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B-29 "DOC" Restoration Project |
B-29 Crewman - Lee Dawes |
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Pilot revisits ‘DOC’ after 50 yearsB Y RONALD G. BLISSOriginally printed in Boeing Wichita "Plane Talk", November 3, 2004 After 50 years, B-29 pilot Lee Dawes says he’s like a little boy rediscovering "the jungle gym on the playground." Dawes was explaining his reaction to seeing "DOC," a B-29 Superfortress that he flew while an Air Force pilot. He paid a visit to Boeing Wichita recently where "DOC" is being restored to flying status by volunteers. "It’s just outstanding what the volunteers are doing," said Dawes. "The plane will be better than when it rolled off the assembly line because of the meticulous work they are doing on it — completely rewiring and re-cabling it. "It shows a great dedication to the end purpose." Dawes is one of an estimated 50 pilots who flew "DOC" during its years in the Air Force. "DOC" is one of 1,644 B-29s built at Boeing Wichita. Dawes said he flew the airplane while doing radar calibration out of Rome, N.Y. He still remembers his thoughts when he first saw a B-29. "At the time, it was the biggest airplane flying and I was just utterly awestruck by it," he said. "I didn’t, in my wildest dreams as I was growing up, ever think that I would be able to be a crew member on something like this, let alone fly it. It was such a thrill." Dawes said he is pleased that future generations will have a chance to see what the B-29 was like because it played such an important role in World War II and the Korean War. He said building it was amazing in the first place. "When you stop and think about it, from the drawing board to flying status, it was about 18 months. They had a lot of problems. They were manufacturing them and putting them out the door and had to finish them on the ramp. Modifications had to be made. "It saved a lot of lives in World War II, shortened the war because Japan at the time was hunkered down to have an all out war on their homeland. "It would have been street-to-street fight and things like that. In history books, the B-29 will be noted for that aspect of winning the war." — Randy Allen photo
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