SHE FLEW AGAIN: B-29 "Fifi" of CAF on the 5th of Aug 2010...

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.cafb29b24.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's been a long time coming...

A great shame Gary Austin/Retro Aviation is not there anymore to see it...

World’s Only Flyable B-29 Returns to the Skies for Test Flights


MIDLAND, TEXAS (June 25, 2010) – The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is excited to announce the world’s only flyable
B-29 Superfortress FIFI, will return to the skies Tues., June 29, 2010, at 8 a.m.

The CAF Airpower Museum will open its doors at 7 a.m. on Tues. June 29 and Wed., June 30 for visitors who would like to get a front row seat for FIFI’s pre-flight preparations and first flights.

Visitors to the museum will be ushered to the main hangar for an up-close view of the crew preparing this massive bomber for her first flight in four years. Once FIFI begins to head for the runways, visitors will be escorted to a prime viewing area, to witness the B-29s first taxi and take-off.


The B-29 was originally fitted with the Wright R-3350-57AM engine, which had a less-than-desirable reputation since its inception. True to this reputation, FIFI has experienced numerous problems with her engines in the 30-plus years she has been flying with the CAF.

Following the discovery of metal shavings in the engine oil, the B-29/B-24 Squadron held a lengthy series of meetings with CAF personnel and experts in the field of aircraft restoration and the decision was made to not fly the plane again until it could be fitted with engines that are a custom built combination of the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD engines.

The refit required reworking the engine mounts and some of the engine cowling, making it a lengthy undertaking.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCF3BOR4LUg[/youtube]

May 31, 2010, Commemorative Air Force B-29 "FIFI" with all four new engines running!!!! This was a major milestone and she is moving forward to returning to the air over America. We will be updating the the web site routinely.

“The Midland/Odessa community has offered such great support for the B-29 during the last four years, we are excited to invite our neighbors out to see her first flight in four years,” said CAF President/CEO Steve Brown.

When the Commemorative Air Force (then Confederate Air Force) began searching for a B-29 for its collection of historical military aircraft, World War II had been over for 21 years. The Superfortresses that helped end it had long since yielded to new generations of jet-powered strategic bombers and vanished. According to the United States Air Force, no B-29s remained in inventory, even at storage or disposal depots. But the CAF colonels had faith and it paid off.

In 1971, a pilot reported sighting a number of what might have been B-29s in the California desert near China Lake. The CAF learned the aircraft were indeed Superfortresses that had been parked at a Navy weapons center for 17 years. They had been used for gunnery targets and abused by heat, sand and vandals. After much negotiation, paperwork and a painstaking process of elimination to find the best survivor, the CAF added B-29 SN44-62070 to its fleet. That was just the beginning of the task. The complete restoration to CAF standards of airworthiness was a long and expensive project involving more than three years of fund-raising and hard work. Late in 1974, the CAF's B-29 was christened FIFI and joined the other World War II fighters and bombers to preserve the memories and teach lessons of mankind's greatest war.

Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has approximately 9,000 members and a fleet of 156 airplanes distributed throughout the country to 74 units located in 27 states for care and operation. For more information, visit http://www.commemorativeairforce.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or call (432) 563-1000.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.cafb29b24.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CAF B-29 Test Flights Postponed

All test flights scheduled for the Commemorative Air Force's B-29 Superfortress FIFI, on June 29 and 30, have been postponed until further notice.

Due to a scheduling conflict, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will not be able to issue a new Airworthiness Certificate for the B-29 Superfortress FIFI until next week at the earliest. The certificate is required for FIFI to begin test flights.

Please stand-by for more information as it becomes available regarding the rescheduling of the first test flights. The CAF is very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.cafb29b24.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

B-29 FIFI Cleared for Flight


MIDLAND, TEXAS (July 7, 2010) – On Tues. July 6, 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Certificate allowing the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) B-29 Superfortress crew to begin Phase I flight-testing.

Phase I flight-testing will begin in the afternoon on Fri., July 9 and continue through Sat., July 10.

During these test flights, the B-29 crewmembers will be required to depart Midland International Airport for unpopulated areas.

Upon returning from the flights, the crew will need to dismantle areas of the aircraft in order to review the aircraft’s performance and safety.

On Mon., July 12, the B-29 will be in flight for crew training.

The PDF-file at
http://www.cafb29b24.org/a/z_Temp%20Fol ... Flight.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has some more general information.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.commemorativeairforce.org/?p ... eventID=79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CAF B-29 Flight Delay Continues

MIDLAND, TEXAS (July 15, 2010) –The Commemorative Air Force announced today that due to the heavy workload of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and recent accidents in the West Texas area, the FAA will not have the opportunity to complete the required certifications for the B-29 until the week of July 26th at the earliest.

“We will continue working with the FAA as their representative becomes available,” said CAF President and CEO Stephan Brown.
The CAF member-volunteers have completed the necessary ground tests that make us confident that FIFI will have successful flights.”

The CAF hopes to complete the certification during the week of July 26 so that flight-testing can begin the week of Aug. 2, 2010.

http://commemorativeairforce.org/?page= ... _page=1267" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

July 12, 2010

I thought I would give everyone a more detailed look into the challenges of getting a B-29 back into the air.
A week ago the FAA graciously put us into their busy schedule and issued the Air Worthiness Certificate for FIFI.
We then scheduled crews to come in to fly her this past Friday, July 9th. The day dawned with clouds on the horizon, literally and figuratively. We had severe storms causing gully washers and commercial flight delays for our crew members.

So, flying was out from a weather standpoint – and then late Friday afternoon, we got into a conversation with the FAA here regarding minimum crew members.
From my understanding, we have always flown with a minimum of six, however, the FAA had provided us authorization to only fly with four. As it was late in the day on Friday, we were not going to get to a final resolution, but the FAA agreed to take a look at our justification today; Monday.

Bob Stenevik worked with the B-29 crew and authored a letter with past FAA authorization documentation, for a minimum crew of six and also requested a 7th crew member (a second Engineer) as per Charlie Tilghman’s request, from a safety standpoint; for the initial test flight(s). So, that information and justification is already awaiting them, via email this morning. We will be following up with them first thing, to finish this part up.

Keep a close watch on http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... &start=840" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... 8&start=90" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
for further developments/updates...

[Stratofreighter]

See
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... &start=855" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and further on...

http://www.commemorativeairforce.org/?p ... eventID=79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://commemorativeairforce.org/?page= ... _page=1267" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;