Though late to the war effort, the B-29 Superfortress was the pinnacle of allied bomber engineering, with a pressurized cabin and an analog, computer-controlled, fire-control system.
Designed in 1940 as a replacement for the B-17 and B-24, the B-29 first flew in September 1942. In December 1943, US Army Air Forces leadership decided to assign the future Superfortress fleet to Asia, where its extensive range made it well suited for the long overseas flights against the Japanese homeland in the Pacific. Advanced features of the B-29 when introduced to the Army Air Forces included a pressurized cabin, an electronic fire-control system, and remote- controlled machine-gun turrets. Interestingly, several B-29s were converted during World War II to the classified “Silverplate” configuration, which modified them to carry and deliver the world’s first atomic bombs.
Hill Air Force Base and Utah have a storied history with the B-29. During World War II, the 509th Composite Group—the first atomic weapons unit—trained at Wendover Field, Utah, an installation supported by Hill Field. The men and women of Hill later played a critical role in repairing, maintaining, storing, and refurbishing B-29s after World War II to support the Korean War.
Glen L. Martin Company, located in in Omaha, Nebraska, built this B-29 and delivered it to the U.S. Army Air Forces on August 6, 1945, the same day another B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Its assignment history includes several bases across the United States. It retired from service in 1953, and then it came to the Hill Aerospace Museum in 1983. Museum staff are restoring this B-29 to depict Straight Flush (tail# 44-27301), once assigned to the 509th Composite Group at Wendover Field, Utah. On August 6, 1945, Captain Claude Eartherly flew weather reconnaissance in Straight Flush over Japan to determine if there was enough visibility for the B-29 Enola Gay to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
This aircraft is a part of the USAF Heritage Program collection
Serial Number: 52-10862
Manufacturer: Boeing
Primary Function: Long Range Heavy Bomber
Crew: Nine to fourteen
Engines: Four Wright R-3350-23 radial; 2,200 horsepower each
Wingspan: 141 ft 3 in
Length: 99 ft
Height: 27 ft 9 in
Weight: 70,140 lbs (empty); 135,000 lbs (maximum takeoff weight)
Speed: 220 mph (cruising); 365 mph (maximum)
Range: 3,700 miles
Service Ceiling: 32,000 ft
Armament: Ten .50-caliber machine guns; one 20mm cannon
Payload: 20,000 lbs of bombs
Cost: $605,360 (average B-29 cost of unit in 1944)
Years of Service: 1942 – 1960
Hill Air Force Base played a critical role in repairing, maintaining, storing and refurbishing B-29s after World War II. During the war, Hill Air Force Base also supported Wendover Field, Utah, where the renowned 509th Composite Group trained with its Silverplate B-29s. After the war, Hill Air Force Base stored these airframes in large numbers and would later go on to modify some for the Korean conflict.
Now located at Hill Aerospace Museum, in June 1948, our B-29 moved to the 97th Bombardment Group, Strategic Air Command, at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas. One year later it transferred to the 4002nd Base Services Squadron, Strategic Air Command (SAC), at Campbell Field, Kentucky. In October 1949, the B-29 then moved to the 43rd Bombardment Group (SAC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The aircraft encountered several more transfers; in May 1953, it was transferred to the Wright Development Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where it remained until June 1953.
Following time at Wright-Patterson, the aircraft was relocated to Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, for chemical munitions testing. In November 1953, the aircraft was dropped from the United States Air Force inventory while serving at Michaels Army Air Field, Dugway Proving Grounds. For the next 30 years, the aircraft would reside at Dugway, acting as a ground test vehicle for testing various types of chemical warfare agents.
In 1983, museum staff transferred B-29 #44-86408 from Dugway Proving Ground to Hill Aerospace Museum, where it underwent restoration and still resides today. Currently, the B-29 is painted to depict the B-29 “Straight Flush” assigned to the 509th Composite Group, one of 531 B-29s manufactured by the Glen L. Martin Company in Omaha, Nebraska. On August 6, 1945, Captain Claude Eatherly flew reconnaissance in “Straight Flush” over Japan and determined the weather was clear for the “Enola Gay” to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
Though late to the war effort, the B-29 Superfortress was the pinnacle of allied bomber engineering, with a pressurized cabin and an analog, computer-controlled, fire-control system.
Due to the B-29’s immense size, at over 141′ wide, the Superfortress was assembled in four separate facilities; two plants in Renton, Washington; one in Wichita, Kansas; and another in Marietta, Georgia.
The B-29 was able to travel up to 3,250 miles at an altitude of nearly 32,000 feet.
Although exact numbers are unclear, approximately 10% of the bombing force brought to bear against the Japanese mainland were shot down by enemy forces. Whether this was due to anti-aircraft (AA) fire or enemy fighters is not known.
The B-29 was nicknamed the Superfortress, in homage to the B-17 Flying Fortress.
The B-29 was a high-altitude strategic bomber, built specifically to handle the challenges of the war on the Pacific front. Bombers would be required to fly extreme (3,000+ miles) distances at high altitudes in order to meet the enemy and return home safely.
Simply put, the B-29 wasn’t needed. The B-17 Flying Fortress was already handling the job nicely, and the war in Europe was, by that point, in its final stages.