B-29 Superfortress to visit Texas Air and Space Museum Sept. 3-4

Following Labor Day weekend, the Texas Air and Space Museum welcomes the B-29 Superfortress “FIFI” as part of the AirPower History Tour of the Commemorative Air Force. The bomber will be accompanied in its Amarillo visit by a T-6 Texan and an RC-45J Expeditor.

The museum is located at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, 10001 American Drive.

The event will be open to the public Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 3-4, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Access to the warbirds area is $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 11-17 and free for children 10 and under.

The T-6 and RC-45J will be offering rides each day on demand. The B-29 will fly on Wednesday at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Cockpit tours of the B-29 will be on Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m., and on Wednesday beginning at noon. Rides may be booked in advance at AirPowerTour.org where additional information about the event may also be found.

According to the Commemorative Air Force, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the largest and most technically advanced aircraft of its time, was first flown in 1942. It began active service in the US Army Air Corp in 1944, and is best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring an end to World War II. The B-29 also was used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until 1960. “FIFI”, one of only two B-29’s in the world still flying, was acquired by the CAF in 1971. She began touring in 1974 and has been entertaining air show audiences across the country ever since.

The North American T-6 Texan, known as the "Pilotmaker”, was an advanced flight trainer that introduced new pilots to a complex aircraft with more speed of over 200-plus miles per hour, to prepare them for the warbirds they would fly in combat in WWII. The T-6 was designed for an instructor and student, and had a closed cockpit.

The Beech SNB is a US Navy/Marine variant of the civilian Model 18 Twin Beech. Over half of the 10,000 produced from 1937 and 1970 were for the US Military, and were used for light transport, photoreconnaissance, and navigation, bombing, and gunnery training. Many Twin Beech aircraft survive today after serving post-military as relatively inexpensive, reliable light cargo aircraft.

Through more than six decades of collecting and flying World War II aircraft, the Commemorative Air Force has become the world’s largest flying museum. Their fleet of over 170 World War II airplanes are assigned to unit locations across the U.S. and are supported by 12,000 volunteer members. Nearly all the aircraft are kept in flying condition, enabling people to experience firsthand the sight and sound of vintage military aircraft in flight. The CAF is dedicated to honoring American military aviation through flight, exhibition, education, and remembrance.

To learn more about the Commemorative Air Force, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org.

For more event information, call the museum at 806-335-9159.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: B-29 Superfortress to visit Texas Air and Space Museum Sept. 3-4