Boeing B-29A Superfortress

Boeing B-29A Superfortress. . In late 1939 just before the beginning of World War II, General Henry "Hap" Arnold received approval from the War Department to begin building a very long-range, very heavy four-engine bomber. Due to their success with the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Boeing Aircraft Company earned the first contract based on plans for its B-29 Model 245. Boeing's contract for the B-29 became the second-largest industrial project in scope and dollars, producing 3,965 B-29s by the end of World War II. Only the Manhattan Project for the production of an atomic bomb exceeded the scope and cost of the B-29s., Powdered by four Wright R-3350-23 Cyclone 18-cylinder radials, each with two General Electric B-11 superchargers, the Superfortress possessed a total of 8,800 brake horsepower at takeoff. Its propellers, four-blade Hamilton Standard Hydromatics with constant speed governors and hydraulics for pitch change and feathering, measured 16 feet 7 inches in length, the largest in the world at that time. The B-29's pressurized cabin featured remote-control turrets with lead-computing sights, a revolutionary wing, and AN/APQ-13 radar., This large bomber could carry 20,000 lbs. of bombs and was manned by a crew of eleven including a commander (pilot), pilot (co-pilot), bombardier, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator, radar operator, central fire control gunner, left side gunner, right side gunner, and tail gunner. In its role as the ultimate strategic bomber of World War Il, the B-29 could fly higher, farther, and faster than any other large bomber. Due to their long range, B-29s were used exclusively against Japan, from bases in Guam, Tinian, and Saipan., After World War II, several B-29s remained in active service although many were scrapped and melted down to make aluminum cookware. The Superfortress continued to serve as the Strategic Air Command's (SAC) top bomber until 1948, when replaced by the B-50. Designated as a medium bomber, the Superfortress went on to serve admirably in the Korean War. During the 1950s and 1960s, SAC phased out the Superfortress and its later variants., This Boeing B-29A/Renton F-13A was delivered to the Army Air Corps on 11 January 1944. Nicknamed the City of Lansford, she flew out of Guam in 1945 with the 314th Wing, 19th Bombardment Group, 28th Bombardment Squadron, performing mainly weather reconnaissance. More than 120 B29s from this bomb group carried the name “City of “ with corresponding nose art. The City of Lansford crew each received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions on 29 June 1945 when they flew through a typhoon with only two engines. This is the only survivor of the 118B-29A Superfortress converted into Renton F13-A photo-reconnaissance models. The F13-A carried a crew of 11 and had an extended range of 4,000 miles., Specifications: , Gross Weight: 110,000 lbs. , Speed: 365 mph maximum , 220 mph cruising , Range: 3,250 miles with combat load , 4,100 miles with extra fuel tanks , Armament: Ten(10) .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns , 20,000 lbs. of bombs of bombs, (captions) , This interior photo of the B-29 Superfortress bomber shows the rear pressurized cabin, equipped with four bunks to give crew members a chance for rest on a long mission. The B-29 was first reported in action on June 5, 1944, in an attack on railway yards at Bangkok, Siam, and on June 15 the first raid was made on Japan from bases in China. Following that date, attacks on the Japanese mainland were steadily stepped up, mainly from bases in the Marianas, including as many as 450 to 500 Superfortresses. (United States Air Force)., Lt. Col. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Army Air Corps,16 February 1935. (Museum of the United States Air Force)., Perhaps the most famous Superfortress is the Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki by the B-29 “Bock's Car." These bombings quickly led to the Japanese surrender later that month. This photo is of the ground crew of the B-29 "Enola Gay." The pilot, Col. Paul W. Tibbets, stands in the center. The Enola Gay is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (United States Air Force)., Commander’s seat cockpit , Co-pilot’s seat in cockpit