Construction Underway On Docs New Home

Construction on the hangar that will become B-29 Doc's permanent home is on time and under budget, director of Doc's Friends Josh Wells announced at AirVenture 2018 on Thursday. Doc is one of only two B-29s still flying. The B-29 Doc Hangar and Education Center, located in Wichita, Kansas, is expected to be completed this October, with Doc taking up residence the same month. Once open, the $6.5 million, 30,000-sqaure-foot hangar will house an exhibit gallery and education center, conference rooms and offices alongside the historic warbird.

Wells says that the west wall of the hangar will be glass and the space will be illuminated even when the exhibit is closed so that Doc will always be on display. "The B-29 Doc Hangar and Education Center will be the catalyst in connecting today's generation with the Greatest Generation," Wells said. "It will give all visitors, young and old, a one-of-a-kind and hands-on learning experience about the B-29 and its critical role in shaping the world we know today." The education center will offer hands-on exhibits and learning experiences aimed at highlighting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines for students and young people.

Doc is on site at Oshkosh again this year and, after recently receiving FAA clearance, the B-29 is giving passenger flights. The B-29 Doc Flight Experience includes history and safety briefings and a 30- to 40-minute flight. Doc's Friends, which was founded in 2013, is a nonprofit board that manages the operation of the historic B-29.