B-29 Frozen In Time

[Zema Bus]

I originally saw this video back in the mid 90's, and about 5 years ago I found the DVD on Amazon. But now you can watch it for free on youtube. These guys travel around finding old abandoned military planes, restore them in the field, and fly them out. The video focused on this one plane they found in Iceland. It had been parked and just sat there for 50 years in the snow and ice. They set to work repairing the skin etc, replacing the engines using the same type of field engine hoists used in WWII. They used another restored plane as a parts runner. It was awesome to see what they accomplished, and you could really feel it, especially when they started the engines for the first time, kind of like the sense of accomplishment you feel when you start a new computer build for the first time and it actually works, but so many levels beyond that. They were under a lot of pressure to wrap things up and fly it out before the weather turned bad, and one of the guys overworked himself, got sick, and later died. But finally, after months and months of work, they were ready to take off. Everything finally came together in the end, and they were taxying to take off, and a kerosene lamp inside the plane falls due to the rough ground, the plane catches fire and burns up in minutes before it was ever able to take off. It was a really bittersweet film that you'll remember the rest of your life.Well worth the hour it takes to watch

 

[bootneck02]

What a great find Zema thank you for sharing it us, what a shame of the ending and the death of the original engineer. It would have been a tribute to hm had they had got it home, but good that the pilot and flight engineer got out safely to fight another day so to speak. Once again thanks for the great find.

 

[Abarbarian]

thoroughly enjoyed the story. Shame about the ending.

 

[Zema Bus]

You're welcome guys Here's a couple videos of taking off and landing shown from inside a B-29:

 

[bootneck02]

Great bit of filming, do you know where that was taken, any idea when the last B-29 came off the production line? The blue pyramid they flew over reminded me of the Luxor in LV but obviously not as was close to the coast, I am guessing that it was Florida somewhere.

 

[Taffycat]

Hubby and I enjoyed the flight on the B-29 Super Fortress. Very atmospheric to be able to hear the sounds of the engines so clearly. It must be quite an experience to fly in the cockpit of one of those for real.

 

[EvanDavis]

Great bit of filming, do you know where that was taken, any idea when the last B-29 came off the production line? The blue pyramid they flew over reminded me of the Luxor in LV but obviously not as was close to the coast, I am guessing that it was Florida somewhere.

28 May 1946

Long Beach, CA runway 12

 

[bootneck02]

Thanks Evan I got the wrong State then, oh well, they had a longish operational life as I belive they were using them into into the 60,s

 

[EvanDavis]

Thanks Evan I got the wrong State then, s

Always a good idea to read the video description And the date I got off Wikipedia, actually haven't stopped reading and watching video's since Imade my last post here. Dead interesting stuff

 

[Zema Bus]

Hehehe! That blue pyramid is the Walter Pyramid, a stadium on the campus of Cal State Long Beach. Here's a little bit about it with some close up pics

 

[bootneck02]

Thanks for the link Zema, very interesting

 

[historian]

What a tragedy to lose such a great aeroplane after all those years.Sad about the engineer.
historian