Hi All,
I just went on the http://warbirdsnews.com/ site and they have a feature (Below) on B-29 Doc’s new home. It got me thinking in terms of if the US can get one built and almost running ready for the tenant what the hell is the problem with the XH558/Canberra and Swift hangar is nobody interested in getting these restored airframes into a fresh built hanger ? (Apologies to all for bring the subject up again)
Doc’s Friends, the organization responsible for the restoration, maintenance and operation of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress 44-69972 known as Doc has just announced that the massive new hangar being prepared as the aircraft’s permanent home and museum in Wichita, Kansas is on the cusp of completion. See their press release from today for more details.
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Inside the hangar in Wichita, Kansas which will become the new home and museum for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as ‘Doc’. The building is nearly complete now, and is due to be turned over to Doc’s Friends in the next few weeks, where it will transform into a magnificent new museum and education center based upon their prime exhibit. (image via Doc’s Friends)
Construction on the B-29 Doc Hangar and Education Center in Wichita, KS is nearly complete. The 32,000 sq. ft. facility at Wichita’s Eisenhower National Airport is expected to be handed over to Doc’s Friends the first week of November.
This video shows the latest progress updated from the construction team.
As you can see from the video, the hangar where Doc will be housed and maintained while it’s not on tour is finished. Construction crews are finishing the upper mezzanine area where the STEM education and history center will be located, as well as putting the finishing touches on the workshop and lobby, office and conference room spaces.
The exterior building signage, flag poles, plaza bricks and benches, as well as landscaping are due to be installed in the next few days. Doc’s Friends, Inc. will officially take possession of the new facility the first week of November. The move-in process is expected to take a few weeks and the maintenance team will begin their planned winter maintenance operations by mid-to-late November in the new facility.
A team of curators and STEM education planners will go to work through mid-December to install the education and STEM portion of the facility. Interior work on the education center, lobby, offices and conference room portions of the new facility will be finished by mid-to-late December. A public open house will be held in January. Details on the public open house will be released soon.
http://en-gb.facebook.com/DocsFriends?filter=1
Geoff.
By: 1batfastard - 27th October 2018 at 17:54
Hi All,
JB – I was thinking along the lines of timescales and how funding is achieved, in the US it always seems that for the most everybody no matter who pitches in and the job gets done, yet in the UK it seems to take an eon to get started never mind funded and built for really deserving causes not just aviation themed.
It’s very disheartening for me and I would think all those who have donated not just cash over the years but time and effort for the VTTS team. When you take the other airframes into consideration I imagine those who allowed the aircraft to be taken on must have second thoughts now ? I hold my hands up as I have no idea how the system works in getting everything into place but still you would have thought they would all be under cover by now after getting kicked out of they’re hanger…..:(
Geoff.
By: J Boyle - 25th October 2018 at 18:50
Shows what home-based community wide support can do.
It helps that B-29s were built in Wichita, so there is a community historic element as well. Also, the The city has been a center for aircraft production since the 1920s and many firms remain in the area which provide some business support (but one wonders how much since the general aviation builders aren’t locally owned any longer, and Boeing Wichita is a shadow of It’s former self with 737 airframe production being done under contract by Spirit. In other words, don’t assume Beech, Cessna, and Boeing wrote huge checks).
I’d like to learn more about their STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education effort mentioned. You can’t just park an old aircraft and say (and assume) its presence will inspire future engineers, which seems like VTTS is doing with their Vulcan. You must have some sort of credible education program
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October 25, 2018 at 5:45 pm
