FIFI Calling . . .

[HankB]

I was waxing the car in the garage when I heard the drone of engines . . . didn't sound like the typical Cessna or Beechcraft, so I stepped out onto the driveway and there, practically overhead . . . a B-29 Superfortress.   

It turns out the Confederate Air Force was in town, and their B-29 - "Fifi" - was making a pass over Lake Travis. I'd seen the aircraft previously in static displays or flying 'way off in the distance, but this was the first time it had passed so close . . .

And no camera handy!   

I later saw a B-24 Liberator pass overhead, dashed in and got the camera . . . and got a VERY distant tail end shot. But today when I was out, the B-24 passed right overhead, and I got a good view through my car's sunroof. (Fortunately, I was at a stop sign, and there was nobody behind me.)

A couple of pleasant interludes in an otherwise not-so-pleasant weekend. 

[Fly320s]

Cool.

And thanks for writing Confederate Air Force, not Commemorative.

[never_retreat]

I got buzzed a few weeks ago by a b29. Must have been less the 300' up.

[grampster]

When I was a kid, probably in 1949 or first couple years into the 50's I was playing "army" with a bunch of my lead soldiers and jeeps and tanks when I hear a roaring of aircraft.  I looked up and a flying wing was passing over.  I recall that it had 6 propellers, rear mounted.  I've look on the 'net and all I could find was a 4 prop.  The craft that I saw also had a covey of fighter planes escorting it.

The only thing I can figure out is the plane was in my town, Grand Rapids, because Bill Lear had a facility here and maybe he was involved in flying wings because they had pusher propellers and he had something to do with them.

[Azrael256]

Gramps, did it look anything like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36

Or was it really a full-on no-fuselage flying wing?

[Perd Hapley]

When I was a kid, probably in 1949 or first couple years into the 50's I was playing "army" with a bunch of my lead soldiers and jeeps and tanks when I hear a roaring of aircraft.  I looked up and a flying wing was passing over.  I recall that it had 6 propellers, rear mounted.  I've look on the 'net and all I could find was a 4 prop. 

There was a lot less content on the internet in 1949. If you googled it today, you could probably find some shots of the 6-prop model you saw.

[K Frame]

Saw that years ago. They came into Harrisburg for an airshow. Mom, Dad and I are eating dinner when Fifi came in low & slow, accompanied by a B-17 and a Mustang.

[Boomhauer]

Gramps, did it look anything like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36

Or was it really a full-on no-fuselage flying wing?

Sure it was six props? Still sounds like the XB-35 (Northrup). Keep in mind the XB-35 had contra rotating props at first, which can make it seem like it had more engines.

[Jamisjockey]

I got buzzed a few weeks ago by a b29. Must have been less the 300' up.

When I worked in Brownsville, the tower was next to the CAF hanger.  I got buzzed after work.   

[Brad Johnson]

When I worked in Brownsville, the tower was next to the CAF hanger.  I got buzzed after work.   

Now you limit it to getting buzzed during work, I take it.

Brad

[wmenorr67]

Tulsa is an alternate landing field for the B2 and will shoot touch and gos there from time to time.  Amazing to watch and see all the traffic on the highways near the airport come to a stop as people watch it fly overhead. 

[Jamisjockey]

Now you limit it to getting buzzed during work, I take it.

Brad

Sssshhhhhh

[Tallpine]

Tulsa is an alternate landing field for the B2 and will shoot touch and gos there from time to time.  Amazing to watch and see all the traffic on the highways near the airport come to a stop as people watch it fly overhead. 

We once saw one drifting down the Musselshell river, pretty low.  Looked like an alien spacecraft at first, especially nearly soundless. 

[Brad Johnson]

Looked like an alien spacecraft at first, especially nearly soundless. 

They're not so "soundless" when they firewall the throttles on takeoff. 

The B2s out of Dyess do T&Gs in Lubbock pretty regularly.  I can occasionally hear them and I live roughly ten linear miles from the airport.  Noisy buggars.

Brad

[Tallpine]

They're not so "soundless" when they firewall the throttles on takeoff. 

The B2s out of Dyess do T&Gs in Lubbock pretty regularly.  I can occasionally hear them and I live roughly ten linear miles from the airport.  Noisy buggars.

Brad

They must turn off the silent drive for landings and takeoffs 

[Brad Johnson]

*chuckle*

Glad Fifi is back in the air.  From what I understand she was torn down a few years ago for problems with fuel tanks and cracks in the wing spars.  There was some concern about whether she could ever be made airworthy again.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

Glad Fifi is back in the air.  From what I understand she was torn down a few years ago for problems with fuel tanks and cracks in the wing spars.  There was some concern about whether she could ever be made airworthy again.

She needed engines, too.

Do ya'll know how FiFi was acquired in the first place? She was pulled off the China Lake NAS target range in 1971. Miracle she was even restorable in the first place.

[Fly320s]

When I worked in Brownsville, the tower was next to the CAF hanger.  I got buzzed after work.   

I got buzzed in the CAF bar on more than one occassion.

[RocketMan]

All the time I spent in the CAF in the '80s, and I never saw Fifi up close and personal.  Sigh...

[Stickjockey]

FIFI'S BACK!!!! (happy dance!)

[DustinD]

I got to take a tour of her at the EAA Airventure / Oshkosh event this year. Rides were too expensive for me though. :(