2 thoughts on ““Fifi,” one of only two flying B-29 Superfortresses”
The engines were a problem. A friend’s father was a mechanic on Tinian working on them. A lot of field expediency R & D kept them flying. He had some stories.
Lockheed used the same engines on the Constellations.
These engines were persnickety because they had such high tolerances, ran on very high octane avgas, were complicated, and produced prodigious horsepower.
BTW, a friend of my father’s in Texas made his first million dollars by locating decommissioned WWII aircraft directly following the war and draining their fuel tanks for later sale.
The engines were a problem. A friend’s father was a mechanic on Tinian working on them. A lot of field expediency R & D kept them flying. He had some stories.
Lockheed used the same engines on the Constellations.
These engines were persnickety because they had such high tolerances, ran on very high octane avgas, were complicated, and produced prodigious horsepower.
BTW, a friend of my father’s in Texas made his first million dollars by locating decommissioned WWII aircraft directly following the war and draining their fuel tanks for later sale.
Brilliant move by that guy.
BZ