SAC Museum's B-29 Progress

[ebramhall]

The Saturday show at Offutt was canceled today, so I went over to the SAC museum to see what was new. They moved the B-1 into the main hanger with the Vulcan and KC-97. The B-29 has been stripped of paint and being dismantled. For some reason has the main landing gears have been painted yellow. I'm thinking this might be a corrosion protectant. Pictures follow.

Eric

[peter]

Nice pics!
Good to see shes coming along nicely! The paint on the landing gear looks like a primer of some sort.
Did you happen to take any pics of the Vulcan?

[retroaviation]

Actually, some B-29s were delivered with that yellow paint/primer on the gear. I don't really have time to dig up the pictures right now, but I've got 'em here somewhere.

Gary

[peter]

I do hope the vulcan gets restored and opened for display!

[ebramhall]

These are pics from last year. Sadly, little has changed. Here hoping she will be next in line after B-29.

Thanks for the info on the primer Gary and Peter.

Eric

[RMAllnutt]

Hey at least the Vulcan's under cover... makes a change considering that nearly all of the other survivors are out doors. Thanks for the photos!

Cheers,
Richard

[ebramhall]

I've uploaded the rest from today.

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/s ... ?start=all

Here are a few of my favorites.

Eric

[APG85]

If you look closely at color pictures of the Silverplate B-29's on Tinian (Bockscar, Enola Gay, etc.) you will see that the struts on those aircraft were yellow in color - some kind of primer looking paint...

[mustangdriver]

Great looking museum. I need to get out there. I heard a rumor and that is all that it is at t his point, that the Vulcan at Barksdale might be going to Wright Pat.

[peter]

Wow that would be one heck of a move!

[peter]

ebramhall, Did it look like she still has her engines fitted?

[ebramhall]

I will take a guess and say that the engines were removed even though it was flown to Omaha in 1982. They have a couple of covers over the engine outlets. Engines or not it's going to take a lot of work to restore it after they find time and money restore the B-29, the EC-135, DC-6, the F-4, B-52.......and so on.

Eric

[Second Air Force]

Eric and Peter;

I've slept since then, but I think XM573 flew the Vulcan Display (the highlight of the show in my opinion) at Offutt's Airshow on the year that it was donated to the Strategic Air Command Museum. I think she is complete with engines and most equipment, but this may have changed in the intervening years. Either way, it is nice to see a V-Bomber under a roof.

Scott

[APG85]

What's the restoration plan for the B-29? I hope they polish it. The B-17 doesn't look right painted grey IMO...

[ebramhall]

Here a little blurp about the restoration.
http://www.strategicairandspace.com/sup ... nFund.html
Nothing about the final paint job. Yes, it would be nice with polished metal in WWII or Korean scheme.

Eric