Kee Bird - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Kee Bird was a United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

B-29-95-BW Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

, 45-21768, of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron

46th Reconnaissance Squadron

The 46th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive Strategic Air Command unit. Its last assignment was with the 5001st Composite Wing, based at Ladd Army Airfield, Alaska Territory....

, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

during a secret Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

spying mission on 21 February 1947. Although the entire crew was safely evacuated, after spending three days in the isolated Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

tundra

Tundra

In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...

, the aircraft itself was left at the landing site. It lay there undisturbed until 1994, when a privately-funded mission was launched to repair and return it. The attempted recovery resulted in the destruction and loss of the airframe by fire on the ground.

Mission background

In the early years of the Cold War

Cold War

, some of the most important strategic reconnaissance was carried out by Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

units deployed to Ladd Army Airfield, near Fairbanks

Fairbanks

Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...

, Alaska Territory

Alaska Territory

The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...

. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence (ELINT) cadre was operating. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was Long Range Detection, the search for Soviet atomic explosions.

In the late 1940s, strategic intelligence on Soviet capabilities and intentions was scarce. Before the development of the Lockheed U-2

Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

high-altitude spy plane and orbital reconnaissance satellites, technology and politics limited American reconnaissance efforts to the borders, and not the heartland, of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. Ladd Field was one of the important staging areas for gathering what strategic intelligence could be obtained along Soviet borders.

Assigned to the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron

46th Reconnaissance Squadron

The 46th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive Strategic Air Command unit. Its last assignment was with the 5001st Composite Wing, based at Ladd Army Airfield, Alaska Territory....

, the Kee Bird was originally a standard Block 95 B-29 Superfortress bomber manufactured at Boeing

Boeing

The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

's Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

plant in late August or September 1945, c/n 13662, one of the last B-29s manufactured. It was initially delivered to Grand Island Army Airfield

Grand Island Army Airfield

Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:...

, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

as USAAF Serial 45-21768, however once delivered, it was not assigned to any unit until early 1946 when the 46th RS was formed. Nineteen B-29s were assigned to the 46th RS, and at that time, 768 was one of six squadron aircraft that was fitted with special camera installations for photographic reconnaissance work. It carried three K-17B, two K-22 and one K-18 cameras with provisions for others. With the reconnaissance equipment, it was redesignated an F-13 (in the F- for photo reconnaissance series). However, the standard B-29 bombing equipment and defensive armament were retained.

With growing tensions in US-Soviet relations, SAC explored the possibility of attacking Soviet targets via great circle

Great circle

A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...

routes over the North Pole as part of "Project Nanook". The 46th was engaged in mapping the northern section of Greenland and also to search for any Soviet military activity in this uninhabited area. The squadron was assigned to Ladd Field

Ladd Field

Ladd Army Airfield is the military airfield located at Fort Jonathan Wainwright, located in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was originally called Fairbanks Air Base, but was renamed Ladd Field on 1 December 1939, in honor of Major Arthur K. Ladd, a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps who died in a plane crash...

, near Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...

in June 1946 and began operational missions later that month. Its flights were used to develop accurate polar navigation, survey and map the Arctic; perform comprehensive weather studies; test its men and equipment in Arctic conditions; train in polar navigation and operations and fly long range photographic intelligence flights with B-29/F-13A Superfortresses.

Last flight

On 20 February 1947, Lt. Vern H. Arnett took Kee Bird off on a routine mission with a crew of 11 men. The aircraft had been flown a grand total of 6 previous missions, this being the 7th. All of its missions were classified "Top Secret". His mission was to fly to the Geographic North Pole, then fly a return route back to Ladd Field. The aircraft was carrying enough fuel to stay airborne for approximately 26 hours under normal conditions, having been configured for very long range missions with extra fuel tanks in the unused bomb bays. His mission was expected to last from 12 to 20 hours, making his ETA at Ladd Field approximately 1000 Alaska Standard Time (AT) 21 February 1947.

All missions were flown with radio silence to avoid detection. No further report was received on this flight until 0756 AT, 21 February 1947, when Point Barrow

Point Barrow

Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow. It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at...

CAA Radio Station picked up a radio message from Kee Bird stating that they had no means of steering as the sun was too low. Two minutes later Arnett reported he had hit a bad storm at 24,000 feet and was "over land but do not know where". From this information, it was obvious that an emergency existed and plans were immediately made for starting a search and rescue mission if the need developed.

Other reports were received between 0950 and 0958 AT from 768 stating that 4 minutes of fuel remained, and a crash landing would be made on land or ice. Since no position was given, it was believed that they were lost, and search areas were drawn to aid in locating the crew. From all the information available, it was reasonable to assume that the airplane had landed somewhere along the northern coast of Alaska on their return flight from the Pole..

Lt. Arnett and crew had survived the crash landing without sustaining any injuries. They had landed on a small frozen lake in Northern Greenland which was covered with 2 - 10 inches of hard-packed snow. A later debriefing of the crew indicated that the aircraft had reached the Pole, then made a 70 degree turn to the southeast, then a 120 degree turn to the southwest. The pilot became disoriented over the polar icepack just north of 85 degrees north latitude, then began to fly to the south, then east until turning west over northern Greenland where an emergency landing was successfully made. The crew had sufficient food and clothing to last them about two weeks.

Rescue

Search aircraft were dispatched from Ladd Field

Ladd Field

on 21 February. There were two B-29's (45-21871 and 45-21761), one B-17 Flying Fortress and one long-range OA-10A Catalina

PBY Catalina

The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...

reconnaissance aircraft. Also available was an Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...

C-74 Globemaster

The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.The Globemaster was developed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The long distances across the Atlantic, and especially the Pacific Ocean to the combat...

which was at Ladd in temporary status from Morrison Field, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

performing cold weather testing. All other long range aircraft in Alaska were alerted for the search, and 9 B-29's of the 28th Bomb Group

28th Operations Group

The 28th Operations Group is the flying component of the United States Air Force 28th Bomb Wing, stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota....

at Elmendorf Field responded to the call to aid in the search, and arrived at Ladd Field on 22 February 1947. However, since these aircraft were not equipped with bomb bay fuel tanks, they did not have sufficient range to fly to Greenland. The aircraft returned to their proper station on 23 February 1947. The first plane to take-off on the search was the B-17, flown by personnel of the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron. This plane went directly to Point Barrow

Point Barrow

Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow. It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at...

and originally was to have participated in the coastline search, but due to later developments returned to Ladd Field and was not active in the search mission.

The first B-29 to take-off was 45-21871. This crew was to search an area from MacKenzie Bay

Mackenzie Bay, Canada

Mackenzie Bay is a natural inlet in northern Canada. It is an arm of the Beaufort Sea. To the west is Herschel Island and the Yukon mainland. To the east is Richards Island, Northwest Territories....

westward for about 50 miles inland. When the flight arrived in its search area, a report was received from Barrow Airways stating that they were in contact with a crashed airplane, and a position report would follow shortly. This position report was received about ten minutes later, and when plotted, indicated that the missing airplane was down on Daugaard-Jensen's Land, Greenland, at position 80 degrees north 61 degrees west, approximately 280 miles north of Thule

Qaanaaq

Qaanaaq is the main town in the northern part of the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of Qaanaaq speak the West Greenlandic language and many also speak Inuktun. The town has a population of 626 as of 2010...

, Greenland (Bluie West Six).

Course was set for the last position received, after consulting the flight engineer about the fuel situation. The coast of Greenland was reached about 2345 AT and a systematic search was started. The twilight period was just beginning when the aircraft reached the search area, which added to the difficulty of sighting activity from the aircraft to the ground. At the completion of the last flight line, at 0130 AT, 22 February 1947, a message was received from the Barrow Airways with instructions for the aircraft to discontinue its search and start his return flight to Ladd Field, at 0130 AT.

The second search flight took off at 2310 AT, 21 February 1947, in B-29 45-21761 (Boeings Boner). As the Kee Birds navigators were constantly making celestial observations in order to aid the search planes in locating them, the mission was much easier since more information was received as to the lost airplane's approximate position. In addition, more time was available in which to plan the mission, and a direct course was set to Greenland. On reaching the area where Kee Bird had landed at 0745 AT, a search was started and with information from the lost crew. The first actual sighting was made at 0830 AT. Eight runs were made over the downed plane, dropping the supplies carried for that purpose. Kee Birds crew requested that some coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

be dropped to them in order that they could build a fire for warmth and cooking. The crew was instructed to destroy the radar

Radar

Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

, Loran

LORAN

LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....

, and the IFF

Identification friend or foe

In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...

sets, and to bring back, when they were evacuated, all exposed film, airplane files and all maps. 21761 then returned to Ladd and landed safely.

At approximately 1900Z, 22 February 1947, Headquarters, Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command

received notification that a Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

B-29 very long range reconnaissance aircraft had made a crash landing in Greenland, at position 80 degrees north 61 degrees west, approximately 280 miles north of Thule

Qaanaaq

(Bluie West Six). This was the first information received by the Atlantic Division and plans were made to give every possible assistance.

Two C-54D Skymaster aircraft (42-72640, 42-72643) were alerted for immediate departure from Westover Field, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

to Thule (Bluie West Six). The first aircraft, 2640, carried JATO

JATO

JATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....

rockets and was ordered to proceed directly to Thule via Goose Bay Airfield

CFB Goose Bay

Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....

, Labrador

Labrador

Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...

with whatever survival equipment and Arctic kits were available at Westover and pick up any additional equipment at Goose Bay flown there from Stephenville

Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador

Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....

by Newfoundland Base Command aircraft. The aircraft was then to proceed direct to Thule and from there to the scene of the crash and search until contact was established. Radio frequencies of the B-29 aircraft were to be furnished as soon as they became available. When contact with the downed B-29 was established, the crew of the C-54 was to airdrop such survival equipment as was available. The aircraft was then to return to Thule for additional supplies as required to be air dropped.
The second C-54 aircraft (#2643) was to load Arctic kits at Westover, proceed to Goose Bay, and then proceed to Thule and assist the first aircraft in shuttling between Westover. Goose Bay, Bluie West-1, Bluie West-8

Sondrestrom Air Base

Sondrestrom Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in Greenland, located north of the Arctic Circle, from the northeast end of Kangerlussuaq Fjord , after which it was named, approximately west northwest of Ravneklippen, and west of Sisimiut.The base was turned over to the Greenland...

and Bluie West-6 (Thule) for the purpose of laying down Arctic kits, survival equipment and supplies that may be needed to aid in the rescue of the B-29 crew. The plan of operation was confirmed by teletype to Newfoundland Base Command and all base units in Newfoundland and Greenland Base Command

Northeast Air Command

The Northeast Air Command was a short-lived organization in the United States Air Force tasked with the operation and defense of air bases in Greenland, Labrador and Newfoundland. It was formed in 1950 from the facilities of the United States established during World War II in Northeast Canada,...

areas.

Lt Cavnar, the pilot of C-54 #2640 landed at Thule 0131Z 24 February. A ski-equipped C-47 from Ladd Field had arrived at Crystal II

Frobisher Bay Air Force Base

Frobisher Bay Air Base is a former United States Air Force facility adjacent to the town of Iqaluit, Nunavut ; north of Ottawa, Ontario. It was closed in 1963.-World War II:...

, and was requested to stand by if needed. En route from BW-8, the B-29 was contacted and it was discovered that the B-29 was actually on the lake where it was planned to land the C-54. A mistake of one (1) degrees longitude had been made in reporting the plane's position. The mistake was discovered when the pilot of the B-29 reported that the plane was on the lake. Further information from the B-29 indicated the lake was covered with smooth-rolling snow drifts varying from two (2) to ten (10) inches in depth with a hard wind crust top. As the underlying ice supported the weight of the B-29, the thickness should be sufficient to support the C-54. A C-54 had the capability to land in up to ten (10) inches of snow, so the really only unknown factor would be the approaches for landing and take off from the lake, and this was to determined by making low passes over the lake.

Discussions were held with Mr. Edward Goodale, an Arctic specialist, who was the officer in charge of the U.S. Weather Bureau Station at BW-6. He agreed to accompany the C-54 to the scene to assist if anything went wrong. He also supplied shovels in the event they were needed to clear a runway for take-off after landing. The take-off was planned for the following morning about 09:30 local time in order to arrive at the scene at high noon when the light would be best. At Thule the sun appeared above the horizon for the first time on February 24.

JATO bottles were fitted to #2640 at Thule and take-off was made at 1410Z. #2643 accompanied the rescue aircraft. The B-29 was easily located due to the fact that the B-29 crew had built a fire of engine oil and rubber rafts which threw off a column of black smoke. Lt Cavnar made two (2) passes over the scene and then landed with very little difficulty at 1543Z. He then taxied up and down to break out a take-off runway. Upon completion of this, all non-essential equipment not required for the flight was removed from the C-54

The pilot of the B-29 had already destroyed all classified material and equipment by burning and smashing with an axe. Capt. Setterich in the second C-54 (#2643) circled the two planes taking pictures and making general observations. The crew of the Kee Bird boarded the C-54 and took off at 1625 from the frozen lake assisted by the JATO rockets with all survivors aboard. After take-off, Lt Pope, Medical Officer from BW-8, examined the survivors but found no frozen parts but did find mild cases of shock and exposure. After that, all survivors stretched out on sleeping bags and kapok

Kapok

Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa...

mattresses, and slept as much as possible during the return flight. At 1840 the C-54 landed at Thule, and the survivors and the rescue aircraft crew were given a steak dinner. At 2200 the C-54s departed Thule for non-stop flight to Westover Field, Massachusetts with all survivors and crew members aboard, arriving at 1243 24 February. The B-29 aircraft was written off and abandoned, and dropped from Air Force inventory records.

1947 crew

The flight crew for the Kee Birds final Cold War mission were:

Vern Arnett, Pilot.
Russel S. Jordan, Copilot.
Talbert Gates, Copilot.
John G. Lesman, Astro Navigator.
Burl Cowan, D.R. Navigator.
Robert "Lucky" Luedke, Flight Engineer.
Howard Adams, Radar Observer.
Lawrence Yarborough, Gunner.
Ernie Stewart, Gunner.
Paul McNamara, Gunner.
Robert "Bucky" Leader, Radio Operator.

Recovery/restoration summary

In July 1994, a team of aircraft restorers operating as Kee Bird Limited Liability Co. was led by Darryl Greenamyer to the emergency landing site. The aircraft had made a successful (albeit bumpy) landing on the frozen lake and had remained relatively intact at the site ever since. The USAF had also surrendered any claim to the B-29. It was believed that the ship could be put into flying condition, flown off the frozen lake and ferried to Thule AFB, Greenland

Greenland

where further repairs could be made before flying back to the United States.

Using a 1962 De Havilland Caribou

De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...

as a shuttle plane, the team departed the U.S. Armed Services base at Thule and flew in tools and equipment to the Kee Bird. Over the summer months, the team transported four re-manufactured engines, four new propellers, an engine hoist, and new tires, as well as a small bulldozer, to the remote site. The team successfully replaced the engines and propellers, mounted the new tires, and resurfaced the aircraft's control surfaces. As the winter snows began to fall, the Chief Engineer, Rick Kriege fell ill and was transported to a hospital in Iqaluit, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, where he died from a blood clot two weeks later. Although the plane was nearly ready to fly, Greenamyer's team was compelled by weather to leave the site.

In May 1995, Greenamyer returned with additional personnel. The repairs began in 1994 were completed and the aircraft prepared to take off from the frozen lake on 21 May 1995. A crude runway was carved out of the snow on the ice using the bulldozer that had been ferried into the site. The new engines were successfully started for the takeoff attempt. As Darryl Greenamyer was taxiing the aircraft onto the frozen lake, the B-29's auxiliary power unit's jury-rigged

Jury rig

Jury rigging refers to makeshift repairs or temporary contrivances, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. Originally a nautical term, on sailing ships a jury rig is a replacement mast and yards improvised in case of damage or loss of the original mast.-Etymology:The...

fuel tank began to leak gasoline into the rear fuselage. Fire broke out and quickly spread to the rest of the aircraft. The cockpit crew escaped unharmed but cook/mechanic, Bob Vanderveen, who was visually monitoring the engines from the rear of the aircraft, suffered smoke inhalation and flash burns.

Despite attempts to extinguish it from outside the plane, the fire raged and spread through the fuselage. The aircraft was largely destroyed on the ground, with the Kee Birds fuselage and tail surfaces being completely destroyed. When the lake thawed in the spring, it was feared that the wreckage (with nearly intact wing panels and engines) would sink to the bottom.

As of 2008, the aircraft sat, broken, on an ice shelf on the surface.

In the media

The attempted repair and return of the Kee Bird was documented in the 1996 NOVA

NOVA (TV series)

Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...

television episode "B-29 Frozen in Time".

Restoration team

The restoration team were:

Daryl Greenamyer
Daryl Greenamyer
Darryl Greenamyer is an American aviator. He started his flying career in the US Air Force Reserve. After leaving the Air Force, he then began to work at Lockheed where he eventually became an SR-71 test pilot at Skunk works. While working at Lockheed he met many of the engineers who would later...

, Project captain and pilot.
Rick Kriege†, Chief engineer.
Cecilio Grande, Engineer's assistant.
Vernon Rich, Toolmaker and machinist.
Roger Von Grote, Supply shuttle pilot.
Bob Vanderveen, Cook/mechanic.

External links

"B-29 Frozen in Time", NOVA
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...

, July 29, 1997.
Photos and description of the salvage attempt
B-29 Frozen for 50 years
Video of "B-29 Frozen in Time"

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