B-29 Fertile Myrtle

Ah… The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark. If I remember correctly, it’s awful but the B29 sequences make up for it.

Tallichet’s B-29 made a one time flight to March AFB with the gear down and never flew again. Fertile Myrtle was always “marginally airworthy” when Ralph Johnson owned it and actuall didn’t fly much. She didn’t get used in The Right Stuff because she lost an engine and couldn’t be repaired in time. There were also very valid concerns about the reliability and airworthiness by the studio. As a result, “FIFI” got the contract. Myrtle didn’t fly in the movie The Enola Gay for the same reasons and ended up being used only in ground shots. Had she stayed running, “FIFI” and her both would have both been on film.

I understand that David Tallichet operated a B-29 for a very short period, in addition to those discussed above. Now at March AFB I believe.

You’re correct, according to the Museum it did indeed make at least one flight. But, like the IWM aircraft, it appears it wasn’t a regular flier.
http://www.marchfield.org/b29a.htm

I understand that David Tallichet operated a B-29 for a very short period, in addition to those discussed above. Now at March AFB I believe.

I don’t think the IWM B-29 did any other flying apart from what was necessary to do the trip across and essential test flying.

Did the IMW aircraft appear at any US events before flying the Atlantic? Did it ever fly in the UK (aside from its ferry flight)?

No, and no. It flew into Mildenhall, then on to Duxford the foillowing day. Strictly a one-time ferry flight

I took these pictures back in May. Myrtle is Inside Kermit’s Golden Hill Storage Warehouse

Did the IMW aircraft appear at any US events before flying the Atlantic? Did it ever fly in the UK (aside from its ferry flight)?

lying dismantled and neglected in the storage fascility at Polk City. Dents and damage everywhere.
Didn’t look very airworthy.
Cees

The owners at that time were Ralph and Steven Johnson dba American Air Museum of Oakland, CA. They were the guys who got the cache of ex- Indonesian Mustangs back stateside. Another guy who was involved was an Art Stagg. As for three airworthy B-29s during the same timeframe, yes I think you can say that.

T J

According to Wikipedia, 2 of the 4 Disney B-29s were destroyed at the time.

There were only three airworthy Superfortresses if you count the one at Duxford. But that was airworthy only for the ferry flight to the UK. It was not airworthy for any great length of time. With all the ex-China lake aircraft, more could have been made flyable, but there were few groups or individuals with the resources to restore and operate one. At least most found homes in Museums and did not go to the scrappers.

The Weeks aircraft, circa 1980, was owned by a museum in the San Francisco/Oakland area. It used to do a (very) few air shows every year, I saw it at a USAF base in Idaho in 1978. At that time, it still had its NACA colours. I was surprised that the CAF aircraft was used in the filming of “The Right Stuff” in 1981 since the “FM” was a ex-NACA drop ship. It may not have been airworthy at that time.

I wondered the same after watching it, I found out Disney bought 4 B-29’s, after filming Kermit Weeks got all 4, then afew years ago offered 1 for sale for $1.5 million, stating it would make a 100% static restoration or about 85% of an airworthy one.