BIRMINGHAM AL- Make this Armed Forces Day the one to remember with a flight onboard the only flying B-29, FiFi. Arriving on Thursday, May 16, FiFi will be at the Birmingham Airport on the Kaiser Aircraft ramp through Sunday, May 19. Accompanying the B-29 is a fleet of CAF warbirds and the Dixie Division Military Vehicle Club will have a large static display. It is the AirPower History tour of the National Air Tour of Historic WW II Historic Aircraft offered by the Commemorative Air Force.
The huge Bechtel-McCone plant in Birmingham became famous for fitting out B-24s, B-29s, P-38s, and A-20s and refurbishing army jeeps. It was a high security military facility during World War II (Birmingham History Center photo).
No stranger to the WW II era or B-29s- Kaiser Aircraft Industries is located on the historic site of Bechtel-McCone. On August 1, 1944, the world's most modern "super fortress" first arrived to be modified there by 14,000 workers. By the war's end, Birmingham had proudly modified 49% of all Boeing B-29s in production. The huge plant was also known for refurbishing army jeeps and employed many "Rosie the Riveters" who became famous for outfitting B-24s, B-29s, P-38s and A-20s.
CAF AirPower Tour lands in Birmingham on Thursday -FiFi by Scott Sclocum