|
Bent Wing B-29
In 1960, I was in basic training at NAS Pensacola. We used a site at Eglin AFB for FCLP (Field Carrier Landing Practice). 10 to 15 aircraft would fly from Forest Sherman field to Eglin (my memory thinks it was site 17 or 18) and do10 to 15 touch and gos, then land for refueling the aircraft and a LSO debreif. At the North end of the runway was a derelict B-29, complete in all respects, with (IIRC) a 1 to 2 feet "crank" in the Port wing between the wing root and the inboard nacelle. I asked the Air Force personnel about the B-29 and was told it had flown into a violent thunderstorm where the aircraft received the wing damage, but managed to make it in to landing at the site. My memory is they said this happened in 1946, which if true means the aircraft had been sitting for 14 years. I did not have the presence of mind to get a photo and by the time of my last flight there the airplane had been removed. Has anybody ever seen a photo of a B-29 with damage as I have described? I would like to obtain a copy if possible as in my 70+ years of flying, have never seen an aircraft that safely landed with that type of structural damage. Thanks in advance!
ArtieBob
|