17 Facts About B-29

Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War.

One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 was designed with state-of-the-art technology, which included a pressurized cabin, dual-wheeled tricycle landing gear, and an analog computer-controlled fire-control system that allowed one gunner and a fire-control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets.

B-29 was the progenitor of a series of Boeing-built bombers, transports, tankers, reconnaissance aircraft, and trainers.

In 1948, Boeing introduced the KB-29 tanker, followed in 1950 by the Model 377-derivative KC-97.

The B-29 featured a fuselage design with circular cross-section for strength.

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The need for pressurization in the cockpit area led to the B-29 being one of very few American combat aircraft of World War II to have a stepless cockpit design, without a separate windscreen for the pilots.

Manufacturing the B-29 was a complex task that involved four main-assembly factories.

Some facilities lacked hangars capable of housing the giant B-29, requiring outdoor work in freezing weather, further delaying necessary modification.

General Electric Central Fire Control system on the B-29 directed four remotely controlled turrets armed with two.

Air Force planning throughout 1942 and early 1943 continued to have the B-29 deployed initially against Germany, only transferring to the Pacific after the end of the war in Europe.

One B-29 was lost, possibly the one damaged by Flt Lt Therdsak.

On 14 April 1945, a second B-29 raid on Bangkok destroyed two key power plants and was the last major attack conducted against Thai targets.

The B-29 effort was gradually shifted to the new bases in the Mariana Islands in the Central Pacific, with the last B-29 combat mission from India flown on 29 March 1945.

Production of the B-29 was phased out after WWII, with the last example completed by Boeing's Renton factory on 28 May 1946.

B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft.

Variants of the B-29 were outwardly similar in appearance but were built around different wing center sections that affected the wingspan dimensions.

The B-29 that dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki, Bockscar, is restored and on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.