The distinctive rumble of radial engines from two of the rarest World War II bombers, the B-29 Superfortress FIFI and B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil, will be heard over the skies of Salina in September when they visit Salina Regional Airport as part of the AirPower History Tour of the Commemorative Air Force.

 

The two bombers are to be accompanied by the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter, a T-6 Texan, and a PT-13 Stearman.

 

The Boeing B-29 was the most advanced four-engine bomber of WWII and featured many innovations such as a pressurized cockpit, remote-control computerized fire-control system that operated four machine gun turrets, and onboard radar. It was the most expensive weapons project undertaken by the United States during the war, costing more than $3 billion, which exceeded the cost of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. The bomber could fly higher, 31,850 feet, than any other bomber of the period and had a top speed of 350 miles per hour.

 

Superfortresses were used in the China-Burma-India Theater and in the Pacific Theater of Operations where their range could take the air war to Japan. Hundreds of B-29s at a time would make the 3,000-mile round trip from the islands of Guam, Saipan, and Tinian on missions lasting anywhere from 12 to 18 hours.

 

On Aug. 6, 1945, the B-29 Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, the B-29 Bockscar, dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Those two missions led to the end of the war and the surrender ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri on Sept. 2 with 525 B-29s flying overhead in a show of force.

 

FIFI is one of only two flying B-29s in the world. She was acquired by the CAF in 1971 from the U.S. Navy Proving Grounds in China Lake, Calif. After a three-year restoration she began touring in 1974 and has been entertaining air show audiences across the country ever since.

 

The B-24 Liberator was the most produced American warplane of WWII over 18,400 aircraft rolling off assembly lines across the country. Most were manufactured at Ford’s giant Willow Run assembly plant in Detroit.

 

Diamond Lil, one of only two flying Liberators in the world, provides the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of our fathers and grandfathers in the dangerous air wars over Europe, the Pacific, North Africa and Asia.

 

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator, first flown in 1939, was used by the US Army Air Corps and US Navy. The four-engine bomber featured a high aspect Davis wing that gave it more range and more speed than the B-17 Flying Fortress, and allowed it to carry a greater bomb load.

 

Diamond Lil was ordered by Great Britain and was the 26th to roll off the production line. However, she was involved in a landing accident while the RAF was training crews in the United States and did not see combat.

 

The aircraft was rebuilt in transport configuration and used by Consolidated through the remainder of the war. It was then sold to Consolidated Can Company and used as an executive transport for 10 years, until being sold to PEMEX, the national oil company of Mexico, where it continued as an executive transport until acquired by the Commemorative Air Force in 1967.

 

Diamond Lil is the oldest Consolidated B-24 in existence and has been used to honor the greatest generation and educate future generations at air shows across the country for almost 50 years.

 

The North American P-51D Mustang is one of the most loved aircraft in aviation history. With its speed, range, and sleek lines, the P-51 became a favorite of Allied fighter pilots and bomber crews. The long-range fighter aircraft had a range of 1,300 miles that enabled it to accompany the bombers to their targets and back. The fighter was equipped with six machine guns in its wings and was faster, 437 miles per hour, and more maneuverable than its German and Japanese opponents. A total of 15,386 Mustangs were manufactured and the airplane was used by more than 50 air forces around the world until the 1980s

 

Known as the “Pilotmaker,” the T-6 Texan was an advanced flight trainer manufactured by North American Aviation, the same company that built the P-51 Mustang fighter. First flown in 1935, the T-6 introduced new pilots to a complex aircraft with more speed, 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. Airshow fans may notice the T-6 serving the CAF as an impersonator—several of the airplanes have been slightly modified and painted as Japanese torpedo bombers and fighters for the Tora, Tora, Tora re-enactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

The Boeing PT-13 was the primary flight trainer for all branches of the military during World War II. Officially named the Boeing Model 75, this plane is almost universally known as the “Stearman. If an aspiring aviator wanted to earn his wings, he started in the iconic bi-plane, which was sturdily built to withstand the abuse of flight students. The open cockpit airplane had a maximum speed of 135 miles per hour. A ride in the fully aerobatic Stearman brings back the wind-in-your hair feeling of the early days of flying.

 

The aircraft will be staged at the Salina Regional Airport, Hangar H606, 2630 Arnold Ct. The event will be open to the public from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Access to the ramp where the warbirds are parked is $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 10-17 and free for children nine and under. Supporting aircraft will be offering rides all five days. The B-29 flies on Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The B-24 flies on Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Cockpit tours of the B-29 and B-24 will be available beginning at 9 a.m., except on Saturday and Sunday when they will begin at noon.

 

Rides may be booked in advance at AirPowerTour.org where additional information about the event may also be found.

 

The Commemorative Air Force was founded to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States, and selected aircraft of other nations, for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans.

 

Collecting aircraft for nearly a half a century, the CAF now ranks as one of the largest air forces in the world. Today the CAF has approximately 13,000 members and a fleet of more than 175 aircraft representing more than 60 different types, including planes from several foreign countries and other military conflicts since World War II.

 

The Headquarters of the CAF is located in Dallas, Texas. CAF members live in every state and 28 foreign countries. In 26 states and four foreign countries, our members have joined together and formed units to foster camaraderie and, in many cases, actively support one or more of the classic military aircraft operated by the CAF.

 

More than just a collection of airworthy warplanes from the past, the CAF’s fleet of historic aircraft, known as the CAF Ghost Squadron, recreate, remind and reinforce the lessons learned from the defining moments in American military aviation history in a living tribute to the men and women who built, maintained and flew them.

 

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