Image of the “Kee Bird” crew just prior to their flight on February 20, 1947. Left to Right, back row: Aircraft Commander, Lt. Vern H. Arnett; Copilot, Lt. Russell S. Jordan; Flight Engineer, 2nd Lt. Robert Luedke; Navigator, Lt. John G. Lesman; Navigator, Lt. Burl Cowan; Copilot, Lt. Talbert M. Gates; (front row): Photo-gunner, M/Sgt. Lawrence L. Yarbrough; Photo-gunner S/Sgt. Ernest C. Stewart; Radio Operator, T/Sgt. Robert Leader; Photo-gunner, S/Sgt. Paul McNamara; Radar Observer, Lt. Howard H. Adams. Photo from “World In Peril” by Ken White, 1994.
The Kee bird is a Boeing B-29 “Superfortress”, the most advanced and fearsome plane of WWII. Its namesake is the mythological artic bird that solely subsists on glacial worms. The Kee Bird, built towards the end of WWII, was assigned to the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron based out of Ladd Army Airfield in Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s last mission was to look for evidence of Soviet action in the northern regions of the Arctic Circle. She took off on February 21, 1947 and never completed her mission. Low on fuel and disoriented by bad weather the pilot and crew of eleven, were forced to land on what turned out to be a frozen lake. Three days later, they were discovered in Greenland, 250 miles north of Thule Air Force Base; the crew rescued but the plane left behind.
The Kee Bird and crew in Greenland as seen from the rescuing aircraft.
Plans for a recovery began in 1978 by Gary Larkins. Over the course of several years, he established communications with the US Air Force and the Danish Government seeking permission to recover the craft. And in 1993, permission had been granted. He secured financial backing and support from Tom Hess and Darryl Greenamyer, with sponsorship from the National Air and Space Museum.
When the party went out in the summer of 1994, the initial finding was that the Kee Bird was in excellent condition. There was no detectible corrosion, minimal damage from the forced landing, and the interior of the craft was nearly complete. The first task was to dig the B-29 out of the snow and lower the landing gear which required manually hand cranking and locking the into place. They used cargo pallets to secure the still inflated tires. The team reset the propellers, drained and replaced the old oil, added fuel to the engine, and installed new batteries. After a few moments of cranking, the Kee Bird was brought back to life!
The plane was secured until they were able to return the following summer when the team, sans Larkins and now directed by pilot Darryl Greenamyer, used a 1962 DeHavilland Caribou as their shuttle plane. In addition to necessary tools and equipment, they shuttled in four new propellers, an engine hoist, new tires, and a small bulldozer. The team successfully replaced the four 18 cylinder radial engines, four sets of pre-balanced 16 foot long propellers, and mounted new nylon tires. Darryl had also installed a new satellite navigation system. What was anticipated as being a month long project took twice as long due to weather and unforeseeable challenges. The crew would return nine months later. On May 21, 1995, the plane was ready to take flight again.
The plan was to take the plane to Thule Air Force Base, make any further repairs before flying back stateside and finishing restoration before the official national debut at Reno National Championship Air Races. Unfortunately, the Kee Bird was never able to make the debut.
A crude runway was constructed on the lake using the bulldozer. It took full power to break the tires free of the ice. Using the engines to steer the plane, Darryl directed it towards the runway. The plane bounced and shook from the snowdrifts and suddenly smoke was seen coming from the cockpit. A jury-rigged fuel tank suspended above the auxiliary power unit (APU which is a four cylinder motor that helps start the main generator of the plane) had been knocked loose, causing the fire. The fire consumed the entire fuselage and tail. All crew were able to escape unharmed, only minor smoke inhalation and flesh burns.
When the party went out in the summer of 1994, the initial finding was that the Kee Bird was in excellent condition. There was no detectible corrosion, minimal damage from the forced landing, and the interior of the craft was nearly complete. The first task was to dig the B-29 out of the snow and lower the landing gear which required manually hand cranking and locking the into place. They used cargo pallets to secure the still inflated tires. The team reset the propellers, drained and replaced the old oil, added fuel to the engine, and installed new batteries. After a few moments of cranking, the Kee Bird was brought back to life!
The plane was secured until they were able to return the following summer when the team, sans Larkins and now directed by pilot Darryl Greenamyer, used a 1962 DeHavilland Caribou as their shuttle plane. In addition to necessary tools and equipment, they shuttled in four new propellers, an engine hoist, new tires, and a small bulldozer. The team successfully replaced the four 18 cylinder radial engines, four sets of pre-balanced 16 foot long propellers, and mounted new nylon tires. Darryl had also installed a new satellite navigation system. What was anticipated as being a month long project took twice as long due to weather and unforeseeable challenges. The crew would return nine months later. On May 21, 1995, the plane was ready to take flight again.
The plan was to take the plane to Thule Air Force Base, make any further repairs before flying back stateside and finishing restoration before the official national debut at Reno National Championship Air Races. Unfortunately, the Kee Bird was never able to make the debut.
A crude runway was constructed on the lake using the bulldozer. It took full power to break the tires free of the ice. Using the engines to steer the plane, Darryl directed it towards the runway. The plane bounced and shook from the snowdrifts and suddenly smoke was seen coming from the cockpit. A jury-rigged fuel tank suspended above the auxiliary power unit (APU which is a four cylinder motor that helps start the main generator of the plane) had been knocked loose, causing the fire. The fire consumed the entire fuselage and tail. All crew were able to escape unharmed, only minor smoke inhalation and flesh burns.
What was possibly the most well preserved B-29 had been lost due to what some say was a rushed takeoff and carelessness. What remains of the Kee Bird still rests on the edge of the lake today.
Sources:
“World in Peril”, 1994 by Ken White *Book available in our bookstore
NOVA special, 1996, “B-29 Frozen in Time”
B29-Frozen for 50 Year
“World in Peril”, 1994 by Ken White *Book available in our bookstore
NOVA special, 1996, “B-29 Frozen in Time”
B29-Frozen for 50 Year
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