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B-29 Frozen in Time


namvet
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Thank you comrades! ;)

That is a cool picture. Have you seen this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-4? Speaking of stolen, I wonder if the missing engines and propellors are on a B~29 stranded up on a Greenland glacier? Stolen might be too strong a term since they COULD have been bought with a few cases of Irish whiskey {or even Glenfiddich}.

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All the name dropping considered is there anything you have done that is at all close to what these guys did?

 

No, I have not destroyed a WW2 bomber before. Have you? ;)

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In 1996, just after Kee Bird's demise, I was participating in an airshow where the CAF's B-29 "Fifi" was in attendance. Given that I was a USAF flight engineer and in my flightsuit, Fifi's crew gave me a nice tour through their B-29. I asked about Kee Bird's fire, they then led me to the tail compartment where a gas powered APU is located, and stated that was what caused the fire. The APU fuel tank wasn't properly secured, the manifold line rattled loose and began leaking fuel as the aircraft taxiied over rough terrain. That was bad in it's own right, of course, but not fatal. That is because the APU is shutdown after engine start. However, Kee Bird's crew had left the APU running and now had fuel pouring all over it so that was all she wrote.

 

Although Fifi's crew exercised polite restraint when describing the mishap, they flat-out considered most of Kee Bird's crew to be a gang of well meaning amateurs who destroyed a good aircraft.

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Interesting. Are you confident enough to say that a V~107 would have been able to do a single vertical lift of 10,000 lbs or more of a non~standard, unstable, outsized load from that elevation {don't forget OGE hovering}?

I don't think there's a detachable peice of that aircraft that weighs 5 tons. The fuselage breaks down into at least two pieces, most of the innards can be removed and transported separately, engines and propellers were already shot so no need to worry about them. Unstable, out-sized loads are Columbia helicopter's specialty. Elevation looks to be, from the map, less than 4000'.

 

If a 107 couldn't (and I think it could), then a 234 certainly could.

 

These idiots were pumping their Caribou's tires up with propane gas...I don't know why you persist in defending their indefensible greed and Keystone Cops incompetence. This was in no way a professional recovery op.

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success or failure is not nearly as important as making the effort.

I completely disagree.

 

That aircraft survived just fine where it was at for nearly 50 years. It was just fine where it was at until someone could mount a proper recovery with some chance of success.

 

But, no. Bubba Darryl had to go in with his southern engineering and get it before someone else did.

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What I don't understand is how you can post links to all these websites and base all your opinions on those websites but if we base out our own opinions on those same websites you deride us for using websites documentry and forums for our own opinions?

 

Second you've named dropped these guys as well and somehow when you name drop qualified you as somebody in the know. The purpose of me mentioning the people I've known for many years is so you understand I'm just not throwing out uneducated thoughts with having long conversations with some very education people who know aircarft recovery. But yet you deride me for just name dropping.

 

I've already said once that maybe using Morons was a strong word and since you are very close to these people then I can see why you are so upset about me using that word.

 

I believe most of us understand what your saying but we disagree with it. I believe people understand what I'm saying... That's all, if we push this any father it will just create bad blood, which really don't want as I respect you and your experiences as well as this forum.

 

That's it for me..,have a good thanks giving weekend!

 

Leonardo

 

 

 

 

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when they did the taxi out i was thinking i hope the bundled wiring is still good. wiring insulation gets hard, brittle and and falls off. just 2 wires touch and its short circuit city.

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What I don't understand is how you can post links to all these websites and base all your opinions on those websites but if we base out our own opinions on those same websites you deride us for using websites documentry and forums for our own opinions?

 

Second you've named dropped these guys as well and somehow when you name drop qualified you as somebody in the know. The purpose of me mentioning the people I've known for many years is so you understand I'm just not throwing out uneducated thoughts with having long conversations with some very education people who know aircarft recovery. But yet you deride me for just name dropping.

 

I've already said once that maybe using Morons was a strong word and since you are very close to these people then I can see why you are so upset about me using that word.

 

I believe most of us understand what your saying but we disagree with it. I believe people understand what I'm saying... That's all, if we push this any father it will just create bad blood, which really don't want as I respect you and your experiences as well as this forum.

 

That's it for me..,have a good thanks giving weekend!

 

Leonardo

The URLs are for reference to help others understand the amount of effort put forth. Like you I also expressed a great disdain for the loss of this valued aircraft but I chose to temper that with my admiration for what all they did to get to the point of destruction. I used comparisons to similarly and supposedly failed military operations as examples of complex planning gone awry though the men and women who participated were first castigated and then, eventually acknowledged for the attempt. Each of us has to face the planning of something over the course of our lives and while most of us will never have to go to the extent these people did to accomplish any particular task I doubt any of one us will ever have to endure so public a failure as this one. Which brings out another point; the Nova video. Was that released as part of a contract to chronicle the expedition or did these guys decide to release this footage so they could be forever villified? Whatever the reason what they did to accomplish this expedition is still highly noteworthy and deserving of my respect as a fellow professional.

I have no problem with our differences here on this topic and though it may not have seemed so have also appreciated the lively exchange of those opinions. My own apoligies to {my fellow} NamVet for going so far afield from the original posting.

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That's all, if we push this any father it will just create bad blood, which really don't want as I respect you and your experiences as well as this forum.

 

Leonardo

 

 

The last thing I want is any bad blood on the forum, we've all shared our opinions on this subject and I can't see much purpose in everyone repeating their views/opinions as each day comes and goes.

 

There have been some interesting and good points raised by everyone, however the original post was about the events of the recovery attempt and not about who was right or wrong; or even what method had the best chance of recovery.

 

I'm going to close this because it appears we've exhausted this topic, however if someone is interested in discussing B-29's please feel free to start a new thread.

 

Thanks,

RC

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