Secrets of Failed Salvage of Lost WW2 B-29 Bomber Kee Bird

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Күн бұрын

What you don't know about the expedition to recover the lost WW2 B-29 Kee Bird. 'HISTORY X' provides behind-the-scenes educational facts about the expedition.
0:00 Intro
4:04 What really was the Kee Bird's secret mission?
5:01 About Darryl Greenamyer
6:05 Why Gary Larkins doesn't isn't mentioned
9:04 Introduction to the expedition team
9:45 About the nightmare Caribou C-7 Transport Plane
Many of us have watched the incredible Nova documentary 'B-29 Frozen in Time'. But do we know the whole story?
History X goes behind the scenes on the attempted recovery of the lost and abandoned WW2 B-29 Superfortress bomber known as the Kee Bird to provide additional educational facts about the expedition.
Darryl Greenamyer assembled a team to go to Thule AB in Greenland and salvage this Boeing B29 plane that crashed above the arctic circle while flying on a secret mission during the Cold War.
The team operates out of Thule Air Force base and runs into all kinds of obstacles.
There are only two examples of the B-29 left flying today. One is 'Fifi' operated by the Commemorative Air Force, formerly known as the Confederate Air Force.
History X also digs into the story behind warbird enthusiast and aircraft recovery specialist Gary Larkins and his Air Pirates, his contribution to this expedition, and why his name is never mentioned in the Nova documentary.
Source Credits:
Hunting Warbirds' by Carl Hoffman: amzn.to/3p6CTVx
Nova documentary 'B-29 Frozen in Time': amzn.to/3ibEh8d
Check-out the History X website at historyxchannel.com/
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Screen captures and motion clips used in this video are protected by the Fair Use Law, section 107 used for commentary, criticism, news reporting or education for transformative use.
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Пікірлер: 131

@ShelLeader 8 ай бұрын

I was provided with a first person description of the crash of the Kee Bird. My father (Robert Leader) was the radio operator on that secret mission.

@tbone1574 8 ай бұрын

Awesome legacy to history...

@philtowle4683 8 ай бұрын

One of the most moving things I ever saw was an ex RAF officer talk in a church service at remembrance about a mission where a number of his crew died. I only went because my son was in the scouts, but I was really glad I did.

@philtowle4683 8 ай бұрын

Sad to see Rick, knowing now what happened to him. RIP

@jimmytjomsland6132 Жыл бұрын

I talked with the Chief Pilot of FiFi back in 1997. At that time FiFi was the only flight worthy B-29 in the world. As he talked about Kee Bird's final event his sorrow was palpable. You could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

@timmanboy1 8 ай бұрын

I found some old forums from the mid 90s. A lot of people were pissed off that they didn't decide to disassemble the old bomber.

@barron8006 5 ай бұрын

What forums?

@mcduck5 4 ай бұрын

@@timmanboy1the hewey had to refuel multiple times to get that far, how where they going to land ship it out?

@timmanboy1 4 ай бұрын

@@barron8006 I'll try to find them.

@timmanboy1 4 ай бұрын

@@mcduck5 I'm not sure. The nearest airport was only 200 miles away. I'm sure they could have rented a lift helicopter. But I'm not entirely sure

@salvagedb2470 Жыл бұрын

Remember seeing the attempted Salvage , the end part broke my heart , I always wondered why they just didn't break her up an ship it home instead of corner cutting ..it's not like firing up an old Chevy an driving it home ..good vid .

@FiveCentsPlease Жыл бұрын

+ @salvagedb2470 There are no roads near the aircraft except for a few old survey roads. Without roads, flying it or lifting it out in pieces were the only options - both doable if done right, which it wasn't.

@lord_scrubington Жыл бұрын

They didn't break it up cus they were showboating hacks who wanted to make a big splash with 'Flight of the Phoenix' type mission impossible bs. They were irresponsible and incompetent

@andrewdonohue1853 8 ай бұрын

@@lord_scrubington i wonder how aluminim corrodes in the cold, and not really dry environment. it's not like it was stored in a dry desert. if they actually got it off the ground, would the airframe survive the stress of flight?

@lord_scrubington 8 ай бұрын

@@andrewdonohue1853 I don't think corrosion would have been the major structural issue tbh, water will have gotten into the bolts, framework etc and then frozen, expanding and pushing everything apart

@andrewdonohue1853 8 ай бұрын

@@lord_scrubington i watched that documentary back when it was released originally i recall it made me very angry. equally upsetting i find are the recent B17 crashes. the loss of the nine-o-nine, liberty bell, and texas raiders are inexcusable. i flew in liberty bell several years before the loss of that particular aircraft, and aluminum overcast several years before that (thankfully that B17 is still flying). i never understood how nine-o-nine crashed considering a B17 should be able to climb on 3 engines and maintain altitude on 2 engines. i believe, in a world where evil forces in this country would like to erase history it is imperative that these aircraft be flown as a teaching tool, a reminder, and something to spread the message of history..... that being said it MUST be done in a manner which to preserve these artifacts for future generations to understand and enjoy. destroying these priceless artifacts is unacceptable. key bird was very upsetting, i remember crying.

@model-man7802 3 жыл бұрын

Those idiots that tried to salvage Keebird could have prevented that fire in the tail of the plane.

@HistoryX 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching the first segment of this story. I tend to agree with you. In an upcoming segment we are going to diagram the cause of the fire and describe how the fuel tank for the APU had been relocated.

@FiveCentsPlease 2 жыл бұрын

@@HistoryX As I understand it, they just bypassed the broken fuel pump on the APU with a gravity feed can of gas.

@jayjones6904 8 ай бұрын

Apu on those were little radials to weren't they

@JohnChvatalGSTV 3 жыл бұрын

I remember watching the documentary as a kid. Thanks Ken for the added context. It was new information which I didn’t expect.

@HistoryX 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comment, John. I hope you will consider subscribing because we'll be posting more segments of the story with even more behind-the-scenes details!

@karlkratzer4928 2 жыл бұрын

me too

@DanielMaverick22 2 ай бұрын

Please make more content about the Kee Bird recovery attempt... Such a magnificent story.

@HistoryX 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I have so many hours of interviews I recorded with the expedition members. I will do my best to get them posted for you.

@DanielMaverick22 2 ай бұрын

@@HistoryX Please do, this story punched a hole through my heart. As a pilot and aviation enthusiast, I caught myself nostalgic about it many times, even not being a part of this story.

@Ro6entX 9 ай бұрын

One of the saddest endings to a recovery mission. I know one member passed away and then the plane burned up due to think a generator falling over or something. Unfortunately ego really played a part of the sad failure. Bittersweet obviously but if you look on google map, the plane is clearly seen.

@andrewdonohue1853 8 ай бұрын

the half ass makeshift fuel tank feeding the APU broke loose and dumped it's fuel on top of the hot (not sure if it was running) apu and that's what burned it to the ground

@keithm1961 8 ай бұрын

Somebody go get it soplato probably has a fuselage for it

@gusfeauto4543 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for doing a series on this, I remember watching this when i was 5 or 6. Is there a part 3 to your series that goes into the original engine being fired up?

@johnfranklin8319 2 жыл бұрын

I remember watching the Nova episode it was great and gut wrenching watching that plane burn!

@skyking6989 2 жыл бұрын

Bunch of hacks destroyed this plane. Turns my stomach what happened

@HistoryX 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, SkyKing. I'm actually in the middle of a research project where I've been interviewing surviving members of that expedition. The more I talk to them the more I learn there is way more to the story... kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g7CioZNks9-5fWg.html Stay-tuned to the channel. We'll be talking about all kinds of things we didn't know about the Kee Bird.

@lord_scrubington Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryX well yeah, the aren't gonna admit to being ignorant tools who just wanted a quick n easy showboating exposition.

@monkeysbusiness 8 ай бұрын

The book is awesome. I’ve read like 5 books in my life. This was one of the. Whistling death is another great warbird book.

@storeymizzell3019 8 ай бұрын

Great video man tht was awesome

@snchilders Жыл бұрын

This is a sad story about someone that had too much money, but not enough time to do things right.

@FiveCentsPlease Жыл бұрын

+ @snchilders They were using investor money and went in cheap to sell it. They weren't working with blank checks.

@lord_scrubington Жыл бұрын

He had the time, he just thought he could do much more than he was capable of

@TheEagle73794 Жыл бұрын

I just subscribed and bought hunting warbirds. Your stuff is pretty good. I'm an A&P/IA with some experience on DOC. Love you behind the scenes coverage can't wait for more.

@HistoryX Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words, Josh. You are going to enjoy 'Hunting Warbirds'. I've read it probably five or six times by now. I've been interviewing those involved with the expedition, so please stay tuned for new information that has come out about that attempted recovery.

@alphasportstv 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for this, just ordered the book ;)

@darrellburnside9368 8 ай бұрын

It was a shame it couldn't be recovered B ut I've after all that trouble. I was surprised the 4 rebuilt engines were left to rot instead of being salvaged. They could have been used on the few b29's still in existence.

@chrisreynolds6520 8 ай бұрын

Those engines are far from rare. They powered many of types of planes.

@Landogarner83 8 ай бұрын

Also the plane they were using to shuttle had engine issues so it was probably too risky to make additional flights.

@Hopeless_and_Forlorn Жыл бұрын

If the results of the Kee Bird expedition fits your definition of "salvage," funerary urns are full of salvaged people.

@michaelj.slocum5117 Жыл бұрын

You out to do a story of the B 29 that crashed in lake mead .

@michaelj.slocum5117 Жыл бұрын

I also been wandering why no one’s tried to recover the B29 in lake mead? And from what I understand it’s a rare version of it.

@thuibr 4 ай бұрын

Dope

@ervingoertzen7233 Жыл бұрын

I still think the remains should be salvaged ,

@dale436 2 жыл бұрын

What a tragedy. The plane wasn't ruined by war. It was ruined by a bunch of careless mechanical hacks. The US Air Force should have went in with real engineers and saved that plane.

@FiveCentsPlease 2 жыл бұрын

+ Dale The US Air Force has had very little interest in their abandoned aircraft for decades, just those still under control of the AF museum and displays at bases. The US Navy on the other hand still claims ownership of their crashed and abandoned aircraft under Maritime Law.

@lord_scrubington Жыл бұрын

Hacks is the perfect word When I watched the documentary I was appauled by incompetence and ignorance of the guys involved They clearly hadn't thought anything through, trying to fly it out rather than break it up and transport it by boat was just a narcissistic 'power play' to big up themselves and create hype. The fact Rick never told them about his illness is strait moronic, putting the entire team at risk like that is such a shithead move. That's assuming he didn't tell them. I wouldn't be surprised if they all knew but just didn't want to stop on their little passion project

@JungleYT Жыл бұрын

@@lord_scrubington Can they at least salvage the engines and some other smaller parts?

@lord_scrubington Жыл бұрын

@@JungleYT very very unlikely fires are devastating The outer portions of the wings and engines were initially undamaged, but having spent tears out in the cold, their condition will have deteriorated further. The parts of the plane that are relatively undamaged are all parts like engines, pumps, etc. Bits that were shared across pretty much all American aircraft of WW2 and are thus in good supply, so going out to somewhere so remote to grab a few that *might* be in good condition just isn't worth doing. when it comes to aircraft like this, the crucial part to whether or not it can be restored is the airframe, as that's the only bit that's truly unique. Sadly, in the case of the kee bird, most of the airframe has been completely ruined

@JungleYT Жыл бұрын

@@lord_scrubington Thanks for the assessment... Well, maybe the one they patched up and flew to England in the late 1970s could be disassembled and shipped back to the USA for restoration to flight worthiness?

@SW-qr8qe 8 ай бұрын

Everything is easy for KZfaq commentators. Few of them seem to have achieved much in life themselves or they would judge more kindly

@johnchadwicktilton 8 ай бұрын

Since you are a History buff of WWII Airplanes I was wondering if you have ever read the book, "A Higher Call" ??

@Reaglesracing44_ 8 ай бұрын

ya the guy who got it running caused it to get on fire when the power engine unit had a barrel tank hanging from the ceiling caught fire on the hot engine

@paulhootisn848 3 жыл бұрын

I watched the Nova episode when it came out and was devastated. Then I read the books and did a lot more research. Now it’s easy to Monday morning QB all they did wrong, but it was still stupid, Daryl was in a hurry and it cost him. Lucky it burned on the ground and not 5 min after take off. One more winter wouldn’t have been that bad. I look forward to the rest of the series. Maybe leave the notes up longer I found myself trying to read fast or pausing for some of them. Good work.

@HistoryX 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comment, Paul. Definitely appreciate the input. Hoping you'll take a look at Part 2 that just went live this evening. If you read about this like I have, then did you possibly come across the discussion to disassemble the plane and transport the pieces 30 miles overland to a barge? I really am not sure which would've been the better, more feasible choice.

@paulhootisn848 3 жыл бұрын

@@HistoryX ... I did, and strictly my opinion, but I don’t think Daryl was after the plane as much as the glory of flying it out. I remember watching thinking “he doesn’t even seem that bummed it burned” Hopefully in one of your last videos you’ll touch on the mess he left and the aftermath.

@HistoryX 3 жыл бұрын

@@paulhootisn848 You are so right about that! Darryl seemed to have the dream of 'flying it out'. And yes, I'll be covering what became of the original crew members, as well as "The Aftermath" of the Kee Bird. We haven't seen the last of Gary Larkins.

@FiveCentsPlease 2 жыл бұрын

@@HistoryX The goal of the salvage was to double their money by selling the plane. It was a for-profit salvage, not really anything historical. I'm not sure how much the book details the corners that were cut and the death of Rick.

@raymondyee2008 Жыл бұрын

Shocking story that the NOVA video didn’t touch on.

@ZacYates 2 жыл бұрын

As a Kee Bird fan since childhood I was very excited to see this. Having read Carl Hoffman's book not long after publication I'm surprised to find this video just brings up material from that. It's less "what we didn't know" and more "what you didn't know if you've only seen the NOVA documentary". And it wasn't in 1996. The simplest Google search - or the book - would tell you that.

@fmradio42 4 ай бұрын

I seen that when first aired. felt bad for the head mechanic.

@brianmarshall1637 12 күн бұрын

I was bitterly disappointed at the outcome from the UK.

@flyingfortressrc1794 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. Now you've got all my cylinders firing. Hopefully they can save her.

@skyking6989 2 жыл бұрын

Never gonna happen. It's completely trashed now. Nothing but scrap metal.

@bittyjupiter3607 Жыл бұрын

@SkyKing By save they probably mean move the remains into a museum or restoration facility.

@earnierosenow9834 8 ай бұрын

what WAS left behind is insane=rudder,verticle stab,elevators,horizontal stab, tail gun posision, full wingbox, outer wings, flaps, ailerons, props, engines , nacelles, a man died to try to recover this relic and the recovery team was a bunch of idiots

@FiveCentsPlease 4 ай бұрын

+@earnierosenow9834 My theory is that Darrell and the team bugged out before the local authorities found out about the mess they made. Greenland was not happy and shut the location down for any salvage for a long time.

@clevlandblock 8 ай бұрын

I saw the show on Nova when it was first run. So, the ending was shocking, sad, and ridiculous. The whole operation was a big cowboy fantasy. I'm guessing it was inspired by tv producers to get a storybook climax. Well, they sure got their climax and I doubt it had any effect on the tv execs involved. A P-38 under 300 feet of ice was rescued and restored and these people couldn't salvage an intact B-29 sitting in front of them? Disassembling the bird and airlifting the sections wouldn't have made for as much drama and ratings. Keebird deserved a professional flight worthiness inspection prior to taxiing let alone take-off. RIP Richard Crenna.

@ericlakota1847 Жыл бұрын

Sad I was shocked when Rick died poor man

@jamescorvus8231 16 күн бұрын

They where warned not to mess with it

@wayneherbert5684 2 жыл бұрын

The way the apu was used was only for taxi to stag before takeoff. Darryl was not stupid he wouldn’t have flown that way ,those guys did an incredible job on a artic dirt field ‼️ I met Darryl in 2017 and talked his arm off about all his flying great guy R I P .

@HistoryX 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, Wayne. Be sure to stay tuned. I've been talking with the guys from the Kee Bird expedition, along with the members of the NOVA film crew. You won't believe who I've connected with from Thule. The apu wasn't even half of it!!!

@FiveCentsPlease 2 жыл бұрын

@@HistoryX Perhaps you can also corroborate the story I've heard that the Brass at Thule was not on board with the salvage attempt and was prepared to seize the aircraft if it had landed at Thule AFB. The base commander didn't want this crap on his AF record.

@Patricia76714 8 ай бұрын

It's very hard to watch. But sometimes , Somebirds aren't meant to come home. God bless those that took the road less taken. It's just wasn't meant to return to the air. Maybe just to much time in the elements.

@raymondyee2008 5 ай бұрын

In hindsight “Kee Bird” should have been left there in the lake but then again people were so keen to see another airworthy B-29 after “Fifi”.

@milaryan17 8 ай бұрын

I like how you say maybe 5 lines then the rest is all clips from the Netflix show

@TOMCATsimPilot Ай бұрын

My question is how to go from 0hrs to flying Warbirds at airshows? Any insight Greatly Appreciated!

@FiveCentsPlease 14 күн бұрын

+@TOMCATsimPilot That's not an easy path but possible with work and dedication. You have to start with basic aircraft before advancing to tail-dragger. The AT-6 was the interim trainer before advancing to high-powered fighters and the AT-6 can still kill you. High horsepower aircraft require special skill. There is training available for the AT-6 and for the P-51. There are 60 years of crash reports where a novice pilot with no advanced experience picked up a cheap surplus warbird and was dead within a week.

@TOMCATsimPilot 10 күн бұрын

@@FiveCentsPlease thanks for your reply...my goal is like that of Texas air Aces or similar "laser tag" BFM operation that would also have a few Stearman 75s for that open cockpit WWI experience. Im just wanting to know what ratings are required vs ones (like multi engine and jet) could be omitted since the direction I'm wanting go vs having to become a fully certified commercial airline pilot.

@haroldmclean3755 8 ай бұрын

They should have left Kee Bird alone, Was a Great Shame what happened

@randylearmonth4047 8 ай бұрын

I would go back and salvage everything from kee bird, and build another one, don't give up, shit happens

@MKmod-hp3lw 5 ай бұрын

It should have been saved by the military

@BadgerBadgerBadger28 8 ай бұрын

Such a shame after all that work I temper the documentary about it and being sickened to my heart when she went up

@robbennett 5 ай бұрын

I think I missed the secret in this video.... Unless it's buy the book and subscribe for more.

@keithm1961 8 ай бұрын

Parts don’t grow on trees Fifi and Doc are gonna need them Somebody need to go get them Plus in a way it keeps kee bird flying Probably would be flying if it wasn’t for greenemeir

@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044 9 ай бұрын

Twas a shame

@Slick1G3 8 ай бұрын

they went about it wrong it shoulda been disassembled and flown out it was terrible to watch it burn with all the work they did to it

@bigtarheelfan Жыл бұрын

I don't know if you've seen this or not. It's mostly the same B29 FRozen in Time Documentary but has some other clips in it I'd never seen before. Actually shows the Plane landing to bring the spare cylinder for the Caribou. I literally just happened on it and haven't watched the entire thing. Just skipped around. Again no major differences but a few short/different clips. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/itOFlpx0lpy2eWQ.html

@huh4233 8 ай бұрын

Who was Rick's Dr FEELGOOD? Opiate crisis before the crisis was called the same.

@tyesalhus5604 8 ай бұрын

I’m sorry but this airplane was fine where it was. It obviously didn’t want to leave. If your head mechanic dies during the repair of this aircraft go home. Then the APU falls and starts a fire come on. The run way probably wasn’t long enough to take off anyway. I love vintage aircraft I love them being saved but some need to stay where they lay. I watched this documentary about this aircraft years and years ago but didn’t know the story. I was damn near in tears when it burned to the ground melted through the ice. So sad

@bidensucks2922 8 ай бұрын

your ignorance is amusing

@alfredovilla8560 10 ай бұрын

I've always maintained the bomber should have been dismantled, transported back to the US, properly evaluated and restored to flying condition. There are so many variables to determine the airworthiness of an aircraft, especially one that has been abandoned for so long. That's without counting not having a proper taxiway/runway. I understand the team's desire to fly it out of there in a blaze of glory. Well, they got their blaze. Sad...... .

@ShelLeader 8 ай бұрын

I was stationed at Thule (65-66). Got to fly over (my father's plane) the Kee-Bird site. Some have suggested a full dismantle and restore. This would have been impossible. Storms happen with almost no notice.

@stevedunch581 8 ай бұрын

The bird was meant to stay there …. They should have left it alone. Intact

@BigBoyz33 Жыл бұрын

I wonder why the US Airforce never tried to recover the plane. But in my opinion, these bozos should have left that plane alone. Some things are just better left untouched.

@HistoryX Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I remember thinking the exact same thing when I first saw the NOVA documentary in the 1990's. Why did they have to mess with it. As the decades have gone by, I've slowly changed my mind. After interviewing these guys I've come to believe that they pulled-off a miracle to get the plane running again. I'm just glad it caught fire on the ground rather than in the air.

@FiveCentsPlease Жыл бұрын

+ Big Boy In 1947, the USAF still had some new B-29s in storage. A recovery would have been unnecessary. Also consider that Kee Bird was on a Cold War classified mission to map invasion routes into Russia and letting the mission stay quiet was probably acceptable.

@zeljkoadzic1692 Жыл бұрын

So sad.story i ever hired. Shame for us army and history!

@tbugher62 8 ай бұрын

Too cheap and stupid too have a few fire extinguisher's on hand,geez.

@jamesdamron2065 Жыл бұрын

They definitely should have took it apart ,it was doable!!! Lmfao ,,,too many have to fly it out of there pilots involved in that whole fiasco!!! & then there were none!!!!

@Bob-ke9in 4 ай бұрын

Well there's 13 minutes and change I'll never get back. Such a waste of time.

@danielleclare2938 8 ай бұрын

In hindsight I believe the entire thing was a scam. Hopeful at first it became obvious the plane was not going to be structurally safe or close to airworthy. That many years of neglect will cause damage that is not obvious but can be detected by careful examination and simply by past experience with old planes. Most likely the spar and many attachment points were freeze thaw compromised so you have stretched rivets and attachment points that can never be repaired in the field. So it makes for a great fund raiser and tv show but little else. It wont fly they know it won't fly they have zero insurance for doing so but a big bank account from dreamy donors. So the engines they obtained were junk that would look good and run but not fly. Etc etc. In the end they torched it for the cameras and to cover up the grift. Ya we just taxied it around bumpy like crazy but forgot to secure EVERYTHING in the very back...sure whatever. I used to believe it was a real deal but not any more.

@bidensucks2922 8 ай бұрын

another imbecile

@ericlakota1847 Жыл бұрын

Was the biggest waist of money and life haha

@tbugher62 8 ай бұрын

Take whats left of it and fabricate it back too flying condition Properly.

@timmanboy1 8 ай бұрын

You would have to dig it out of the frozen lake. Plus those guys Daryl and the others formed a legal restoration and responsibility group to take ownership of the bird. You would have to get the salvage rights from them.