The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the US Army Air Force in late-WW II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during WW II. A very advanced bomber for this time period, it included features such as a pressurized cabin, an electronic fire-control system, and remote-controlled machine-gun turrets. The name "Superfortress" was derived from that of its well-known predecessor, the B-17 Flying Fortress. Though the B-29 was designed as a high-altitude daytime bomber, in practice it actually flew more low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing missions. It was the primary aircraft in the American firebombing campaign against the Empire of Japan in the final months of WW II, and carried out the atomic bombings that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unlike many other WW II-era bombers, the B-29 remained in service long after the war ended, with a few even being employed as flying television transmitters for the Stratovision company.
The B-29's first flight was on 21 September 1942 and introduced 8 May 1944. The last B-29 was retired 21 June 1960 with 3,970 aircraft in all built. While dozens of B-29s have survived through today as static displays, only one remains on active flying status.
This aircraft, B-29-25-MO s/n 42-65281, was built at the Glenn L Martin Company's Omaha, NE, assembly line in December of 1944. After WW II, she flew with the 301st Bomb Group of the Strategic Air Command. During the Korean War, she was converted to WB-29 and flew with the 373rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Kindley AB, Bermuda. In 1956, the B-29 was transferred to the US Navy's Naval Weapons Test Center at China Lake, CA. Here she sat out in the desert as a stationary target. In late 1985, the B-29 was dismantled and loaded into a C-5 for the flight to the Travis Museum.
After its arrival at the museum, work began to reassemble the B-29. After the wing was mated to the fuselage, the task of stripping all of the old paint got underway. As the layers of paint were removed, the last layer of paint yielded the nose art - "Miss America '62." "Miss America '62" was a combat veteran that flew from the island of Tinian during the war with the 6th Bombardment Group, 24th Bombardment Squadron. The original crew members chose to name their bomber "Miss America '62" because all were married and 1962 would be the earliest that one of their daughters could be entered into the famous beauty contest.
Specifications:
Crew: 11
Power Plant: 4× 2,200 hp Wright R-3350-23 or 23A Duplex Cyclone 18-cylinder turbo-supercharged radial engines
Dimensions:
- Span: 141' 3"
- Length: 99' 0"
- Height: 29' 7"
Weight:
- Empty: 74,500 lb
- Maximum: 133,500 lb
Performance:
- Speed:
- - Max: 357 mph
- - Cruise: 220 mph
- Range: 5,600 miles
- Ceiling: 31,850 ft
- Climb: 900 fpm
Armament:
- Guns:
- - Turrets: 4×
- - - 1× w/4× 50-cal Browning M2/AN mgs
- - - 3× w/2× 50-cal Browning M2/AN mgs
- - Tail:
- - - 2× 50-cal Browning M2/AN mgs and 1× 20mm M2 cannon OR
- - - 3× 50-cal Browning M2/AN mgs
- Internal: 20,000 lb of bombs
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