ian lanc Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 heres one of my models of a 1:72 scale airfix B29 all lettering was done by hand... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HGE Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 :D Very NICE!!!!!!! I love this aircraft!!! Great work Jan!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ian lanc Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 :D Very NICE!!!!!!! I love this aircraft!!! Great work Jan!! thanks,i've also got the 1/48 b29 built up..........ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Nice work on the lettering Ian :D , may I ask why the aircraft is painted grey? I thought B29s were natural metal? :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wdolson Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Nice work on the lettering Ian :D , may I ask why the aircraft is painted grey? I thought B29s were natural metal? :o Fi Fi is the CAF's B-29. Currently the only one flying. I think it is painted silver gray to protect it. Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mandrake Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) Fi Fi is the CAF's B-29. Currently the only one flying. I think it is painted silver gray to protect it.Bill Just had to look into that one :D Fifi certainly is no longer NMF, though looking at the photos the colour and finish does seem to vary a fair bit, though how much of it can be attributed to simply lightning is debatable. Not sure if it is strictly grey though as to me it looks as if it probably had a coat of aluminium paint that has oxidised over time to produce this finish. A couple of select pics: http://netgate.newnanutilities.org/~stquesin/sfort2.jpg http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0640053/L/ http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0172859/L/ (plenty more on Airliners.net) Edited March 28, 2006 by Mandrake Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ReiShikiSenGuy Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 IIRC, FIFI was painted gray on the front of the fuselage, the rest was silver or NMF. That was back in the late '70s - can't tell you about now, though. But a nice model, for sure! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nightiemission Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 FIFI is gray overall now, or at least, she was several years ago when I saw her last. HTH, Terry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chomper Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Fi Fi is the CAF's B-29. Currently the only one flying. I think it is painted silver gray to protect it.Bill From what I hear, Fifi is grounded due to a cracked main spar. Is there any more news on this? chomper Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Fi Fi is the CAF's B-29. Currently the only one flying. I think it is painted silver gray to protect it.Bill Thanks Bill, I wasn't aware that Fifi belonged to the CAF. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airjiml2 Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 From what I hear, Fifi is grounded due to a cracked main spar. Is there any more news on this? FiFi was grounded for some remedial work including on the wings. Substantial corrosion was found and dealt with. The B-29 was to be flying again, but I hear they are having some engine issues. Hopefully it will be flying by the summer airshow season. FiFi has featured many paint schemes over the years. It was a light grey until repainted by Boeing in 1991. It is painted in a silver grey now. The really interesting news is that FiFi may be selling rides this year. Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J.C. Bahr Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Throughout most of the 1980's she was in fact gray. I've seen her on about three separate occasions and the first one was in the late 1980's. Sometime after this, she went to Boeing Seattle I believe and had a refurbishment done... can't recall the exact amount of work done, but Boeing replaced the nose glass and repainted her in silver, seems like some engine work (or replacement) was done as well... all at a cost to Boeing... which would've taken place sometime before at least 1993 as that was about the last year I was heavily involved with my local air museums air shows and had seen her in the silver finish before then at one of the shows. She was still in the silver in the late 90's as well when she stopped through town and was giving rides to people. I saw in an aviation rag recently that she's down for more extensive repairs for all the corrosion they've been finding in her... and she was still in the silver in the photos in the aviation rag. Can't say I'm not surprised that it's needing extensive maintenance from a structural standpoint... actually more suprised that it hasn't already made a big smoking crater at some airshow like so many of their other rare birds. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve N Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 When I first saw Fifi in 1977, she was painted overall silver. The next time I caught up with her was 1989, and she was light gray (and looking very tired.) As Jim mentioned, she was refurbished by Boeing in the early '90s and painted silver-gray. When I saw her next in 1994, one of the CAF guys told me Boeing used the same paint they use on airliners, which gave far better protection. I last saw her in 2004, and she was still painted silver. The latest "flyer" newsletter shows her silver, albiet with peices missing due to her current rebuild. I'm wondering if they'll paint "Doc," or leave her bare metal. SN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airjiml2 Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 (edited) I'm wondering if they'll paint "Doc," or leave her bare metal. Assuming they finish Doc sometime in the near (or far) future... Jim Btw, nice to see a model of a warbird for a change. They do provide some interesting options and schemes. Edited March 29, 2006 by airjiml2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J.C. Bahr Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 I would assume that Doc would probably be painted... as I'm sure a silver paint coating would last longer than polished natural metal which would take a lot more maintenance to keep up for appearances. Once talked to the owner of a Ryan PT-22 who had it all polished to a mirror finish and I quote he said: "Never again!" This being on a small trainer which the B-29 obviously dwarfs! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve N Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 I was in the Yankee Air Museum's hanger a couple of weeks ago. Their B-17 "Yankee Lady" is in for winter maintenance..she's bare metal, and was looking rather grungy. They're about to have their annual "polishing party," where a few dozen memebers volunteer to spiff her up for the flying season (I believe they get free pizza out of the deal.) I volunteer at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo..our Ford Trimotor is bare metal, and almost impossible to keep clean (the corrugated skin probably gives it 50% more surface area than a smooth-skinned aircraft.) No question paint is better from a maintenance standpoint, but there's nothing like the sun glinting off polished aluminum! Cheers! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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