Bob's B-29 Illustration

Thanks, Alex. People talk of "Man Caves" but this one is a "Pilot Cave."

 

The Grumman Albatross below looks really good!

 

Thought it was a Mallard...

Great "corner"... Bob's B-29 is spectacular.

 

A closer look at the B-29
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Fabulous airplane...

Engines and props were huge problems

 

Oh, that Mallard... there was a whole thread on that crash right after it happened.

V. Sad.

 

Engines were good boat anchors at the time. Some lasted for only 6 hours and there were fields of them after they were removed from B-29's in the Marianas. The first B-29 that I saw when I was in basic training was on fire and I saw three more throughout the US when I was on active duty, the last one was on final when I was leaving Drew Field after being discharged. The B-29 was a darn good airplane but the R3350 killed a lot of them. The Curtiss Electric prop put a few B-50's down, too. I flew in or flew airplanes with the R4360, R3350, R2800, R2600, R1830, R1820, R-1340, R-985, R680, R670, Ranger 165, Ranger 200, Kinners, Lamberts, Lycomings, Warner, most Continentals down to the 40hp, and a 60hp Ford Model B in a Pientenpol. I had a lot of fun when I was a bit younger.

 

Thanks, Bob...

When FIFI was here last year, I talked to a couple of the crew.
They said they had many problems with the engines, one even failed during an airshow. One engine only lasted about 7 hours before it started to fail.

So they grounded it and re-engined it with later versions of the 3350 (from Douglas Skyraider) that were more reliable.

They also deleted the turbochargers and pressurization, since they do not ever fly at high altitude. Also, it never carries a full bomb load... ha. So it's never struggling to get airborne.
The turbo wastegate exhausts are still there, but serve no function.
And, the engines have names... women movie star's names from the 40's on each nacelle. (Mitzi, Ingrid, Rita, Betty).

BTW, some of the FIFI crew were the first to fly DOC after it's restoration, the other B-29 now flying. They were the only people with 'current' B-29 flying experience.


I have not heard of engine issues with the new and improved B-50... it had the bigger 4360's, I think. Better engine?

 

The R4360 had issues, too. Not as bad as the R3350, though.The R4360 was terribly complicated, full of gears, cams, pushrods,etc. It was 4 radials in a row but they were still a good engine, expensive to operate and to maintain. I looked at the FIFI engines when it was here 2 years ago and figured roughly that the elimination of the supercharging turbos and intercoolers and duct work lightened the airplane by 1600 pounds or more. The new engine configuration got rid of the exhaust collector ring the the old R3350 had in front of the first bank of cylinders. I never understood that configuration except that they took two R1820's and joined them face to face.

 

Bob- Quite a difference from the R2800, which would happily fly around with two or three cans damaged or inop.

 

Yes, I have heard incredible stories about P-47's coming back with several jugs shot up and it was still running. In my opinion, the best engines through time were; Wright J-5, Cont. 220, Lycoming 200, Cont. 65, R985, R1830, R1820, RR Merlin(V1640?), DB601, JT3D, CFM 56. Okay, the Bushwackers will start shooting, I'll bet.

 

Alexm, looks like you have a little FBO going on there. Nice.

 

Okay, I have a question. If they go across the US to show the plane in air shows, do they not need to cross the Rocky Mountains? And does not crossing the Rocky Mountains require flying at high altitudes? I mean, Pikes Peak still looks about 15,000 feet high from my bedroom window . . .

Thanks!

Jacob

 

Jacob- She can fly that high with no turbochargers (O2 for the pilots) and, just like the pioneers, you do not have to go directly over the highest peaks. None of the 14ers in Colorado are over 14,500'.

 

So which variant is this one. Four turnin' and two burnin'.
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Test bed for jet engines. Not sure how many were built- this one has a serial # different then then picture you have posted.
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That is a B-50 test bed for jet engines. R4360's turning...Curtiss Electric four bladed props.

 

There were a bunch of KB-50Js, outfitted with two J-47s in addition to the four recips, but they were gone by the time I came in in 1972, and even the KC-97s were on the way out by the time I was operational in 1975. Compressor stall cost me my one chance to refuel on one in 1975.

The KB-50s were limited to probe and drogue, while the KC-97 had a proper boom.
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Ah-HA!! Thank you very much!!!!

 

It amazes me how this post has segued into 1950 when my first job at Boeing was as a "Flight Line Modification Mechanic" modifying 30 B-50's into The KB-50 and RB-50, 15 each. I mentioned it in the book how we were out on the flight line in the winter of '50 and '51 and in Plant 2 during the beautiful summer of 1951. Then I worked on the latest mod of the KC-97, the KC-97G. From that to the B-52, 707, and 727 as an illustrator, and then on all the rest until 1998. The last 20 years in PD as a technical designer. Please forgive me for digressing a little bit. I look back on all of it in disbelief almost and I can't toot my own horn about it...not enough breath anymore.

 

You're right. I always get confused with these two beauties!

Sad to see it..