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FIFI is Airborne!

Bomber_12th

Bomber_12th

SOH-CM-2025
This morning, the CAF's B-29 FIFI is back in the air! It has been 4-years since it last flew, and 6-years since it last flew regularly. The aircraft has been the subject of a tremendous overhaul since 2004, which over the past four years, mainly consisted of a complete re-engine program, which saw the old, original, un-reliable engines switched out, in favor of new, re-engineered highbreds, that are to be much, much more dependable, solving the issues that had plagued FIFI for many years - the same issues that plagued B-29's during their service career. Its first airshow appearance is scheduled for the Colorado Sport International Air Show, August 28-29.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" /><o:p></o:p>
 
wow thats great...id love to see her and how the heck do you know this stuff bomber?...( i think its great that you do,,and even greater that you share it) so thank you for doing so...

did the B29 have the 4360?...and if so..what did they do to the engine to make it a hybrid?...
 
:salute: Two thumbs up.

Thanks Bomber, had the opportunity back in the '90s of seeing her fly and going inside at Charlotte-Douglas.

Caz
 
Daveroo said:
wow thats great...id love to see her and how the heck do you know this stuff bomber?...( i think its great that you do,,and even greater that you share it) so thank you for doing so...

did the B29 have the 4360?...and if so..what did they do to the engine to make it a hybrid?...
Click to expand...
They had C-W R-3350's there made up of various updated parts from differnt marks of the engine. C-W refined these engines for many years, and they went on to be a very good powerplant in there time. I dont know what "hybrid" would be.
 
FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.
 
Bomber_12th said:
FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.
Click to expand...
eccelent...thanks for the info....what airplanes where the 4360s for?..i allways thought it was the b29...or was it a post WWII plane?
 
The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was used in the B-50 Superfortress, C-97 Stratofreighter, B377 Stratocruiser, XB-35 and B-36 amongst others.
 
Fifi

Back in the 70s I was in transit through Buckley Air Base east of Denver, Colorado. Fifi was parked on the ramp there. Don't know what she was doing there, but I always regret that I didn't have a camera with me as I was able to walk all around her.
 
Bomber_12th said:
FIFI was powered by R-3350-57AM engines, and it is the -57AM engines that have had problems dating back to WWII.

What was devised, and now in place, are hybrid engines, combining the R-3350-95W and R-3350-26WD - both are later, more perfected developments from the 1960's-era. The 95W's were used on AC-119K's, and are very similar to those used on the DC-7 - and the CAF has many. The problem with the stock -95W's, is that they cannot bolt onto stock B-29 motor mounts - and that is where the -26WD engines come into play. The -26WD engines, were used on Skyraiders, and are EXCELLENT! They are also the dash number used in the 'Americanized' Sea Fury's - everyone who works on them and flies them, loves the -26WD engine.

The final hybrid engine features the guts, cylinders, and nose case from the -95W, with the core power section, blower section, and accessory section of the -26WD. One of these hybrid engines was used on Rare Bear last year, and performed perfectly.

With these engines in place, the FIFI crew use 2,400 RPM and 44" MP on takeoff, and 2,000 RPM and 30" MP for cruise. These settings allow the engines to operate in a normal capacity, while still producing more horsepower than the original engines at these power settings. This provides for a good safety margin (reserve power) in operating the aircraft, for instance if an engine were to fail in flight.
Click to expand...
Great info, and at those power settings they should run for many years.
 
I must add, that while the 60's era -95W engines, could produce 3,500 horsepower in their original form, the way in which the hybrid engines are configured, they are rated at just 2,400 horsepower each. The WWII-originals, produced 2,200 horsepower. So, over the airframe, there is an extra 800-horsepower gain.
 
The extra power may give them a better margin of safety during takeoff and landing, but I expect the hybrid engines are close enough to the originals in terms of power that there will be no difference in handling or airframe durability.
 
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