WICHITA – For the first time in 60 years, the B-29 Superfortress called “Doc” moved under its own power.
The historic bomber has been undergoing restoration to flying condition at the former Boeing facility here. On May 11, the restoration crew performed the first of many low-speed taxi texts in preparation for first flight.
The crew used engines No. 1 and No. 4 for the taxi test. The aircraft traveled more than half a mile during the test and the crew was able to test the brakes and turning.
The warbird handled better than expected, reported Jim Murphy, restoration program manager, and T.J. Norman, project manager. They expect to receive the FAA’s airworthiness certification soon. After receiving the certificate, they will submit a request to the Air Force and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., to be granted access to the non-joint runway at McConnell AFB, adjacent to the former Boeing facility, for flight test operations.
The aircraft is one of 1,644 B-29s built in Wichita during World War II. Doc rolled off the assembly line in March 1945. Doc became part of a squadron known as the Seven Dwarfs. In 1987, Tony Mazzolini discovered the aircraft in the Mojave Desert serving as a target for the Navy. In 1998, Mazzolini and a team of volunteers towed Doc from the desert to Wichita for restoration, currently led by a non-profit organization called Doc’s Friends.