Boeing on a Barge ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7830

Any ideas what this was about? This is where The Inspector would have been the man with the theory. His contributions to WIX are missed for sure.

Photo states: "Lake Washington Ship Canal, U S Government Locks, Seattle, Washington. A B-29 on a barge being lowered in the large" ... NARA

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7830

Ah! figured it out (I think) ... had something to do with Boeing's B-29 factory in Renton

Boeing's B-29 factory in Renton. The aerial looks south, with the channeled Cedar River diverted to Lake Washington since the Black River, which it once joined in a flow to Elliott Bay, went dry with the 1916 nine-foot lowering of Lake Washington for the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7830

Speaking of squeaky clean new Boeing B-29s .... I'll let the B-29 experts explain the locations below, I'd say, not being remotely close to an expert, it's either Renton WA or Wichita KA? Or somewhere else.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7830

... and a B-29 doesn't get much squeaky cleaner that this one(s) .... Isn't 'DOC' going to look like one of these? As in factory fresh? No markings?

Kyleb · **Posted:** Sat Jan 10, 2015 7:48 pm

The airplane on the barge looks dinged up to me. Some of the prop blades look bent, the left horizontal stab ain't right, etc...

ChrisK48 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:40 pm **Posts:** 131

At least some of the photos in the third post are from Wichita. The second photo shows what was previously the Stearman factory in the background.

http://img.kansasmemory.org/thumb500/d00000238.jpg

maxum96 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:04 pm

Kyleb wrote:

The airplane on the barge looks dinged up to me. Some of the prop blades look bent, the left horizontal stab ain't right, etc...

Ditto. My guess is it was pranged and they're barging it for some reason.

Cubs · **Posted:** Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:38 pm

The photo with the B-29's and the C-82's or C-119's is at Birmingham, AL. The big hangars and some of the other buildings are still visible. Just had a look from Google Earth. One internet source says Hayes Aircraft modified B-29's to KB-50's.

The photo preceding the one of the old Stearman factory is Wichita, KS. I'm pretty sure that's S. Oliver street running parallel to the taxiway. The terminal building, which is now the Kansas Aviation Museum should be just out of view, to the right. Photograph is looking north.

51fixer · **Posted:** Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:49 pm

Cubs wrote:

The photo with the B-29's and the C-82's or C-119's is at Birmingham, AL. The big hangars and some of the other buildings are still visible. Just had a look from Google Earth. One internet source says Hayes Aircraft modified B-29's to KB-50's.

KB-50 is a refueling version of a B-50 which isn't a B-29.
Although based on a B-29 the B-50 is very different, a 29 can't be modified to a B-50.

That plant was recently closed by it's operator and an auction was held online. I got a number of test equip and several have the Hayes Industries tags attached.

Cubs · **Posted:** Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:03 pm

51fixer wrote:

Cubs wrote:

The photo with the B-29's and the C-82's or C-119's is at Birmingham, AL. The big hangars and some of the other buildings are still visible. Just had a look from Google Earth. One internet source says Hayes Aircraft modified B-29's to KB-50's.

KB-50 is a refueling version of a B-50 which isn't a B-29.
Although based on a B-29 the B-50 is very different, a 29 can't be modified to a B-50.
.

Internet data, sheesh.
I did not know that about the B-29/B-50 airframes. Thanks. Further research shows that Hayes modified KB-50's to other variants. Here is what I found.http://www.skytamer.com/Boeing_B-50J%28KB%29.html

ryguy135 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:41 am **Posts:** 67

In your second post, the third and last pics are definitely Wichita. I work in the brick building in the last pic

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sun Jan 11, 2015 1:05 am

Let's blow this up a bit:

The nose damage, slightly bent props and missing cowl sections sure make it look like a ditching recovery; wings and fin removed to pass under bridges/through canal locks? I've been checking accident reports for the area pre-1948 (no red stripe on the insignia) and no luck so far.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7830

A bit more info: "Lake Washington Ship Canal, U.S. Government Locks, Seattle, Washington. B-29 on barge being lowered in the large locks, looking southeast., 06/30/1944"

hang the expense · **Posted:** Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:10 am

Looks to me that the birds damage is the result of running off the end of the runway causing the nose gear to collapse which let the prop blades contact the ground. If that bird was involved in a water landing I believe the blades would be significantly damaged more so than they appear to be in the photo.

Cubs · **Posted:** Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:48 am

Could it be that it was on the barge initially intact and that it was damaged going under bridge or cables. Runaway barge?
* One of the pilings (pollards?) on the barge looks like it is impaled through the no. 3 engine.
* looks like only the top blades on the props are bent. The lower prop blades look straight to me.
*The upper turret looks sheared off.

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