This is "Peachy", the Boeing B-29 on display at the Fred E. Weisbrod
Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. The aircraft was trucked out
to Pueblo in the mid-70's from China Lake, California, where it
had been sitting since the end of the Korean war. At China Lake,
many B-29's were used as ground bombing targets in Navy pilot
training. Because of this, Peachy is very lucky to have survived
the ordeal, neglected but nonetheless intact.
Peachy was disassembled and brought out to Pueblo, Colorado on
trucks. Recently, the US Air Force assisted in lifting the
aircaft so that its concrete mounting pedestals could be replaced.
Giant inflatable air bags were used to safely lift the wings and
body up out of the soft ground.
The B-29 weighed as much as 141,000 pounds fully loaded, could fly
at 358 miles per hour and had a range of over 4,000 miles.
It typically carried a crew of 10.
AvWings Image #19 |