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.

• B-29 Recovery from China Lake ~ Flying an abandoned airplane as large and complicated as the B-29 from a Naval base has it's unique challenges...
• Reflections on the early years ~ The B-29 is a unique airplane in many regards, and its early successes signalled many things to come.

  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.