Gallery: Restoring This WWII B-29 Bomber Has Taken 300K Hours So Far
courtesy Doc’s Friends018533854323-b315a559dd-o (2)
Doc sat in a California desert holding area for 42 years before it was rescued in 1987 by dreamers who hoped to see it fly again.
courtesy Doc’s Friends029124963003-1c9d5ffbd0-o
Doc, built in 1944, was one of a squadron of airplanes named after Snow White's dwarfs.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0314137073243-b02c582f90-o
When it was designed by Boeing in 1939, the B-29 was a powerhouse of futuristic technologies.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0414117365424-272c2919f3-o
The cockpit instruments and radar gear were accurate enough to help the crews aim at targets through cloud layers and at night.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0513930386728-1b78e87c12-o
Nearly 4,000 were built, but just one is still in good enough shape to fly.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0613930346367-7b2eac1d8e-o
The team of volunteers has already put more than 300,000 man hours into the project.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0714137076203-3726af368b-o
The engines are a focal point of the restoration.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0813930378430-18cda56d53-o
They'll be converted to a hybrid design that combines the original front end with the back end of an engine off an old Sky Raider, and adds 1,000 horsepower.
courtesy Doc’s Friends0914093842176-bccd6728f9-o
"The engines will look and sound just the same as the originals," says project leader Jim Murphy.
courtesy Doc’s Friends1012589350083-1f595616f9-o
That look and sound is important to the few remaining veterans who still remember their WWII missions.
The Best Water Filter Pitchers for PFAS- and Lead-Free Living
Water filters promise the moon—but only some back up their claims. Here are the best filtered-water pitchers for those who prefer their water free of heavy metals and forever chemicals.
Matthew Korfhage
The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril
As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.
Kate Knibbs
The Dumbest Hack of the Year Exposed a Very Real Problem
Last April, a hacker hijacked crosswalk announcements to mimic Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Records obtained by WIRED reveal how unprepared local authorities were.
Paresh Dave
AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life
The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.
Joel Khalili
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson
It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend
Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.
Luke Larsen
There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home
Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.
Jeremy White
The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones
As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.
Miles Klee
Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good
This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.
Christopher Null
The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App
The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.
Matthew Korfhage
Crimson Desert Is a Cat Dad Simulator
Step into the shoes of the strongest, goodest boy in a game that is beautiful, baffling, and impossible to put down.