First new engine arrives for Doc

The engine is first of four that will power Doc back into the sky.

The first restored engine for Doc (B-29) arrived at the Doc Restoration Hangar in Wichita, Kan., on Friday, June 21, 2013. The arrival of the engine was celebrated by Doc restoration project volunteers.

This engine is a hybrid cross between a Curtiss-Wright 3350-95W engine and an R-3350-26WD engine.

The decision to use a hybrid engine was made because of the increase reliability and durability offered by the hybrid cross engine. The main reason the 3350-95W engine was selected
was based on the fact that there is such a large supply of them. The 3350-95W engine was manufactured in the mid 1950s and was initially installed on the AC-119K gunship. These turbo
compound engines are very similar to the DC-7 engine and are rated at 3,500 horsepower.

The only draw back was the 3350-95W engine would not fit into the B-29 cowlings and nacelles. Enter the idea for the R-3350-26WD engine.

Rebuilding and combining the two engines (3350-95W and R-2250-26WD) will give Doc the best of both engines. The restored B-29 will have the power of the 3350-95W engine, but it
will have all of the fittings and durability of the R-3350-26WD engine.

This is the first of four engines that will arrive over the next four to six months for the Doc restoration project. Restoration work on the B-29 known as Doc continues to move forward as volunteers work to install the outboard wing tips and other wing components.

Click HERE to view photos of the engine arrival celebration marked by Doc volunteers.