Worlds Only Flying B-29 Returns To The Skies!

Mad Scientist

Feels Good!
Sep 15, 2008
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After a lengthy four year re-build, the CAF's B-29 "FIFI" took flight on August 5th.

[youtube]c7PpA4WxY0c[/youtube]

The last time I saw a B-29 fly in person was at the 1980 or 1981 Chino Air show. Click through to YouTube for more videos about the rebuild or go here to the official Commemorative Air Force website:

-= COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE =-
 
After a lengthy four year re-build, the CAF's B-29 "FIFI" took flight on August 5th.

[youtube]c7PpA4WxY0c[/youtube]

The last time I saw a B-29 fly in person was at the 1980 or 1981 Chino Air show. Click through to YouTube for more videos about the rebuild or go here to the official Commemorative Air Force website:

-= COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE =-
Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
 
Thats awesome!

Thanks for sharing that... I love those old birds.

I live near Galveston and we have the Confederate Air Force there... I get to see them fly the old planes alot near my home. Its so cool.

Thanks again!
 
Thats awesome!

Thanks for sharing that... I love those old birds.

I live near Galveston and we have the Confederate Air Force there... I get to see them fly the old planes alot near my home. Its so cool.

Thanks again!
Thanks for remembering the original, yet politically incorrect, name of the CAF. :thup:

I hate it when political correctness creeps into our history.


Good to know someone else caught that
;)
 
Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
No bombs on this mission so you know it's really light! :lol:
Bombs or not, I know a short field run-up when I see it.

Brakes set....Engine(s) to full power....Takeoff roll....Raise nose of aircraft ASAP....Lift off....Hold aircraft in ground effect for as long as possible....Climb out.

Classic short field technique performed by very good pilots.
 
Great Big Kudos for the CAF.

May Fifi make it to the EAA Airventure next year.
 
Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
No bombs on this mission so you know it's really light! :lol:

Being Japanese If you want my honest opinion, I dont get all worked up about it..It had to be done..It was around the time my grandparents were young, though...My grandpa was about 21 years old when he was a pilot for the IJN (imperial japanese navy) in 1944 he was around the Marianas at Saipan and he's 87 years old today and still alive. Him and grandma have been married for over 60 years now. They come over to the US every Christmas to visit me. I love WWII History. My grandpa would tell me stories how well the US Soldiers would treat him when he was taken prisoner at Saipan.
 
After a lengthy four year re-build, the CAF's B-29 "FIFI" took flight on August 5th.

[youtube]c7PpA4WxY0c[/youtube]

The last time I saw a B-29 fly in person was at the 1980 or 1981 Chino Air show. Click through to YouTube for more videos about the rebuild or go here to the official Commemorative Air Force website:

-= COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE =-
Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
It's a thing of beauty. Congrats, CAF! :clap2:
 
Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
No bombs on this mission so you know it's really light! :lol:

Being Japanese If you want my honest opinion, I dont get all worked up about it..It had to be done..It was around the time my grandparents were young, though...My grandpa was about 21 years old when he was a pilot for the IJN (imperial japanese navy) in 1944 he was around the Marianas at Saipan and he's 87 years old today and still alive. Him and grandma have been married for over 60 years now. They come over to the US every Christmas to visit me. I love WWII History. My grandpa would tell me stories how well the US Soldiers would treat him when he was taken prisoner at Saipan.
My dad's the same age as your grandpa, and my parents have been married 65 years. :) He was in Underwater Demolitions (precursor to the SEALs) and he and his teams prepped the reefs for the invasions of Saipan and Tinian. When Japan surrendered, he was on his way back from Frisco to start preparations for an invasion of the mainland.

I've been trying to get him to let me audiotape his war stories. No luck so far. Have you asked your grandpa to let you tape his?
 
Being Japanese If you want my honest opinion, I dont get all worked up about it..It had to be done..It was around the time my grandparents were young, though...My grandpa was about 21 years old when he was a pilot for the IJN (imperial japanese navy) in 1944 he was around the Marianas at Saipan and he's 87 years old today and still alive. Him and grandma have been married for over 60 years now. They come over to the US every Christmas to visit me. I love WWII History. My grandpa would tell me stories how well the US Soldiers would treat him when he was taken prisoner at Saipan.
My wife is from Okinawa and her grandfather was at Hiroshima when it was bombed. He never held and animosity though and encouraged his granddaughters to marry Americans! He and I got along just fine. Watched Sumo (when it was on) and drank Kirin beer when we visited.

My grandfather, who flew B-24's in WWII, wasn't exactly overjoyed when he found out I'd married a Japanese. But that's ok, he's just from another generation.
 
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Short field takeoff with four R-3350s...Awesome.
No bombs on this mission so you know it's really light! :lol:

Being Japanese If you want my honest opinion, I dont get all worked up about it..It had to be done..It was around the time my grandparents were young, though...My grandpa was about 21 years old when he was a pilot for the IJN (imperial japanese navy) in 1944 he was around the Marianas at Saipan and he's 87 years old today and still alive. Him and grandma have been married for over 60 years now. They come over to the US every Christmas to visit me. I love WWII History. My grandpa would tell me stories how well the US Soldiers would treat him when he was taken prisoner at Saipan.
That's really kinda cool. I have only recently been learning bits of what WW2 was like on the Japanese civilians and what kind of life they had to live through during those horrible years of the world. A few anime give a flavor that I wonder are how realistic in "Millenium Actress" and "Grave of the Fireflies" (the latter for those who haven't seen it be warned it is NOT even remotely happy and you will cry your eyes out by the end if you have a soul.)

My ex-father in law was drafted in 44 and shipped to the Phillipines to train for the conventional invasion of Japan. He is a strong believer in nuclear weapons as a deterrant because it saved his life. He also was then part of the occupation force in Japan afterwards and really has a strong affinity for the Japanese because of that. He loved his time there and helping the people who suffered for what their leaders did, because in a way, most of Japan, from what he implied was the victim of horrors.

That is very cool you get to learn about what your granddad did in the war. My ex-FIL is now on tape recounting stories from his time in the war, so the family always has a record of his accomplishments after he's gone. Those are precious things.
 
I still wake up and sometimes I think im back home in Japan. I dont know if it's home sickness or if I still haven't gotten over the culture shock. Im still pretty traditional to japanese living at home. There are just some comforts from home I will never be able to replace with western culture ways of living, no matter where I live.
 
I still wake up and sometimes I think im back home in Japan. I dont know if it's home sickness or if I still haven't gotten over the culture shock. Im still pretty traditional to japanese living at home. There are just some comforts from home I will never be able to replace with western culture ways of living, no matter where I live.

We are glad to have ya here Natsumi....

I have a very good friend who immigrated here from Japan and it so interesting to listen to him talk about his birthplace. I would love to visit there some day. Looks like a beautiful place.
He plays those big drums (Kaminari Tiako) here in Houston... they are awesome!
Kaminari Taiko of Houston - Home

Have you or are you planning to become a citizen of America? (Just curious)
 
I still wake up and sometimes I think im back home in Japan. I dont know if it's home sickness or if I still haven't gotten over the culture shock. Im still pretty traditional to japanese living at home. There are just some comforts from home I will never be able to replace with western culture ways of living, no matter where I live.

We are glad to have ya here Natsumi....

I have a very good friend who immigrated here from Japan and it so interesting to listen to him talk about his birthplace. I would love to visit there some day. Looks like a beautiful place.
He plays those big drums (Kaminari Tiako) here in Houston... they are awesome!
Kaminari Taiko of Houston - Home

Have you or are you planning to become a citizen of America? (Just curious)

HELL YEAH im gonna be a citizen. I'm gonna register to vote and get my concealed firearms permit and get something that would fit nicely in my handbag..maybe a .357 I am going to take advantage of everything that I wouldn't be able to do in Japan that I can do here. I take my citizenship exam in April 2011, so not far from now. I have to show to them that I can demonstrate speaking, reading, writing fluently in English. And also show knowledge of US and Washington state History courses.
 
I still wake up and sometimes I think im back home in Japan. I dont know if it's home sickness or if I still haven't gotten over the culture shock. Im still pretty traditional to japanese living at home. There are just some comforts from home I will never be able to replace with western culture ways of living, no matter where I live.

We are glad to have ya here Natsumi....

I have a very good friend who immigrated here from Japan and it so interesting to listen to him talk about his birthplace. I would love to visit there some day. Looks like a beautiful place.
He plays those big drums (Kaminari Tiako) here in Houston... they are awesome!
Kaminari Taiko of Houston - Home

Have you or are you planning to become a citizen of America? (Just curious)

HELL YEAH im gonna be a citizen. I'm gonna register to vote and get my concealed firearms permit and get something that would fit nicely in my handbag..maybe a .357 I am going to take advantage of everything that I wouldn't be able to do in Japan that I can do here. I take my citizenship exam in April 2011, so not far from now. I have to show to them that I can demonstrate speaking, reading, writing fluently in English. And also show knowledge of US and Washington state History courses.

O_O

so....
figging...
awesome....
...the gun part.
 

We are glad to have ya here Natsumi....

I have a very good friend who immigrated here from Japan and it so interesting to listen to him talk about his birthplace. I would love to visit there some day. Looks like a beautiful place.
He plays those big drums (Kaminari Tiako) here in Houston... they are awesome!
Kaminari Taiko of Houston - Home

Have you or are you planning to become a citizen of America? (Just curious)

HELL YEAH im gonna be a citizen. I'm gonna register to vote and get my concealed firearms permit and get something that would fit nicely in my handbag..maybe a .357 I am going to take advantage of everything that I wouldn't be able to do in Japan that I can do here. I take my citizenship exam in April 2011, so not far from now. I have to show to them that I can demonstrate speaking, reading, writing fluently in English. And also show knowledge of US and Washington state History courses.

O_O

so....
figging...
awesome....
...the gun part.

If I could, i'd want to get an assault rifle, but they told i'd have to get a federal govt. clearance of some kind and I dont like that..maybe that's what the black market is for? j/k :tongue:
 
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