Z SQUARE 7, A B-29 TRUE STORY

History of "FIFI"

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Memorial Lt Norman B. Bassett
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Peter & Lillian Demers
Father John McBride
Other Army Air Corps Planes & Crews
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#7 Infantry
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#24 Navy Aviation Crews
#25 Includes Infantry
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#27 Pershing Tank Crew and Infantry
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Kate Smith singing "God Bless America"
Lt Hap Halloran January 27, 1945
Omori POW Camp
Great Bend, Kansas B-29 Memorial
General Lemay's biography including a B-29 nose art photo album
March 9 and 10, 1945 Over Tokyo
Lt Raymond "Hap" Halloran
General Earl Johnson
General Earl Johnson Biography
Lt Robert Copeland, copilot, Z Square 8
Pyote Bomber Base With A Photo Album
History of "Diamond Lil" With A Photo Album
History of "FIFI" With A Photo Album
Friends Of "FIFI"
Hap's Memorable Flight On FIFI
C. Douglas Caffey, A WW2 Veteran, Book Of Poetry
Poetry Contents
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C. Douglas Caffey on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
C. Douglas Caffey With More on PTSD
C. Douglas Caffey Memorial Day 2007 Flying The Flag
C. Douglas Caffey Saying Goodbye To America
Pearl Harbor with Photo Album
The Pacific Theater
Battle of Saipan, Mariana Islands
Saipan Medals of Honor
Battle of Tinian, Mariana Islands
Tinian Medals of Honor
Battle of Guam, Mariana Islands
Guam Medals of Honor
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima Medals of Honor
Cpl Ira Hayes, USMC
Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa Medals of Honor
Japanese Surrender
Navy Ships At Surrender Ceremonies
World War 2 Memorial
Last Page

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"Rhapsody In Blue!" 

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            Welcome to the Commemorative Air Force

                                                                                   

                           History of Fifi

 

 

When the Confederate Air Force (now the Commemorative Air Force) began searching for a B-29 for our collection of WWII aircraft, the war had been over for 21 years. The Superforts that helped end it had long since yielded to new generations of jet-powered strategic bombers, and vanished. According to the Air Force, no B-29s remained in inventory ~ even at storage or disposal depots. But the CAF Colonels had faith and put the word out, and it paid off.

In 1971, a pilot reported sighting a number of what might be B-29s on the California desert near China Lake. The CAF learned the aircraft were indeed Superforts that had been parked at a Navy weapons center for 17 years. They had been used for gunnery targets and abused by heat, sand and vandals.

After much negotiation (the Air Force still owned the planes; the Navy had to agree to release one), much paperwork and a pain-staking process of elimination to find the best survivor, the CAF became the owner of B-29 SN44-62070. That was just the beginning of the task.

A CAF maintenance team arrived at China Lake on 31 March, 1971. In only nine weeks, with the help of CAF volunteers, they restored all systems and replaced fuel, oil and hydraulic hoses. They restored the controls and installed instruments. They ran the engines, tested propellers and landing gear, and had new window bubbles made. (Many parts and spares also came from the other B-29s at China Lake).

By 3 August, 1971, SN44-62070 was ready to fly again. The crew took on enough fuel to fly non-stop 1,250 miles to CAF Headquarters, then in Harlingen, Texas, lifted off at 7:48 a.m. and in a six hour, 38 minute flight, brought home the last flying Superfortress without incident.

The complete restoration to CAF standards of airworthiness was a long and expensive project involving more than three years of fund-raising and hard work. Late in 1974, the CAF's B-29 was christened "Fifi" and joined the other WWII fighters and bombers to preserve the memories and teach of lessons of mankind's greatest war.

 

Fifi's Recovery and Early Years 

 

One of the most important facets of the CAF's mission is to preserve the history of those who served during WWII and to save those memories in their own words.

Fortunately, this is also possible with CAF history as well. Below, you will find letters and recollections about the early days of the CAF and the recovery and early successes of Fifi.

  A Quick Look into Fifi's Past 

 

Fifi's official serial number in No. 44-62070. Some of the interesting dates in her earlier life are as follows:

  • July 31, 1945 ~ Delivered to USAAF, Salinas, Kansas.
  • August, 1945 ~ To 247th base unit, Smoky Hill Field, Kansas.
  • September, 1945 ~ To 232nd base unit, Dalhart Field, Texas.
  • October, 1945 ~ to 242nd base unit, (Continental Air Forces - changed in May, 1946 to Strategic Air Command), Grand Island Field, Nebraska.
  • April, 1946 ~ Modified to TB-29A, used for operational training.
  • November, 1947 ~ Status changed to "excess" at Grand Island and transferred to 414th base unit (Air Material Command), Pyote AFB, Texas. Assignment was "SA" administrative aircraft (probably some Colonel's private plane).
  • January, 1948 ~ Status changed to "SS" - storage (noncocooned) - polite for "left in desert."
  • October, 1951 ~ To contract maintenance and modification. Returned to B-29A configuration in April, 1952.
  • September, 1952 ~ Assigned to 310th Bombardment Wing (SAC), Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
  • April, 1953 ~ To Sacramento Air Material Area for depot maintenance.
  • May, 1953 ~ Returned to 310th Bombardment Wing (SAC), Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
  • August, 1953 ~ Assigned to 3510th Flying Training Wing (Air Training Command), Randolph AFB, Texas.
  • November, 1953 ~ Modified to TB-29A (trainer).
  • October, 1956 ~ Transferred to U.S. Navy (believed flown from Randolph, Texas to China Lake Naval Weapons Center, Muroc Dry Lake, California at this time.
  • 1971 ~ U.S. Navy to Confederate Air Force and flown to Harlingen, Texas.

© Copyright Commemorative Air Force, Inc. except as otherwise marked. All rights reserved.

 

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Max Haynes' photo of the Commemorative Air Force's Warbird Hangar.

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Max Haynes

Click on Max's photo to visit his website.

Max Haynes is a premier aviation photographer. His photography essays are outstanding. His photos of the CAF Airsho in Midland, Texas are spectacular. I highly recommend a visit to Max's website. Tell Max that Frank sent you!

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"FIFI"

Cavanaugh Flight Museum

B-29/B-24 Press Release 1-21-08

 

 


Jim Cavanaugh to Sponsor CAF B-29 Bomber - FIFI


The Cavanaugh Flight Museum (“CFM”) and the Commemorative Air Force (“CAF”) announced today a Cooperative Agreement that will put the world’s only airworthy B-29 back in the air. Jim Cavanaugh has pledged $1.2 million sponsorship for the re-engine project of FIFI, the CAF’s world famous B-29. “This sponsorship, together with additional donations from CAF members, should go a long way towards completing the project of putting FIFI back in the air again,” said Stephan Brown, President / CEO of the CAF. “Fundraising for FIFI by the CAF will continue, as we still have other restoration maintenance to perform, but Jim Cavanaugh’s generosity will get us a long way down that track,” Brown continued. Cavanaugh is the main financial support for the CFM and has been a long time benefactor of warbird projects and the CAF. “The B-29 played such a significant role in history that it is important that this airplane be preserved. Because of my close relationship with the CAF, I felt the need to get FIFI flying again,” said Cavanaugh.

Additionally, the B-29/B-24 Squadron Staff of the CAF, which has been assigned with the responsibility of operating the B-29 and the B-24A, voted unanimously to base these two airplanes at the CFM. According to Lyn Fite, CAF B-29 / B-24 Squadron Leader, “Up to now, these aircraft were based out of Midland, but this unit move will be beneficial to the Squadron in many ways,” said Fite. “We will reside in Addison Texas, at the CFM, for six months, while we perform annual maintenance and we will tour on behalf of the CAF, by our crews, for the other six months.” Steve Sheridan Director of Maintenance of CFM exclaimed, “We have the facilities and resources to assist the volunteers of the B-29/B24 and look forward to helping in any way we can.” According to Doug Jeanes, Director of the CFM, visitors of the museum will be able to view this spectacular aircraft during its annual maintenance, at no additional cost.

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to promoting aviation studies and to perpetuating America's aviation heritage; the museum fulfills its mission by restoring, operating, maintaining and displaying historically-significant, vintage aircraft, and by collecting materials related to the history of aviation

The Commemorative Air Force is a nonprofit aviation association dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation, through Flight, Exhibition and Remembrance. The CAF has more than 8000 members within 75 units worldwide, flying and restoring 171 vintage Warbirds.

For more information of the Commemorative Air Force go to www.commemorativeairforce.org

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Click on a camera for the "FIFI" Photo Album!

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Frank L. Grube...P.O. Box 485...Lompoc, Ca. 93438...(805) 740-1804