B-29 (Jack's Hack) 44-61975

B-29 (Jack's Hack) 44-61975

Serial #:	44-61975 (c/n 11452)
Model:	B-29A-60-BN Boeing-Renton
Current Location	New England Air Museum; Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Status:	Displayed

Accepted: July 1945 - Boeing Aircraft Co, Renton, Washington

Delivered: July 1945- Continental Airlines / Boeing Modification Center - (Denver Municipal Airport)

Assigned: August 1945 - 1st AF / 114th AAFBU (Combat Crew Training Station - Very Heavy) (Chatham AAF)

Assigned: November 1945 - 3rd AF / 317th AAFBU (Combat Crew Training Station - Very Heavy) (MacDill AAF)

Assigned: March 1946 - AFSC / Warner-Robins Air Depot (WRAD) - (Warner Robins AAF)

Converted to TB-29A

Assigned: March 1946 - 4th AF / 426th AAFBU (Combat Crew Training Station - Heavy) (Mountain Home AAF)

During the Korean War it flew between Molesworth and Wheeler AFB, Libya, on special assignment.

Assigned: April 1953 - ARSC / 528th ARG / 528th ARS - (Great Falls AFB)

Mid-Air Collision (class 3): 21 August 1953 - Blairsville (7 miles W-SW of), Georgia

(Pilot: Lt Bodo J Konze) - repaired

Assigned: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Gunnery target - rear fuselage damaged

Recovered from Aberdeen in June 1973 by members of the Bradley Air Museum (later to be renamed the New England Air Museum).
Put on outdoor display. Severely damaged by a tornado in 1979.
Wing spar bent; damage to tail assembly, and one engine torn off.
Partially repaired and left on display missing outboard wing assemblies.
Full restoration began in 1998 sponsored by the 58th Bomb Wing Association.
Aircraft is in final stages of an extensive and thorough restoration and is now displayed in the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial Hangar.
It is actually a composite of two aircraft.
From the trailing edge of the wing forward is 44-61975 B-29A-55-BN, from the trailing edge to the tail turret is from B-29A-45 BN 44-61739 that was at Aberdeen. The nose section of 44-61739 is in storage at Warner-Robins AFB
When recovered back in the early 1970's, the front half of 44-61975 was in the best condition, but the rear fuselage was damaged by weapons testing.
The volunteers took the tail from one of the less damaged airframes to make a complete B-29.
As another interesting note, the tail turret currently on the aircraft was obtained in the trade for "Doc's" vertical fin, and one of the rudder post attachment arms on what is now "Doc's" vertical, was replaced by one from the "Kee Bird" when "Kee Bird" needed an airworthy one.

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