Friday, January 09, 2015

A 2nd B 29 is ready to fly again. "Doc" has finished restoration and rejuve, and now needs warm weather for test flights


image from http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/doc-ready-fly.html

It's home page is http://b-29doc.com/

I last posted about "Doc" in March 2014 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-b-29-is-nearing-end-of-its.html


this is Doc getting towed from China Lake in 1987 I was living in Palmdale and I remember when the first one was pulled out of there. It was named "Doc" because it once was part of the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" squadron of nine B-29s (named for Snow White, the 7 dwarfs, and the Wicked Witch) stationed in New York in the early '50s.

 Having rolled off the Boeing assembly line on March 23, 1945, in 1987 it was probably the most intact at China Lake and still had mounted four low-time Wright Cyclone engines (built by Dodge Division, of course).

 Palmdale was an aviation oriented town (a X-15 pilot was our mayor! Lakes named for Apollo astronauts!). After having spent 42 years on the desert floor at the Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, the idea was to tow it to the Inyokern airport a mere 10 miles away.

 However, after replacing the tires, the route over the smoothest roads possible necessitated a 4-day, 38 mile journey, with the tow vehicles being a bulldozer and a skiploader. A museum was to be built with the restoration taking place therein.

Thanks Steve!

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