Dave~What's the plan for FIFI?

Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:38 pm

For you collectors out there, I have a volunteer who has a very successful EBay site and she offered to handle some B-29 stuff on her site. The auction will begin tonite around 8:00pm ? not sure which time zone that will be but check it out!! It's odessatx There are 3350 cylinders, pistons,valves and even spark plugs. There are FIFI hats, books, dog tags and magnets from our PX and there will be more as we get it going and see if it is successful!
Please take a look and bid on the items of your liking. All procedes go directly to the general fund of the B-29/B-24 Squadron so in essence these are donations and should be considered tax deductable? Not sure about all that but thought I'd mention it. Ask your accountant!!

Much more to come soon as the new engine will be leaving Idaho enroute to Midland sometime this coming week.

I'll post pictures when it arrives!!
Dave

Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:35 pm

B29B24crewchief wrote:
JDK wrote:Videos work fine for me. Just tidied up a couple of duplicate posts/pics for you as well.

Good work, and fascinating to see the gunnery stuff.

Thank you!

Thanks again for the photos and videos!!! :prayer:

Amazing stuff.

Must make you jealous of Fifi's static CFC system?

I love FIFI.., please do not get me wrong.., but I can not wait to see two, or three of these puppies flying together!!!

Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:49 pm

Well, what it makes me is hopeful of someday getting at least one to work. They were very agreeable to helping with that and I do have someone else that is working on that project as well. Only time will tell!

Dave

Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:55 pm

I love FIFI.., please do not get me wrong.., but I can not wait to see two, or three of these puppies flying together!!![/quote]

It will take some deep pockets for that to ever happen but I myself would love to see that too! Maybe someone will buy up what's been started on Doc and make it happen! Again, Only time will tell.

Dave

Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:12 pm

see.., they need nice big fat corporate sponsor's like:

AIG, (nope) Lehman Brothers (nope), Bear Stearns (nope).., ahh heck.. where did all the money go?

How about the next billionaire that wants to go on a Soyuz Rocket.., take 1/10th that cash and buy a warbird instead? :shock:

Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:42 pm

Sounds so easy. Wish it were!!

Dave

Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:36 am

Trust me, If I had the $$ there would be a GIANT K on FiFi's tail!!!!!! :lol:

all the best!

Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:03 am

I have not given My "3 Amigos" the recognition and credit they deserve. Soooo, let me say that these 3 combined, have given me and the Squadron over 1000 volunteer hours!!

They come out and do alot of the dirty jobs and occasionally get to work on some cool stuff! Thank's guys!!

This picture shows Rudy and Tom putting the cowl flap actuators back on engine mount ring. I just got it back from Kosola where they NDT'd it and repainted it.

This is Jim, getting the bath tub all cleaned up so I can get it painted.

Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:01 pm

Dave,

concerning the life rafts on a B-29: see here for a B-17

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... 3&start=30

Are there any exterior release handles visible on a 29? Have you ever opened up the panels and seen the inside? If so, is it similar to the -17's?

Cheers.

Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:09 pm

I'll let Dave answer your question as well, but I'll try to answer some of what I don't think he can. I can tell you that originally, there was no means for externally opening the life raft doors on the B-29 (they kept it slick for speed). There are, however, handles on the inside in both the front and rear pressurized compartments. FIFI no longer has the life raft boxes installed and I modified them to where they could now be opened from either the inside or out. The seals on the doors are notorious for leaking after a rain, so I found that on tour, it is nice to open the doors and let it "air out" a bit. The open doors also allow a little extra light in the bomb bay area, as they can be a bit dark for tourists.

I posted pictures many moons ago on this topic, but I'm much too lazy to dig them up now. It's probably easier to beg Dave for current pictures. ;-)

Gary

Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:25 pm

Thanks for that Gary!
I'll get some pictures of that when I get back.
Dave

Fri May 01, 2009 10:09 am

Here are the 330th's team of 'Rudy and Tom' 64 years ago!!!!

equally as frustrated!!! :shock:

The trick is to climb inside!!! :lol:

Sat May 02, 2009 3:13 pm

the330thbg wrote:Here are the 330th's team of 'Rudy and Tom' 64 years ago!!!!

equally as frustrated!!!

The trick is to climb inside!!!

Is that a junk airframe in the background?? Given it is sitting "below" the wall, and not above it... Pushed down below or a flyer? Any take on that circular emblem on the starboard side of the 41 section? Any scribbling on the back of the photo?

Sat May 02, 2009 3:14 pm

Now that I look at the photo a little longer, those look to be trees and not a shear wall/cliff. :oops:

Sun May 03, 2009 7:02 am

Edward Sheetmetalhands wrote:Now that I look at the photo a little longer, those look to be trees and not a shear wall/cliff.

Not a junk airframe or a cliff wall at all. Yes those are trees around North Field, Guam. This was taken on the flightline on Guam in July 1945. That is a 314thBW/330thBG aircraft sitting in her spot!