Boeing B-29 Superfortress in World War II
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was committed to the Pacific Theater in December 1943 by General "Hap" Arnold, then Commanding General of the Army Air Forces. The superior range of the B-29 made it particularly suited for the long flights against the Japanese homeland, over-water from island bases or from airfields in China. During April 1944, the first operational B-29s were sent to India, organized as the Twentieth Air Force. While initial bombing results were poor, starting in May 1944 B-29s began flying more than 1,500 miles one way from the Marianas Islands (Saipan, Guam and Tinian). More than 1,000 bombers and 250 fighters conducted 28,000 combat sorties against Japan in the brief span of 16 months, dropping incendiary bombs that set the Japanese cities on fire. This relentless campaign, capped by the atomic bombings in August 1945, convinced the Japanese to surrender unconditionally on 2 September 1945.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress in the Korean War
The conflict in Korea that started in June 1950 brought the B-29 back to a combat role. Although vulnerable to MiG-15 jet fighter attacks, the Superfortress remained effective in night missions against selected targets throughout the Korean War. It was rendered obsolete by the post-war jet-engined bombers.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Production History
A total of 3,895 B-29 aircraft were produced by Boeing (Renton, WA and Wichita, KS), Bell Aircraft (Marietta, GA), and Glenn Martin (Omaha, NE) following the prototype flight in September 1942. The Fisher Body plant in Cleveland, OH was a subcontractor for control surfaces and engine nacelles. Several variants were produced, including the B-29A with a different engine and wing structure. The Renton plant produced 1,119 B-29As, but other variants did not go into production.
The last B-29 rolled out of the Boeing plant in Wichita, KS in October 1945. The most famous B-29 was the "Enola Gay" that dropped the first atomic bomb. Enola Gay is a model B-29-45-MO, serial number 44-86292, now at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC.
After WW II, in 1947, the Soviet Union produced a copy of the B-29 named the Tu-4.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Characteristics
| Armament | Eight .50-cal. machine guns in remote controlled turrets plus two .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon in tail |
| Normal bomb load | 20,000 lbs. of conventional bombs |
| Engines | Four Wright R-3350s of 2,200 hp each |
| Maximum speed | 357 mph |
| Cruising speed | 220 mph |
| Range | 3,700 miles |
| Ceiling | 33,600 ft. |
| Span | 141 ft. 3 in. |
| Length | 99 ft. |
| Height | 27 ft. 9 in. |
| Weight | 133,500 lbs. maximum |
Boeing B-29 Superfortress production, outside the Witicha, KS plant, 14 February 1945.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress in flight, during WW II.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" is backed over pit to upload the atomic bomb, Tinian Island, 5 August 1945.
Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers in flight during WW II. The olive drab color scheme was relatively unusual since most B-29s were painted silver.
Boeing B-29-55-MO Superfortress serial number 44-86408 known as "Haggerty's Hag" shown at the Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, UT.
