Cindeka Nealy|Odessa American

B-29 and B-24 Crew Chief Dave Miller looks at diagram of the B-29A engine nacelle (compartment) Wednesday at the Commerative Air Force hanger.

Repairs to B-29 Fifi

CAF hopes to get warbird back flying in spring of 2010

March 04, 2009 8:00 PM

| Print Story | E-Mail Story

BY BEN ADAMS

Grounded since 2006 with engine and structural problems, the Commemorative Air Force's Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Fifi, will hopefully take to the sky again in time for the 2010 summer air show tour.

"We're anticipating back-to-flight status of spring of 0-10. If all the planets align and everything remains on schedule, that's what we're shooting for," B-29 crew chief Dave Miller, who has been overseeing the repairs since October, said with a chuckle.

After metal shavings were found in the oil of the original World War II-era engines as well as rust in the wings and other problems, the CAF has had to keep the old warbird in its hangar at Midland International Airport while they worked to keep volunteer workers and raise money. Help was found last year when Jim Cavanaugh, the main financial supporter of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, pledged $1.2 million toward purchasing five new engines for Fifi, one of which will be a spare.

In exchange, Fifi will be based at Cavanaugh's museum in Addison for six months out of the year, where a larger pool of volunteers and talent is available to help maintain Fifi and its touring partner, the B-24 Liberator Ol' 927, formerly known as Diamond Lil, CAF President Stephan Brown said.

"It's taken longer than anybody would have hoped. We're very excited about getting it flying within the next year," Brown said.

But Fifi fans in Odessa and Midland need not fret about not seeing the world's only flyable B-29 again.

"The assurance is that we will back every year for Airsho," Miller said.

There's also a possibility Fifi will be in Midland for up to two to three months at a time in a rotation of aircraft on display.

In the meantime, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Miller said the first new Wright R-3350 Cyclone engine for the four engine propeller-driven Fifi is just about complete, and he is scheduled to travel to Anderson Aeromotive in Grangeville, Idaho, on March 16 to watch as it's tested. The 3350 refers to the engine's cubic-inch displacement. By comparison, many muscle cars of the 1960s used 427 cubic-inch engines.

Miller said Anderson Aeromotive is a premier radial engine shop, and he is confident in their abilities.

"If everything goes as I expect it will, the engine will ship to Midland the following week. And should be ready to install by the first week in April," Miller said.

The new engines will be much more reliable and safer than the original Wright R-3350 engines, which were produced in the '40s when the metallurgy wasn't as good.

"For the many years that Fifi operated, it always, always, always had engine problems," Miller said.

A solution has been found by combining parts from Vietnam-era C-119 gunships and A-1A Skyraiders.

"We adapted to more current 3350s. They are better built and better engineered," Miller said. "The reliability we're going to have with these new engines is going to be unmatched. It should be many, many, many years before we use that spare."

The old engines in Fifi produced 2,200 horsepower. In their heyday, the Vietnam-era R-3350s were capable of producing 3,500 horsepower, but the new ones will be configured to produce 2,400 horsepower.

But the average air show attendee is never going to know the difference. Even those that are fairly skilled in their aircraft aren't going be able to tell, Miller said.

"It's going to look the same, it's going to sound the same. The biggest bonus is the quality and reliability, and the safety factor that's built into that," he said.

The corrosion problems on Fifi required a right wing section to be removed in April 2008 and sent to California for repair. Miller said the corrosion was a result of years of being stored outside at China Lake, Calif., before being rescued and flown to Harlingen, both near the coast.

"You gotta remember this airplane is approaching 65 tears old, Miller said. "The salt air is not conducive to airframes."

The right wing section should be back from California by mid- to late May this year.

"She'll start looking like a real airplane then," Miller said.

But the hardest part of getting Fifi back in the air is the labor involved.

"This airplane used to be maintained for many, many years by volunteers. A lot of them were World War II veterans, and a lot of them had a personal attachment. Those guys are few and far between now," Miller said.

One World War II veteran that still makes it out occasionally to help is Midlander Ruby Silas. Silas, 79, volunteered for the military at the "tail end" of the war when he was 16 years old as a way to get ahead at a time when there were few options for blacks.

"I did have a lot of experience in B-29s, but it was early in my military career, and a lot of that stuff just disappears from your mind. But I hope that I can contribute enough to get it flying."

"This particular airplane, I guess, is a little more important than the others once since it's the last one that's flyable," Silas said.

Silas said he and his wife moved to Midland from San Bernadino, Calif., a few years ago after coming to Midland nearly every year for the Airsho and to volunteer his skills as a mechanic.

But as the pool of veteran volunteers dwindles, Miller said he now relies on "coin-operated" mechanics and a time-constrained group of younger volunteers, some of whom come from the Midland College Aviation academy.

"The younger generation, even in my age group, lead such busy lifestyles these days that it's very hard to get quality, licensed mechanics to help with the airplane," Miller said.

Like Silas, Miller, has a personal story behind his work on Fifi. He volunteered for the B-29/B-24 crew right after 9/11.

"I felt compelled to do something, and this is my service to this airplane and to the veterans that flew her," he said.

Miller, 53, who was a Boeing airliner mechanic for 28 years, said it's a joy to work on Fifi.

"I don't even call it work," he said. "It's a labor of love. I'm thrilled to be here. I'm privileged and honored."

The Wright R-3350 Cyclone at a glance

General characteristics

>> Type: Twin-row 18-cylinder radial engine.

>> Bore: 6.125 inches.

>> Stroke: 6.3125 inches.

>> Displacement: 3,347.9 cubic inches.

>> Length: 78.14 inches.

>> Diameter: 55.62 inches.