B-29 "Doc" flies again!

[Bergman]

https://ksn.com/2016/07/15/ksn-to-carry-live-stream-of-doc-first-flight-sunday-morning/

[JarheadBoom]

Watched the Youtube live stream; pretty damn cool.  Probably the first time I ever wished I was in Kansas as opposed to whatever my current location was.

Now they need to get Fifi and Doc together for some form flights.  THAT will be epic.

[zrooster99]

Yeah, I watched it too!  Epic!  Two flyable B-29s for the first time in most of our lives!

[MD]

Be nice to get a B-50 flying. There are a couple of example in museums which appear to be possible candidates, were there the money to do so.

[Bergman]

Footage from the chase plane:

 

 

[Prosuper]

When is the 2nd flight? Will they bring the gear up?I read that they relied heavily on the CAF FiFi's mx/ops crew for advice and getting their own crew dogs type rated. Looking forward to seeing both B-29's in formation.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Prosuper
More info.

[JarheadBoom]

I keep reading rumors (not from CAF or Doc's Friends) about a chip light during the flight, which apparently was originally scheduled for 40-45min.  I have no idea whether this is true or not, but if it is, it's a potentially huge setback.

[Prosuper]

2 hours ago, JarheadBoom said:

I keep reading rumors (not from CAF or Doc's Friends) about a chip light during the flight, which apparently was originally scheduled for 40-45min.  I have no idea whether this is true or not, but if it is, it's a potentially huge setback.

FiFi was on the ground for years dealing with its original type engines making metal. I believe during the war we had losses of B-29's due to the engines catching fire or failing. It was rushed through production to combat without most of the flight testing we do in this era. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/july/18/doc-takes-flight-at-last

[JarheadBoom]

Doc has the same "hybrid" 3350s that Fifi now has.

So, 3 chip lights... ouch.  Hopefully it was a wiring issue.  Otherwise, Doc's Friends are gonna have to start yet another fundraiser.

[Prosuper]

18 hours ago, JarheadBoom said:

Doc has the same "hybrid" 3350s that Fifi now has.

So, 3 chip lights... ouch.  Hopefully it was a wiring issue.  Otherwise, Doc's Friends are gonna have to start yet another fundraiser.

Old Joke, how do you make a million dollars with an airline? Answer, start with a billion. I think they need a history nut silicon valley oligarch to keep this thing above water, Paul Allen please pick up the white phone. I believe he owns and trying to restore a flyable ME-262, with the original ZUMO engines reversed engineered with more robust internal parts to last longer. The two things you need that make's flight possible, air speed and money.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Prosuper
I'm a horrible proof reader.

[JarheadBoom]

Somebody with deep pockets definitely needs to step up to the plate.  A (relatively) small charity just doesn't have the long-term fundraising horsepower to maintain a complex aircraft with four round motors, even when things are running smoothly.

Kermit Weeks is definitely out - he's already stated in his FB feed that despite his involvement with getting Hawaii Mars to OSH this year, he's not in a financial position to buy and operate it, so Doc would be out of the running as well.

Maybe the Collings Foundation would be interested.

 

OR, a large corporate sponsor.  I abhor the idea of Doc being done over in, for example, Red Bull's colors (the thought of it makes me vomit internally), but if the alternative is being parked forever after a handful of flights, after all that work to get her airworthy... maybe it's not quite as unpalatable.

[Hopefulflyer389]

I opt in using my "future" social security. There won't be anything there for me receive by the time I get old enough anyways, so I'd rather it go to something like this. 

[Stitch]

7 hours ago, JarheadBoom said:

.., a large corporate sponsor...

Hate the Red Bull idea as well. Maybe in the spirit of the 100th Anniversary and an airframe that launched a thousand airplanes (B-50, B-337 StratoCruiser, Super Guppy and others based on the B-29 frame)  It would be cool if Boeing would step up to the plate.  If it's gotta go "corporate" at least let it be it's "mother hen" manufacturer.    

[Stitch]

4 hours ago, Hopefulflyer389 said:

I opt in using my "future" social security. There won't be anything there for me receive by the time I get old enough anyways, so I'd rather it go to something like this. 

Negative, that social security check, as small as it'll be, could mean the difference between dry kibble and wet canned dog food in the "Golden Years".

[Hopefulflyer389]

5 hours ago, Stitch said:

Negative, that social security check, as small as it'll be, could mean the difference between dry kibble and wet canned dog food in the "Golden Years".

Glad to hear. I might just get lucky and be able to feast on the individual fancy packages instead of the can. 

[Stitch]

19 hours ago, Hopefulflyer389 said:

Glad to hear. I might just get lucky and be able to feast on the individual fancy packages instead of the can. 

Holy Hell those are like the MRE of dog food!  Easy transport, storage, go anywhere nutrition and as an added bonus makes for a shiny coat and no P-38* required! 

 

*Young-in's, get an old guy to explain the P-38 reference.  

[drewpey]

https://www.b-29doc.com/2016/08/06/status-update-rock-solid-performance-and-planning-for-more-flight-testing/

It’s been three weeks since B-29 Doc flew for the first time after a 16 year restoration project and the Doc restoration crew is working to plan the historic warbird’s second flight.

The view of Doc’s first flight from the nose of the airplane. Photo credit: Brett Schauf, Visual Media Group

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been combing through all of the airplane’s systems and control surfaces checking to see how things behaved during first flight,” said Jim Murphy, Doc’s Friends restoration project manager. “We’ve also been reviewing gauge readings that were captured by video during flight and so far, everything has been rock-solid.”

During first flight, an engine light related to a chip detector that monitors the presence of metal debris in the engine lit up.

“The chip detector did its job, but it’s overly sensitive. The new radial engines on Doc take about 50 hours of flight to break in and during that time, you’re going to see tiny particles of metal…it’s just the way it is. The biggest particle we found during our inspection was about one-fourth the size of a pinhead,” Murphy said.

Doc has eight chip detectors in all, two on each engine. Murphy says the team is working to upgrade and replace the chip detectors with ones that have new technology that will be able to distinguish between tiny particles of metal, and bigger pieces that would be detrimental to the engines in flight.

“The new detectors include sensing screens that operate a lot like bug zappers. They can sense a tiny particle and zap it before it becomes a problem. When that happens, the chip detector light comes on, and then goes right back out, indicating the system took care of the problem. But those detectors are expensive and we likely won’t be getting those for a while.”

Murphy says the restoration crew is nearly finished with the post-first flight inspection, and only found a few minor issues that will not delay any further flight testing. One of those minor issues included a slight hum/noise in a headset.

“We’ll be working with the flight crew to schedule a second flight in the coming weeks. Depending upon schedules and weather, that second flight could happen before the end of August,” Murphy said.

Flight plans and recaps will be announced via Doc’s social media channels and the Doc’s Friends website.

 

[JarheadBoom]

Logged in to BODN to post that same link.

It was good to read that the chip lights turned out to be normal new engine/new gearbox behavior (I'm used to this in the helicopter world, but wasn't sure if that same behavior was prevalent in the round engine realm as well).

I also read at warbirdinformationexchange.com that one of the biggest challenges to getting Doc flying regularly is a lack of qualified flight engineers.  Part of Doc's Operating Limitations from the FAA is that she is required to have an FAA-certificated FE on board for all flights... and as of mid-'16 (I think) when the post was written, there were only TWO B-29 - qualified, FAA-certificated FEs in the world.  FIFI's Ops Limits are apparently different; she is not required to have an FAA-certificated FE, just a FE-trained and designated crewmember.

 

If I had an FE ticket, I'd be figuring out how to fit crewing Doc into my life...

[M2]

For anyone in the Omaha area, 'FiFi' is there this weekend...

https://www.airpowersquadron.org/

 

[MD]

Glad Doc didn't turn out like Kee Bird.