B-29 The Great Artiste

Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:14 pm

Is that the real one on display in Maryland?

Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:34 pm

no The Great Artiste was a B-29-40-MO 44-27353
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b29regis ... 61671.html

Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:34 pm

Nope, the original is long gone - unfortunately.

Regards,

Art S.

Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:49 am

Thanks guys. Sure looks pretty.

Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:01 am

On 3 September 1948 the original Great Artiste made a high speed approach after having an engine problem to the runway at Goose Bay, Labrador. It touched down half-way down the runway, went off the unfinished end and ground-looped to avoid a tractor. It suffered severe structural damage at a wing joint and was never repaired. Almost a year later it was dropped from inventory as salvage. Bottom line: SCRAPPED... :cry:

The plane on display at Whiteman AFB, Mo is painted to look like The Great Artiste. It was once a Rescue B-29 complete with life-boat! It use to be on display at the now closed Pease AFB, NH (as The Great Artiste) and was in terrible condition. If I remember correctly, this plane was pulled from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds...

Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:49 am

Some pictures I took of the "stand in" Great Artiste when it was on display at Pease AFB, NH in 1989...

Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:22 am

So is it no longer in Maryland?

Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:33 am

The only time it was in Maryland (to my knowledge) was when it was a derelict target at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (I'll have to check my records)...

Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:17 am

Here's what I have in my records:

44-61671 B-29A-40-BN THE GREAT ARTISTE Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Name not original to the aircraft. This aircraft was the original SB-29 Air/Sea Rescue aircraft. Recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds and put on display at Pease AFB, New Hampshire until that base closed. Outdoor display.

I would be pretty neat to take that B-29 life boat that the NMUSAF is restoring and re-convert this B-29 back to it's Rescue configuration. Pretty historic that it was the Original Rescue B-29 and it would make a neat restoration. The B-29 at Barksdale (that is in such bad shape) could be moved to Whiteman and done up to represent The Great Artiste. Of course this would all require buckets of money and effort...

Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:41 am

At least they did a good job of making it look like a Silverplate B-29, even got the props right.

Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:00 pm

Some info/pic's on it's clean up at Whiteman...

http://www.whiteman.af.mil/news/story_m ... =123067835

Sat Dec 27, 2008 9:31 am

A good friend of mine from C-130s was selected to be the initial female B-2 pilot way back when. She arranged for my wife and me to crawl through a B-2 and I even got to fly the sim. Pretty cool for a lowly Herk guy. Of course, I had to get photos of the B-29 at the Whiteman base airpark. April 2006.

Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:02 am

How awesome is all of that? Good stuff man. She seems to be well kept on the base there. That is also awesome that your friend flies the B-2.

Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:06 am

what a historcal screw up....... but nobody's fault

Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:21 am

tom d. friedman wrote:what a historcal screw up....... but nobody's fault