B-29 documentary on TV??

[linecrew]

You guys resurrected an almost two year old dead thread...was the Kee Bird documentary recently re-broadcast?

[Cam]

Movie Monday - May 16 - Saving the B-29 Kee Bird

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/fligh ... aving.html

[nutbutter]

Just watched it on youtube, tragic is all I can say. Wish they would have shut down that hokey APU, or maybe not even used it.
In hindsight, they should have had a guy familiar with winter/arctic operations with them, those guys needed engine tents among other things. BTW I can't even believe those wheel bearings spun when they pulled that thing out of the lake, unreal.

[crazy_aviator]

In their lust for success and their stupidity ( APU) they practically KILLED the AME !! What they did to the engineer, they received in return, amazing that all of them were not killed !!!

[warbirdpilot7]

In their lust for success and their stupidity ( APU) they practically KILLED the AME !! What they did to the engineer, they received in return, amazing that all of them were not killed !!!

Old airplanes are different. Alot of people forget that. I am not an AME, but they do an excellent job making these type of aircraft airworthy for us to display. The B-29 FIFI finally flew again after being grounded for engine problems for 5 years.

Warbirds are a passion for us involved in the industry, and it is understandable that not everyone sees it this way. Try to appreciate what it takes

[Mitch Cronin]

I still cannot believe a competent aviator would have made such a bone headed move.... Unless I see him say, "I screwed up", I'm gonna continue to believe it was intentional. Look how fast he was taxiing that thing for gawd sakes! I think he'd accumulated so much debt that his best financial outcome was to collect insurance on the aircraft's accidental destruction.... But that's entirely ignorance based speculation.

What a damned shame.... and if it wasn't intentional, what a flippin' idiot.

[AlexandriaRodriguez]

Yes you are quite right about this

[System Message]

The tragedy is how a lot of B-29 in far better condition were chopped into cans and razor blades. This sort of thing is still going on with aircraft of every sort which should have gone to auction. Darryl did the right thing even though it did not work.

[who me ?]

I was speaking with a mechanic who was working on the B-29 "FiFi" doing engine and prop changes approx 1 1/2 yrs ago, I brought up the question of the apu in the B-29, he smiled and came down off the work stand. He told me the "29" was a very advanced Aircraft for its time,....if I recall correctly,
he said it is an all electric aircarft, flight controls, steering, brakes,everything,.. and if you ever had a complete electrical failure, you were dead. He said the engines with the old generators did not produce enough electical power to operate the aircraft on the ground. He said that FiFi has been modified with a large bank of auxillary batteries, just above the bomb bay.

So that explains to me why the apu was left running in this sad event.

[Blakey]

So it was one of those elusive 24V generators was it. I haven't seen too many of those. I have a copy of the video and it sure looks like a 110V unit to me. You'd never get enough power through a 24V charger to run any of the services you speak of.

Also, the plane was not fully serviceable; it was just supposed to make the hop to Thule. Why would you want to raise the gear or flaps? You wouldn't know if they were ever going to move again once you retracted them so you'd best leave them right where you needed them for landing.

Electric brakes?

[Beefitarian]

Electric brakes?

The emergency system must be recharged after 5 to 7 applications of the brakes.
The electric hydraulic pump cuts in when the main hydraulic pressure falls below 800 psi, and cuts out when the main hydraulic pressure reaches 1000 psi.

Who knew?

[Blakey]

Interesting (And the standard set-up for a larger aircraft with hydraulic brakes.) but:

1. NOT electric brakes.

2. Not required for the flight. Certainly not for the take-off if you've seen the video!

3. Impossible to power with the size of APU they had even if it were a 24V unit. If the 4 generators couldn't supply enough power, why do you think a small APU could?