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B-29 Superfortress "Doc" ... Flying Again
| Open house was held on January 26, 2019, for B-29 Doc Hangar and Education Center at Eisenhower National Airport |
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In support of the World War II air campaigns, a total of 3,970 of the mighty B-29 Superfortress bombers were built during production.
Today, only a few Superfortresses have been preserved, restored, and put on static display, such as those at the March Air Museum, Hill Aerospace Center, the Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Pima Air & Space Museum, and Castle Air Museum.
About 22 complete B-29 airframes are currently on display in the United States. see a complete list and map of the surviving B-29 planes
Today, only two B-29s are in flight status, including "FiFi", maintained and operated by the B-29/B-24 Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. A second aircraft, "Doc", returned to flight status in July of 2016.
Doc: A Second B-29 Superfortress Returns to Flight Status
Work has been underway for several years to return a second B-29 to flying status.
The Superfortress known as "Doc" Serial Number 44-69972 has had extensive restoration done on it by volunteers in Wichita, Kansas where it was originally built.
 B-29 Superfortress "Doc" at McConnell AFB Open House |
"Doc" was one of a squadron of eight planes named as one of the dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story.
After the Korean War, it was flown to China Lake, California, for use as a bombing target. It became part of the United States Aviation Museum, Inyokern, CA, from 1998 - 2000.
It was later disassembled and moved by truck in March 2007 to the Kansas Aviation Museum for restoration.
In 2013 it was announced that a new non-profit group, Doc’s Friends, had taken ownership of the airplane and would support the effort to refurbish the vintage airplane. The airplane was moved from a storage hangar to active hangar space donated by Boeing where volunteers resumed restoration work.
Doc successfully returned to the air at McConnell AFB in Wichita on July 17, 2016.
Construction on the $6.5 million Hangar and Education Center for Doc at Eisenhower National Airport began in the fall of 2017. The hangar and maintenance portions of the facility were completed in November, 2018, with work on the education and visitors center portion of the project completed in January, 2019.
Other Surviving B-29 Superfortress Aircraft
click to see a complete list of surviving B-29s, their names, serial numbers, and locations
For More Information About Doc
Visit the official website of Doc's Friends at B-29Doc.com or link to Doc's Friends on Facebook
B-29 Superfortress "Doc" seen in March of 2015 (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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B-29 Superfortress "Doc" seen in March of 2016 (Photo courtesy of Doc's Friends) |
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Start-up and taxi
of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Doc" Texarkana, USA - May 20, 2023 (YouTube video by the Airplanes Online Staff) |
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First flight since 1956, after 16 years of restoration work of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Doc" Wichita, Kansas - July 17, 2016 (YouTube video by Doc's Friends) |
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Another video of the first flight of Doc after restoration McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas - July 17, 2016 (YouTube video by McConnell AFB, A1C Josh Crawley reporting) |
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The restoration story of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Doc" (YouTube video by Doc's Friends) |
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Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Doc" - first low-speed taxi test under its own power, May 11, 2016 (YouTube video by Doc's Friends) |
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More about the B-29 Superfortress |
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