World’s Only Flying B-29 Superfortress Headed Northwest This Summer
Addison, Texas (PRWEB) April 15, 2014 -- The Commemorative Air Force’s iconic Boeing B-29 Superfortress returns to California and the Northwest U.S. this summer. It will be FIFI’s first visit in almost 20 years to many locations which include over 15 cities in Arizona, California, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Highlighting the tour will be FIFI’s return to Boeing Field in Seattle. The B-29 is one of 1,100 produced at the Boeing Renton facility and the only B-29 in the world that still flies.
The year 2014 marks FIFI’s 40th year of flight with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The airplane, rescued and restored by the CAF in the early 1970s, is a regular feature at airports and airshows all across the country. In fact, the B-29 Squadron of the CAF was the first group to begin touring historic war birds in 1974. Now, 40 years later, FIFI still barnstorms the country from coast to coast bringing the sights, sounds and smells of World War II aviation history to audiences across the United States.
The Superfortress will travel with a variety of World War II military aircraft including the P-51 Mustang Man O’ War. Other aircraft include the C-45 Bucket of Bolts, a T-6 Texan, and a Fairchild PT-19. Additional CAF airplanes will join the tour in several cities. The aircraft, all part of the CAF AirPower History Tour, will be on display and offering rides throughout each stop.
The tour runs from May 15 through August 4 and includes stops at Prescott, AZ; Lancaster, Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Salinas, Modesto, Sacramento and Napa in California; Olympia, Seattle, Everett and Spokane in Washington; Boise, Idaho; Provo and Salt Lake City in Utah; and cities in Colorado and Kansas yet to be determined.
Visitors pay a nominal admission fee at the gate. All of the airplanes will be on static display when they are not flying. B-29 cockpit tours are included in the admission price and rides are available in most of the airplanes. Ride prices range from $75 to $1895. Ride reservations may be made at http://www.AirPowerTour.org where additional information about each tour stop can also be found.
The Commemorative Air Force honors the men and women who built, maintained and flew in these airplanes during World War II. The organization believes that is best accomplished by maintaining the airplanes in flying condition; taking the airplanes to the people allowing them to experience the sight and sound of the aircraft in flight.
About the B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, first flown in 1942, began active service in 1944 and is perhaps best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring about the end of World War II. It was designed as a replacement for the older B-17s and B-24s, with longer range and greater bomb loads. The B-29 was also used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until the late 1950s.
About the CAF’s B-29 Superfortress, FIFI:
FIFI was acquired by the CAF in the early 1970s when a group of CAF members found her at the U.S. Navy Proving Ground at China Lake, California where she was being used as a missile target. The airplane was rescued and restored and flew for over thirty years until 2006 when the chief pilot made the decision to ground her pending a complete power plant re-fit. What followed was an extensive four year restoration that included replacing all four engines with new custom built hybrid engines. FIFI returned to the sky in 2010 and since that time has traveled coast to coast attracting large crowds at every tour stop. Learn more about FIFI and her tour schedule at http://www.AirPowerTour.org.
About the P-51 Mustang:
The P-51 is one of the most revered fighters in WWII and possibly the greatest airplane ever designed. It entered service in Europe in the spring of 1944 as a primary long-range escort fighter. It held 1,880 rounds of .50 (fifty) caliber in six guns, a flying range of 1,650 miles with external drop tanks, and a top speed of 440 mph at 30,000 feet. Mustangs were a deadly opponent in battle and destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft in the air, more than any other US fighter in WWII. P-51s were flown in the pacific theater by the end of 1944 and escorted B-29s on long range missions to Japan. More than 13,500 P-51s were built and flown in the U.S. Air Force into the mid 1950s.
About the Commemorative Air Force:
Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has more than 8,000 members and a fleet of over 150 airplanes distributed throughout the country to 70 units located in 27 states for care and operation. For more information, visit http://www.commemorativeairforce.org.
Donna Blalack, Commemorative Air Force, http://www.commemorativeairforce.org, +1 (432) 563-1000 Ext: 2228, [email protected]
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