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Dates |
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Event |
1945 |
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Constructed as a B-29-95-BW by Boeing at Wichita, Kansas, USA. |
August 1945 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 45-21787. |
20 August 1945 |
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Assigned to Air Material Command, McClellan AFB, CA for storage. |
31 May 1947 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 84029 as a P2B-1S. |
From 1950 to 1956 |
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Modified as the carrier aircraft for the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket high-speed rocket-powered research aircraft. The bomb bay was extensively modified to carry a D-558-II nestled underneath the belly. The research aircraft was dropped in flight from the bomb bay cradle, and the rocket engines were fired once the plane had fallen free of the P2B. Numerous drops were made from 1950 to 1956. Joint Navy/NACA program. |
1950 |
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Markings Applied: Fertile Myrtle |
Circa 1951 |
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Photographer: NACA |
27 August 1951 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics with s/n 137. |
1953 |
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Photographer: NASA Dryden Flight Research Cent |
October 1959 |
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Assigned to NAS Litchfield Park, AZ for storage. |
1960 |
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To Ace Smelting Company, AZ. |
1965 |
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To Allied Aircraft Sales, AZ with new c/r N91329. |
From 1969 to 1984 |
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To Ralph W. and Stephen Johnson/American Air Museum, Oakland CA keeping c/r N91329. |
Circa 1969 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
From By March 1969 to July 1969 |
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Restored.
Civilian purchase of a B-29 was forbidden by Federal law as the aircraft was capable of dropping a nuclear bomb. AAMS, however, was able to purchase Myrtle because she had been under civilian ownership for more than twelve years. That fact plus Penn Patricks government connections placed her into the hands of the AAMS. Overhaul included replacing the highly modified central fuselage with a stock piece from a B-50 and replacement of the gun turrets with actual guns (blocked off, of course). Modern avionics, radios and navigation equipment replaced 1950s equipment and the four 0-10 hr. engines were stripped down and remounted. National markings were painted on and the NACA tail stripe removed. The Fertile Myrtle painting with the Skyrocket drop record board were retained on the port nose. The overhaul took over four months with Allied Aircraft doing most of the work. |
22 July 1969 |
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First post-restoration Flight. |
1973 |
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Photographer: WR McWilliams, Jr |
October 1974 |
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Withdrawn from use.
WFU at Oakland, CA. |
1976 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
1976 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
April 1978 |
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Restoration completed. |
27 April 1978 |
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First post-restoration Flight. |
20 November 1978 |
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Certificate of airworthiness for NX91329 (B-29, 41-21787) issued. |
1978 |
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Photographer: Graham Baker |
1978 |
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Photographer: Graham Baker |
1978 |
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Photographer: Graham Baker |
1978 |
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Photographer: Graham Baker
Notes: Photographed at Oakland Intl Airport, CA (North Field). |
From 1979 to 1979 |
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Leased to Walt Disney Production, CA.
Flew in the movie The Last Flight of Noahs Ark. |
From 1979 to 1989 |
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Withdrawn from use.
Open storage Oakland, CA. |
6 October 1980 |
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Photographer: Lewis Grant
Notes: N91329 Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Previous I/d 45-21787. On the flightline at Castle AFB, since closed and now in civilian use as Merced County Airport. |
July 1984 |
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To Kermit A. Weeks, Tamiami FL keeping c/r N91329. |
1984 |
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Ferry flight.
Delivery flight from Oakland, CA, to Polk City, FL, was aborted in Stockton, CA. |
August 1985 |
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To Weeks Air Museum, Tamiami FL with new c/r N29KW. |
30 April 1987 |
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To Worlds Greatest Aircraft Collection Inc, Polk City, FL keeping c/r N29KW. |
1989 |
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Transported by ground.
Nose trucked Oakland-Tamiami. Remainder inopen storage dismantled at Ocotillo Wells CA. |
1991 |
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Damaged.
Nose damaged by Hurricane Andrew. |
From 1991 to December 1995 |
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Restored.
Markings Applied: Fertile Myrtle
Nose restored in California, returned to Tamiami Dec 1995. |
1997 |
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Transported by ground.
Remainder of aircraft trucked to Tamiami. |
From 2002 to 2008 |
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Loaned to Florida Air Museum, Lakeland Municipal Airport, Lakeland, FL.
 View the Location Dossier |
15 March 2011 |
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To Fantasy of Flight/Kermit A. Weeks, Polk City, FL.
View the Location Dossier |
23 May 2013 |
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Photographer: Matt Maranto
Notes: Golden Hill Storage Warehouse at Fantasy of Flight |
23 May 2013 |
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Photographer: Matt Maranto
Notes: Golden Hill Storage Warehouse at Fantasy of Flight |
18 November 2013 |
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To Worlds Greatest Aircraft Collection Inc, Polk City, FL keeping c/r N29KW. |
4 April 2022 |
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Photographer: Reinhard Jost
Notes: Fertile Myrtle artwork at the nose of P2B-1S Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, FL |
|
 | | This airframe dossier is based on
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