Ervin Berger works on Doc restoration project
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Restoring old "Doc" to flying condition was Ervin Berger's dream when he joined a group of volunteers who are working to restore the B-29 bomber in Wichita. Only one flight-capable B-29 exists at present.
The Peabody resident retired from Boeing for 12 years when he learned about the restoration project and jumped at the chance to participate.
Along with many other retired airplane mechanics, the 74-year-old man has worked on the project for the past seven years.
Built in 1944 in Wichita, the plane was one of thousands produced for service during World War II. The B-29s were all-electric, pressurized bombers and were outfitted with computerized and remote-controlled guns. They carried a crew of 10-12 men depending on the mission.
"Doc" didn't see combat overseas but was one of eight B-29s dubbed "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs." The Disney characters were painted on the nose.
Doc's last flight was March 14, 1956, when the Air Force turned the plane over to the Navy to be used for target practice at its southwest training ground.
That didn't work out, and Doc sat in the Mojave Desert for 42 years and became "a sun-baked sanctuary for birds and many other desert creatures," according to a historian.
The faded Doc was purchased by Tony Mazzolini, an Air Force veteran and Continental Airlines employee.
It was disassembled and brought back to Wichita in 2000, where Boeing provided facilities, equipment, and supplies for its restoration.
Men and women work on the project for eight hours a day, two days a week.
"They can't tell us when to go home," Berger said. "We sometimes stay longer than we should."
He serves on the tail team which is working to restore the rudder, fin, and flaps and has compiled two notebooks full of memorabilia connected to the project.
Numerous articles about the project have appeared in The Wichita Eagle and other publications.
Restoration is approximately 60 percent complete. The plane recently was moved to the Wichita Aviation Museum, where it sits outside. Promoters hope funds can be raised to build a hangar for it so the project can be completed.
Meanwhile, some restored parts are being moved to a warehouse in Newton, where assembly work will continue. Some cloth-covered parts have been packed in boxes and will not be installed until the plane is moved inside.
Berger has had to quit the project for a time because of heart problems. He had a one- bypass open heart surgery Jan. 24 and also received a new mitral valve. He is doing well and hopes to return to work.
He said the work is interesting: "It's historic. The B-29 is built different than what I was used to."
Berger worked at Boeing for 42 years before retiring at age 62. He helped build B-47s, B-52s, and many other planes.
In 1959, soon after his marriage to his wife Frances, he worked on the President's plane which was being built at the Boeing plant in Seattle, Wash.
He and his two brothers, Wilbur and Don, both of Newton, have a combined history of 80 years at Boeing. They are working together on this project.
While waiting for permission to go back to work, Berger spends time pursuing his hobby of building model airplanes. Numerous models, including a B-29 bomber hang from the ceiling in one room in his home.
His most-cherished goal is to one day take a ride in old Doc, but he said he would be satisfied just to see the plane once again soaring into the blue sky.
The Bergers moved to Peabody from Clearwater 12 years ago, after Ervin's retirement from Boeing.
They have four married children. Son Michael and wife Cheryl own the sausage house in Peabody. Daughter Cathy and husband Kent Henry also live in Peabody. She has followed in her father's footsteps, and works at Spirit, a former Boeing plant in Wichita.
Son Gary and wife Sue live in Clearwater. Son Scott and wife Jennifer live in Monroe, N.Y.
The Bergers have eight grandchildren.
