Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Aircraft family

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was developed as a long-range American heavy bomber during World War II. Its development began before the United States entered the conflict, and the first XB-29 flew on September 21, 1942. [2]

Aircraft family

The aircraft was designed to conduct bombing operations over distances beyond the practical reach of many earlier bombers. Its long range made it particularly important to American operations in the Pacific. [2]

Aircraft family

The B-29 incorporated pressurized crew compartments and an advanced central fire-control system connected to remotely controlled defensive gun turrets. [1][2]

Aircraft family

These features represented a major advance in American bomber design. They supported the aircraft's intended role in long-distance, high-altitude bombing operations. [1][2]

Aircraft family

B-29 bombers initially conducted operations from bases in India and China before large-scale missions shifted to the Mariana Islands. From there, they carried out an extensive strategic bombing campaign against Japan. [1]

Aircraft family

The B-29 also returned to combat during the Korean War. Although jet fighters presented new threats, the Superfortress continued to perform bombing missions against a variety of targets. [1]

Individual aircraft: Bockscar · National Museum of the United States Air Force aircraft

The B-29 preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force is Bockscar. On August 9, 1945, this aircraft dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. [1]

Individual aircraft: Bockscar · National Museum of the United States Air Force aircraft

Bockscar was a specially modified Silverplate B-29, equipped differently from a standard bomber to carry the atomic weapon. [1]