B-29 fiasco in greenland circa 1993-1995. does anyone have more info?

[Citabria]

search youtube for "b29 frozen in time" and there is parts 1-6 of a documentary on a group that tried to salvage the superfort on a  shoestring budget.

A nearly pristine B29 named Kee Bird sat in the snow covered inaccessable wastes of greenland for 47 years.

In 1993 Gary Larkins led a group to restore and ultimately fly the aircraft out. His team was made up of members of the 'Air Pirates', an organisation dedicated to recovering and restoring lost vintage aircraft. The origional plan of having the b29 flown out in one month came and went as the summer of 1993 ended. The Key Bird would sit for two more years until Gary Larkins sold the rights to the site to a man named Darryl Greenamyer

Darryl Greenamyer was a reckless idea man in charge of the group in Greenland in 1995. famous test pilot and air racer and f104 low alt airspeed record holder. A man with a reputation for cutting corners and nefarious business dealings.

However the yin to this yang... a person in charge of level headed meticulous sanity and Darryl's right hand man was chief engineer Rick Kriege. Consumate professional craftsman who unfortunately died of a blood clot but also rumored possibly apendicidis after being taken back to the hospital during the first trip to repair the b29.

The loss of rick would have dire consequences at the end of this expedition when reckless abandon was to rule and cation was thrown to the wind.

After getting the b29 in enough shape to taxi on a horribly unprepared frozen lake covered with large mounds of snowdrifts for a runway....

[Guppy35]

A well known story in warbird  circles.  A real tragedy both human and in the loss of that bird.  Had they pulled it off it would have been the epic recovery of all time.   As is, it burned and sank. A portable generator in the rear of the plane broke loose and started the fire.

[Citabria]

the stink of it was that the apu was supplied with gas from a 5 gallon container suspended above to apu with bungee cords. in the excitement of taxing no one bothered to turn off the apu or secure the jurry rigged apu fuel tank. and the plane burned out along the fuselage but the wings were somewhat intact.

Another trail of information says the 4 engines were salvaged and are currently being used on the Confederate Air Forces "Fifi" B29. The worlds only flying superfortress.

[Tupac]

FiFi not Fluffy

[Guppy35]

the stink of it was that the apu was supplied with gas from a 5 gallon container suspended above to apu with bungee cords. in the excitement of taxing no one bothered to turn off the apu or secure the jurry rigged apu fuel tank. and the plane burned out along the fuselage but the wings were somewhat intact.

Another trail of information says the 4 engines were salvaged and are currently being used on the Confederate Air Forces "Fifi" B29. The worlds only flying superfortress.

No on the engines.  Folks have discussed going after them, but they are still there as I understand it.

FiFi has totally rebuilt and modified engines, installed fairly recently to get her back in the air.

FiFi is the only flying 29 right now, but there are a number of other survivors.  Doc is probably the best bet on a 29 to get back in the air.  Kermit Weeks has one as well that if he gets around to it, could be restored to fly.

[Tyrannis]

search youtube for "b29 frozen in time" and there is parts 1-6 of a documentary on a group that tried to salvage the superfort on a  shoestring budget.

A nearly pristine B29 named Kee Bird sat in the snow covered inaccessable wastes of greenland for 47 years.

In 1993 Gary Larkins led a group to restore and ultimately fly the aircraft out. His team was made up of members of the 'Air Pirates', an organisation dedicated to recovering and restoring lost vintage aircraft. The origional plan of having the b29 flown out in one month came and went as the summer of 1993 ended. The Key Bird would sit for two more years until Gary Larkins sold the rights to the site to a man named Darryl Greenamyer

Darryl Greenamyer was a reckless idea man in charge of the group in Greenland in 1995. famous test pilot and air racer and f104 low alt airspeed record holder. A man with a reputation for cutting corners and nefarious business dealings.

However the yin to this yang... a person in charge of level headed meticulous sanity and Darryl's right hand man was chief engineer Rick Kriege. Consumate professional craftsman who unfortunately died of a blood clot but also rumored possibly apendicidis after being taken back to the hospital during the first trip to repair the b29.

The loss of rick would have dire consequences at the end of this expedition when reckless abandon was to rule and cation was thrown to the wind.

After getting the b29 in enough shape to taxi on a horribly unprepared frozen lake covered with large mounds of snowdrifts for a runway....

if you want, go to your local library. BBC videos made a documentary on this same thing. its labeled "frozen in time" i believe. its how i found out about her.

and i thought that one of the wires in the rear of the aircraft had a cut in it which sparked the flame which started the fire?

the documentary calls her a C.I.A aircraft that had to make an emergency landing due to weather conditions.

[icepac]

I think fifi's engines came from a couple of retired connies.

[Citabria]

yeah was watching some fifi videos they modified late model engines that had never been put on a b29 for more reliability.

[Killer91]

Bot to hijack the thread but here's a picture of 'fifi'. Saw her at the alliance Airshow in oct 2010. Was pretty dissapointed they didn't fly it during the show.

[B-17]

if you want, go to your local library. BBC videos made a documentary on this same thing. its labeled "frozen in time" i believe. its how i found out about her.

and i thought that one of the wires in the rear of the aircraft had a cut in it which sparked the flame which started the fire?

the documentary calls her a C.I.A aircraft that had to make an emergency landing due to weather conditions.

there is also a book available-- Hunting Warbirds by Carl Hoffman-->as a matter of fact, i just finished reading it . no, the previous posters were correct. APU broke loose, and "Kee Bird" became "Homesick Angel" hahaha...ha...he...