas per engine, per hour. So I totally get why the tickets are pricey.
 
Awesome Walter! Some great shots and great selfies of you and (I’m guessing) daughter.
When I was taking flying lessons back in my college days, I returned from a solo flight one day (Cessna 172) to find a B-29 (Fifi I think) had made an unscheduled stop at Albuquerque airport. I coincidentally ended up parking right next to her.
 
Basil said:
Awesome Walter! Some great shots and great selfies of you and (I’m guessing) daughter.
When I was taking flying lessons back in my college days, I returned from a solo flight one day (Cessna 172) to find a B-29 (Fifi I think) had made an unscheduled stop at Albuquerque airport. I coincidentally ended up parking right next to her.
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Yes sir, she's my youngest.

That's incredible. The Cessna must have looked like a gnat next to a B-29.
 
I was stationed at China Lake in the 70's where several B29's were flown in and stored in the 50's, including Doc. I explored them all as a young sailor and witnessed one being flown out in 1977. I Witnessed Doc being moved off base to Inyokern airport, 10 miles west I think the mid 90's, where the confederate air force was going to restore it. After years of nothing really happening, it was moved to Kansas City where the restoration was completed. It still comes to Inyokern for a visit and flights when it does its tour.

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NutmegCT said:
If you mean photo 4, that long shiny metal thing in the center is the "communication tunnel" so crew can move/squeeze between pressurized cockpit and pressurized rear quarters.

B-29-cutaway-PBS-annotated1.jpg


The 29 had the first "computer guided" weapons system.

Thanks for the photos!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the clarification.
 
Super photos, Walter! Thanks!

Saw "Fifi" years ago as a fly-by but had no chance to get close. Ride was $400 then, too. Did get to crawl around in a B-24 once, really cramped! Couldn't imagine doing a mission in one OR the other (B-29 or B-24). I had first hand experiences in many of the larger USAF planes of my time, the "worst" were likely the Spartan conditions of a C-123 or C-130 as "crude." But NOTHING like on the WW-II birds where it comes to crew accommodation! Those guys had, mmmm... brass ones.
 
Strategic Air Command - one of the great aviation movies of the 1950s. "One takeoff and one landing ..."

And speaking of cramped spaces, imagine the crew of a Lancaster, at altitude, in darkness, hitting turbulence and flak, dodging German planes:

 
NutmegCT said:
Strategic Air Command - one of the great aviation movies of the 1950s. "One takeoff and one landing ..."

And speaking of cramped spaces, imagine the crew of a Lancaster, at altitude, in darkness, hitting turbulence and flak, dodging German planes:

Click to expand...
Memphis Bell is a more recent WWII movie that I enjoy (1990 version with Matthew Modine and Eric Stoltz)
 
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