B-29 Superfortress restoration nearing completion

In Wichita, Kan., volunteers have made significant progress restoring the Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Doc since work resumed on the project in 2013. Newly restored engines are being installed on the aircraft in preparation of the next major milestone known as “power on.” Volunteers are targeting first flight of the reborn relic later this year.

 

“The volunteers performing this work on a daily basis are amazing,” according to Jeff Turner, chairman of the board of Doc’s Friends, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the historic aircraft, named for one of the characters in Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” animated epic. He stated in a recent news release, “We have made significant progress recently hanging the first engine on the airplane.”

 

 

The Boeing B-29 has been in Wichita undergoing restoration since 2000. The restoration effort is something of a homecoming: the four-engine bomber originally rolled off Boeing’s Wichita assembly line in December 1944. After its service in the U.S. Air Force, the WWII bomber was relegated to serving as a Navy practice target at China Lake, Calif., until it was rescued from the desert by Tony Mazzolini. One of the last nearly-intact airframes of its type, rebuilding Doc for flight status has become a quest spanning more than 20-years for Mazzolini, who hails from Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Volunteers, many of them retired Boeing aircraft workers, started the piecemeal restoration project, bending sheet metal, and gathering the myriad parts necessary to make the plane flight-worthy. After years of slow progress on a shoestring budget, funds ran low, hangar space became unavailable, and the project came to a halt. But restoration of the historic airplane accelerated last year with additional funding and the donation of a hangar to finish restoration. In February 2013, a 501c3 not-for-profit board, Doc’s Friends, was formed to help preserve the history of this legendary aircraft and create a flying museum dedicated to the men and women who built, flew, and serviced the B-29. The organization, led by retired Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner along with other Wichita business leaders, is committed to returning this World War II warbird to the air to honor previous generations, educate current and future generations, and connect the world to the rich heritage of aviation.

 

Now as the restoration continues, Doc’s Friends is looking for skilled volunteers to help make the dream of seeing Doc fly again become a reality. The original pool of volunteers had dwindled, and rebuilding a new workforce to remanufacture the B-29 is a priority.

 

“In order to take the restoration to the next level, we are looking for experienced aircraft electricians, engine and flight control mechanics, sheet metal mechanics, and inspectors,” said TJ Norman, Doc’s Friends project manager. “With the amazing expertise that exists in Wichita, we really want to tap into that talent to get Doc off the ground.”

 

Volunteers are currently working on installing the engines, fuel cells, and will soon begin electrical continuity checks leading up to the power-on milestone. Click here to learn more.