Roost Air Lounge => Aviation related topics => Topic started by: Baradium on July 26, 2007, 08:06:41 PM
Title: Lady of the Lake B-29
Post by: Baradium on July 26, 2007, 08:06:41 PM
Someone asked about it, and I can't for the life of me remember who it was.
I did find the "Lady of the Lake" B-29 on Eielson AFB here near Fairbanks.
The story they have posted next to where the bomber lays is a bit different than what was reported on the web pages I'd seen before. Most interesting is that it was a lake already when the bomber was placed there (not a gravel pit as I'd heard previously).
Phil, if it was you who was interested... you're definately close enough that I could bring you on post to get a look for yourself if you wanted.
Title: Re: Lady of the Lake B-29
Post by: cj5_pilot on July 29, 2007, 02:40:12 AM
I've heard varying reports that it was a WB-29 or a WB-50 (Same aircraft in essence). Any chance you managed to snap a pic?
Title: Re: Lady of the Lake B-29
Post by: FlyboyGil on July 29, 2007, 04:00:19 AM
There doesn't seem to be many pictures of her, but here is the link from Eielson AFB page. It's a PDF file though.
I've heard varying reports that it was a WB-29 or a WB-50 (Same aircraft in essence). Any chance you managed to snap a pic?
I believe it's a WB-29. It was converted to be a weather observer. Contrary to what I'd heard before, it did not ever crash.
Title: Re: Lady of the Lake B-29
Post by: tundra_flier on August 23, 2007, 12:58:52 AM
What I had always heard, and may be closer to the truth, was that it was parked there on the ice in the winter, because they wern't allowed to dispose of her, and needed to get it out of the way. The water evac training would be a classic military excuse to dump a plane in a lake though. ::drinking::
Phil
Title: Re: Lady of the Lake B-29
Post by: Baradium on August 24, 2007, 10:50:12 PM
What I had always heard, and may be closer to the truth, was that it was parked there on the ice in the winter, because they wern't allowed to dispose of her, and needed to get it out of the way. The water evac training would be a classic military excuse to dump a plane in a lake though. ::drinking::
Phil
Haha.
According to the report, the lake wasn't that full before. They used it for one year and the next year, after breakup, it filled up much further than it had been and remained at that height afterwards. In other words, they only got to use it for the training a couple times that same year.
As far as "getting it out of the way" this lake isn't exactly close to much of *anything* on post. They could have gone through much less effort and left it in the woods if they just wanted to move it.
IIRC report said that it was taken out of service initially awaiting parts. After that point it was damaged in a ground accident, it was deemed not salvagable (must have been some tug mishap!) so all usable parts were removed and it was designated to be scrapped before someone suggested water egress training.
