What happened to the Kee Bird b29?

What happened to the Kee Bird b29?

The aircraft was largely destroyed on the ground, with the Kee Bird’s fuselage being almost completely destroyed. When the lake thawed in the spring, it was feared that the wreckage (with nearly intact wing panels and engines) would sink to the bottom.

Where is the B-29 Kee Bird?

The B-29 making the flight (an F-13 variant modified for photoreconnaissance), serial no. 45-21768, had been dubbed the Kee Bird. A kee bird is—at least according to soldiers stationed in Canada and Alaska—an ugly and unintelligent bird that spends its winters in the Arctic calling out “Kee-kee-kee-rist, it’s cold!”

How many Super Fortresses are still flying?

Of the 3,970 built, 26 survive in complete form today, 24 of which reside in the United States, and two of which are airworthy.

What year did the Kee Bird crash?

1947

Date: 21-FEB-1947
MSN: 13662
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

How many B 52 bombers were built?

744 B-52s
A total of 744 B-52s were built, with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. The first of 102 B-52H’s was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles.

How many B-29s were shot down?

B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29 were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses.

What happened to the B-29 Superfortress that sank into Lake Mead?

A massive B-29 Superfortress airplane flew a top-secret mission over Lake Mead in July of 1948. It was supposed to test a new missile guidance system. Instead, the pilots judged the altitude incorrectly, and the plane crashed into the waters of Lake Mead. The crew all survived, but the plane sank to the bottom of the lake.

What happened to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress?

The 1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash occurred 21 July 1948 when a Boeing B-29-100-BW Superfortress, modified into an F-13 reconnaissance platform and performing atmospheric research, crashed into the waters of Lake Mead, Nevada, US .

How high did the plane fly over Lake Mead?

It traveled to a test area near Lake Mead to conduct high-altitude atmospheric research. After the last measurements were taken, the pilot took the plane a little lower. Both the pilot and co-pilot thought they were around 400 feet above the lake’s surface, but the altimeter was reportedly off.

How deep is the B-29 Bomber wreck?

Now the water at the site is less than 130 feet deep. That means more light and less training is needed for divers to reach the wreck. Silverstein has been on dives at wreck sites around the world and feels that the B-29 is a unique experience. For one thing, the cool freshwater has kept the plane in remarkable shape.

author

Back to Top