Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: A8TOOL on November 09, 2010, 05:54:11 PM

Title: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: A8TOOL on November 09, 2010, 05:54:11 PM



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tJb-bmgBC0  :salute

Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: bacon8tr on November 09, 2010, 06:32:51 PM
What a darn shame  :cry   :salute
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: bj229r on November 09, 2010, 07:23:19 PM
Argh....almost cried. Someone should be shot
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Yeager on November 09, 2010, 07:31:48 PM
Whats even more of a shame is the lead engineer on that project died from a blood clot associated with a stomach ulcer he developed
while out there working his heart out on that once in a lifetime shot at bringing that 29 home.  Very very sad.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Tupac on November 09, 2010, 07:39:30 PM
I did cry when I watched the while video.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: mechanic on November 09, 2010, 07:43:39 PM
tragic way to end, but slightly better than catching fire in the air with crew onboard.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Yossarian on November 09, 2010, 07:49:30 PM
With any luck, the other B-29, 'Doc' will fly again.  Here's to hoping  :cheers:
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: oakranger on November 09, 2010, 08:02:49 PM
That is unfortunate that happen.  What is the history behind that B-29
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Rhah on November 09, 2010, 08:06:38 PM
thats really terrible  :salute to their hard work though
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Larry on November 09, 2010, 08:08:20 PM
Why didn't they just dismantle it and ship it back home? At the very least with a plane that is notorious for engine fires why not have a fire fighter vehicle near by?
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: BrownBaron on November 09, 2010, 08:15:29 PM
That is unfortunate that happen.  What is the history behind that B-29

Read the description of the video.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Guppy35 on November 09, 2010, 08:16:24 PM
Why didn't they just dismantle it and ship it back home? At the very least with a plane that is notorious for engine fires why not have a fire fighter vehicle near by?

It was an auxilary generator in the back that broke loose and caught fire.  While it didn't work, Greenemeyer of any pilot would have been able to pull that one off.  It was a sad ending.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: BrownBaron on November 09, 2010, 08:18:57 PM
It was an auxilary generator in the back that broke loose and caught fire.  While it didn't work, Greenemeyer of any pilot would have been able to pull that one off.  It was a sad ending.

In this case it was a generator, but one would think that great caution would be exercised, given the planes history of mechanical failures. Had a fire team been on site watching for engine fire, I'm sure they would have been able to help with this generator-caused fire.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: WyoKId on November 09, 2010, 08:20:05 PM
words fail me , who were these idiots ?
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Tupac on November 09, 2010, 08:21:31 PM
words fail me , who were these idiots ?

Arguably the best test pilot in history
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Larry on November 09, 2010, 08:23:19 PM
Yes but one would think they would have something in place to put out a fire if one of the engine caught.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: BrownBaron on November 09, 2010, 08:25:17 PM
Yes but one would think they would have something in place to put out a fire if one of the engine caught.

Hm...I believe I said something to that extent....


"In this case it was a generator, but one would think that great caution would be exercised, given the planes history of mechanical failures. Had a fire team been on site watching for engine fire, I'm sure they would have been able to help with this generator-caused fire."
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Dichotomy on November 09, 2010, 08:31:12 PM
While I've been as vocal as I ever get in my support of opposing aircraft being included in game that is a tragedy of epic proportions. I couldn't even finish the vid.

Whats even more of a shame is the lead engineer on that project died from a blood clot associated with a stomach ulcer he developed
while out there working his heart out on that once in a lifetime shot at bringing that 29 home.  Very very sad.

That's a larger one. 
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Larry on November 09, 2010, 09:24:51 PM
Hm...I believe I said something to that extent....


"In this case it was a generator, but one would think that great caution would be exercised, given the planes history of mechanical failures. Had a fire team been on site watching for engine fire, I'm sure they would have been able to help with this generator-caused fire."

 I didn't reload the page before posting so I missed it.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Brooke on November 09, 2010, 09:42:51 PM
There are many issues some of you guys aren't taking into account when you quickly criticize, especially funding, weather conditions, and available resources.  There is a difference in what could have done with an unlimited budget, or the same budget but with the plane somewhere in the continental US, or the same budget and five times the available cargo aircraft.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: SectorNine50 on November 09, 2010, 11:27:03 PM
Can you have a "fire vehicle" in temperatures that far below zero?  I feel like any water stored would freeze very quickly.

Very sad and unpredictable.  That sucker was hummin' along nicely too, looked so promising when it popped out of it's resting place in the snow.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: saggs on November 09, 2010, 11:57:26 PM
Greenamyer is a notorious cheapskate, with little patience, that was the biggest issue.

 I've heard other stories about him from someone in the museum/restoration business, when I mentioned the Kee Bird story this guy first rolled his eyes, then muttered something unpleasant about Greenamyer .  Just a couple things I remember;  Greenamyer puts a $50 military surplus ejection seat in his F-104, then pushes too hard in pursuit of his speed record, punches out, and by some miracle it actually worked and saved him (Starfighter gone though)...    He "donates" a plane to a museum (4 engine something I forget) flies it in, parks it them leaves in a big hurry ditching the reception shindig.   Later when the museum tries to taxi it they find he jacked (among many other parts) 3 out of 4 starter motors before he left, so they had to start one engine at a time swapping the starter between them.  :rolleyes:

Bottom line with Kee Bird is he didn't have the patience, money, or resources to do it right... ... mostly patience though.  So he ends up burning down a valuable piece of history.  It was better to leave it be (it WAS well preserved) then try and do it all half cocked like Greenamyer.  In the end he must of been out of his mind taxiing a B-29 that fast on a surface that bumpy, WITH the APU still running.  Kee Bird had been there 50+ years, would it have killed him to wait a few more years till he had the financial backing and resources to do it right?


Watch the rest of the show where they dang near wreck their transport Caribou several times, seriously overload it, fly it back on one engine, and put PROPANE in the tires.  It was kind of a joke of an expedition from the beginning.

Greenland is all pissed at him now because instead of cleaning up the mess he just bulldozed it all into the lake and left, refusing to clean it up properly, so now the lake is an environmental mess adding insult to injury.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: saggs on November 10, 2010, 12:02:35 AM
There are many issues some of you guys aren't taking into account when you quickly criticize, especially funding, weather conditions, and available resources.  There is a difference in what could have done with an unlimited budget, or the same budget but with the plane somewhere in the continental US, or the same budget and five times the available cargo aircraft.

Which is exactly why they should have left it be, and waited till they DID HAVE the proper funding, resources, weather, etc......
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Stalwart on November 10, 2010, 12:29:58 AM
tragic way to end, but slightly better than catching fire in the air with crew onboard.

Same thought.  Better that it happened while they could get out, rather than speeding across or above the lake.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: WyoKId on November 10, 2010, 03:02:58 AM
There are many issues some of you guys aren't taking into account when you quickly criticize, especially funding, weather conditions, and available resources.  There is a difference in what could have done with an unlimited budget, or the same budget but with the plane somewhere in the continental US, or the same budget and five times the available cargo aircraft.

If they didn't have the means or the skill to pull this off , then they should have left it in place for someone who had them. A complete waste caused by greed and pride .
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: WyoKId on November 10, 2010, 03:07:10 AM
Arguably the best test pilot in history

Not much argument i can see . The "Best" test pilots don't destroy equipment through negligence .
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: A8TOOL on November 11, 2010, 12:36:25 AM
Greenamyer is a notorious cheapskate, with little patience, that was the biggest issue.

 I've heard other stories about him from someone in the museum/restoration business, when I mentioned the Kee Bird story this guy first rolled his eyes, then muttered something unpleasant about Greenamyer .  Just a couple things I remember;  Greenamyer puts a $50 military surplus ejection seat in his F-104, then pushes too hard in pursuit of his speed record, punches out, and by some miracle it actually worked and saved him (Starfighter gone though)...    He "donates" a plane to a museum (4 engine something I forget) flies it in, parks it them leaves in a big hurry ditching the reception shindig.   Later when the museum tries to taxi it they find he jacked (among many other parts) 3 out of 4 starter motors before he left, so they had to start one engine at a time swapping the starter between them.  :rolleyes:

Bottom line with Kee Bird is he didn't have the patience, money, or resources to do it right... ... mostly patience though.  So he ends up burning down a valuable piece of history.  It was better to leave it be (it WAS well preserved) then try and do it all half cocked like Greenamyer.  In the end he must of been out of his mind taxiing a B-29 that fast on a surface that bumpy, WITH the APU still running.  Kee Bird had been there 50+ years, would it have killed him to wait a few more years till he had the financial backing and resources to do it right?


Watch the rest of the show where they dang near wreck their transport Caribou several times, seriously overload it, fly it back on one engine, and put PROPANE in the tires.  It was kind of a joke of an expedition from the beginning.

Greenland is all pissed at him now because instead of cleaning up the mess he just bulldozed it all into the lake and left, refusing to clean it up properly, so now the lake is an environmental mess adding insult to injury.


Thanks for sharing, Now I know.

When I first watched it I thought the same while he taxied that old bird around for takeoff. he mentioned earlier in the film while he was plowing the runway that he may have made a mistake by doing that.  :headscratch:

I was ooh ahhing the whole way, and then they cut to the fire ;( WHAT AN IMPATIENT DOPE!  :furious
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: SD67 on November 11, 2010, 12:55:03 AM
As tragic as this is, every flight in a B29 in the game should end this way, burning without even getting off the ground. :devil
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on November 11, 2010, 04:01:38 AM
They were total retards. The plane would have shaken to pieces on takeoff even without the fire - it could barely taxi on those mounds of snow and they thought they could reach takeoff speed without destroying the whole plane in process?

They should have delivered a proper bulldozer to clear up the runway.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Nypsy on November 11, 2010, 07:14:10 AM
I feel sick.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Liberator on November 11, 2010, 09:21:05 AM
Greenamyer is a notorious cheapskate, with little patience, that was the biggest issue.

 I've heard other stories about him from someone in the museum/restoration business, when I mentioned the Kee Bird story this guy first rolled his eyes, then muttered something unpleasant about Greenamyer .  Just a couple things I remember;  Greenamyer puts a $50 military surplus ejection seat in his F-104, then pushes too hard in pursuit of his speed record, punches out, and by some miracle it actually worked and saved him (Starfighter gone though)...    He "donates" a plane to a museum (4 engine something I forget) flies it in, parks it them leaves in a big hurry ditching the reception shindig.   Later when the museum tries to taxi it they find he jacked (among many other parts) 3 out of 4 starter motors before he left, so they had to start one engine at a time swapping the starter between them.  :rolleyes:

Bottom line with Kee Bird is he didn't have the patience, money, or resources to do it right... ... mostly patience though.  So he ends up burning down a valuable piece of history.  It was better to leave it be (it WAS well preserved) then try and do it all half cocked like Greenamyer.  In the end he must of been out of his mind taxiing a B-29 that fast on a surface that bumpy, WITH the APU still running.  Kee Bird had been there 50+ years, would it have killed him to wait a few more years till he had the financial backing and resources to do it right?


Watch the rest of the show where they dang near wreck their transport Caribou several times, seriously overload it, fly it back on one engine, and put PROPANE in the tires.  It was kind of a joke of an expedition from the beginning.

Greenland is all pissed at him now because instead of cleaning up the mess he just bulldozed it all into the lake and left, refusing to clean it up properly, so now the lake is an environmental mess adding insult to injury.

I thought he had to punch out of his F-104 because one of the landing gears wouldn't lock?

Also, I read the entire book to find out what happened :furious
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: Slate on November 11, 2010, 09:21:14 AM
tragic way to end, but slightly better than catching fire in the air with crew onboard.

 So true it gave it's life so others could live. What caused that HALO to shoot up into B-29 heaven?
I feel for those poor frozen bastards. It was a risky effort and she looked beautiful before she died.  :cry
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: AceHavok on November 11, 2010, 12:10:52 PM
Beautiful bird tragic that it ended like that for her. But, It's true at least none of the aircrew was on board.
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: LLogann on November 11, 2010, 04:11:58 PM
 :(
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: DEECONX on November 11, 2010, 04:12:37 PM
 :( :cry
Title: Re: Horrible Ending for a B-29
Post by: curry1 on November 11, 2010, 06:23:55 PM
If it ain't broke don't fix it.  That kinda applies here.