B-29 Superfortress part 1

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Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Evolved as a super bomber to bomb the Axis powers into submission, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the outcome of a prolonged series of design studies begun in the late 1930s. The heaviest combat aircraft of World War II, and the first in quantity production to employ pressurisation, authority was given in 1940 for three XB-29s, and a large number of B-29s were ordered “off the drawing board” to follow the 14 YB-29s. By the time the first XB-29 made its maiden flight on 21st September 1942. Total orders stood at 1,664 machines and production had been sub-contracted to a number of factories. By mid-I943, when the first unit was formed, it had been decided to use the bom¬ber against Japan only, and during the early summer of 1944 the type began bombing operations in the Far East, making its first raid on Tokyo in June 1944. From March 1945 raids were made by night as well as by day, primarily with incen¬diaries, which were most effective against the lightly-constructed Japanese buildings. The B-29 Superfortresses built thus far comprised over 3,600 B-29s and B-29As, all of which had an extensive (and largely remote-controlled) gun armament; the negligible opposition which was encountered, however, led to this being reduced to the bare minimum, with a consequent improvement in performance and bomb load, and the completion of a further 311 B-29B Superfortresses with tail guns only. On 6th August 1945 the history making B-29 “Enola Gay”, under the captaincy of Col. Paul Tibbetts, dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, heralding the end of World War II.

Production: 3627 aircrafts.

Design and Structure

  • Type: Four-engine long-range heavy bomber.
  • Wings:
    • Configuration: Mid-wing cantilever monoplane.
    • Wing Section: Boeing 117.
    • Aspect Ratio: 11.5:1.
    • Dihedral: 4½ degrees.
    • Sweep: 7 degrees on the leading-edge, straight trailing-edge.
    • Structure: Comprised of a center-section and two outer sections with detachable wing-tips. All-metal web-type structure covered with flush-riveted, butt-jointed metal skin. Features electrically-operated extensible flaps that increase the wing area by 19% and specialized trailing-edge flaps to reduce aerodynamic interference.
    • Ailerons: Statically and aerodynamically balanced with combination trim and servo tabs.
  • Fuselage:
    • Construction: Circular-section semi-monocoque structure in five sections. Includes circumferential bulkheads and frames, extruded longerons and stringers, with a stressed metal skin. Contains three pressurized compartments connected by a crawl tunnel over the bomb-bays, except for the isolated tail compartment.
  • Tail Unit:
    • Type: Cantilever monoplane with a single fin and rudder. All-metal fixed surfaces and metal-framed, fabric-covered control surfaces with controllable trim-tabs.
  • Landing Gear:
    • Type: Retractable tricycle with oleo-pneumatic shock struts and twin wheels on the main gear. Double nose wheel with electrical retraction. Hydraulic wheel-brakes and a retractable tail bumper skid.

Power Plant

  • Engines: Four 2,200 h.p. Wright R-3350-23 eighteen-cylinder radial air-cooled engines.
  • Superchargers: Each engine features two General Electric exhaust-driven turbo-superchargers.
  • Propellers: Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic four-blade constant-speed full-feathering airscrews, 16 ft. 7 in. (5 m) in diameter.
  • Fuel and Oil: Self-sealing fuel cells integral with the wing structure, with a maximum capacity exceeding 8,000 U.S. gallons. Self-sealing oil tanks in each nacelle.

Accommodation

  • Crew: Can accommodate a crew of 10 to 14.
    • Crew Stations:
      • Forward Compartment: Bombardier, pilot, co-pilot, navigator, engineer, and radio-operator. The pilot and co-pilot sit side-by-side, with an aisle in between.
      • Second Compartment: Contains three gun-sighting stations with transparent blisters.
      • Tail Compartment: Houses the tail gunner’s position.
    • Special Features: All crew positions are protected by armor or armored flak curtains. Pressurization and heating systems for all compartments.

Armament

  • Turrets:
    • Four General Electric remotely-controlled and electrically-operated turrets, each with two .50 cal machine guns (two above and two below the fuselage).
    • Bell electrically-operated tail turret equipped with one 20 mm cannon and two .50 cal guns.
  • Sighting Stations: Five sighting stations controlling different turret configurations.
  • Bomb Bays: Two bomb-bays (one forward and one aft of the wing center-section), allowing alternate bomb release for balance. Maximum bomb load is 20,000 lbs. (9,072 kg).

Specifications:

variant
B-29
B-29A
B-29B
crew
11
wingspan (m)
43,05
43,36
43,05
lenght (m)
30,175
30,175
30,175
height (m)
8,46
8,46
8,46
wing area (m2)
161,30
161,50
161,50
gross weight (kg)
31815
32368
31298
max take-off weight (kg)
61235
61235
62142
engines
Wright R-3350-23, 23A, 41, 57, 57A Cyclone, radial, twin row 18
cylinders, air cooled, supercharged,2200 hp for take-off, 2439 hp max combat
Wright R-3350-57, 57A, 59 Cyclone, radial, twin row 18 cylinders,
air cooled, supercharged2200 hp for take-off,2439 hp max combat
Wright R-3350-41 Cyclone, radial, twin row 18 cylinders, air
cooled, supercharged2200 hp for take-off, 2439 hp max combat
fuel (l)
5046
4099
max speed (km/h)
603 at 7620 m
611 at 7620 m
586 at 7620 m
cruising speed (km/h)
322 – 402
322 – 402
338 – 362
service ceiling (m)
9710
10060
9750
range (km)
2575 – 3230
2900 – 6437
2900 – 6759
climb to
7620 m / 38 m (weight: 38895 kg)
7620 m / 38 m (weight: 38895 kg)
bombs (kg)
2268 – 9072
2268 – 9072
9072 – 10342
armament
10 -12 x 12,7 mm, 1 x20 mm,
12 x 12,7 mm
5 x 12,7 mm
production
2181
1119
311

Reference:

  • Superfortress The Boeing B-29 by Steve Birdsall – Squadron/Signal Publications 6028, 1984
  • Boeing B-29 – Famous Airplanes of the World 52, Bunrindo 1994
  • B-29 Superfortress Giant Bomber of World War 2 and Korea – Graham Simons
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress – John M. Campbell, American Bomber Aircraft in World War II, Schiffer Publishing Ltd 2004
  • The B-29 Superfortress Chronology 1934-1960 – Robert A. Mann, McFarland 2009
  • The Enola Gay, The B-29 That Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima – Norman Polmar
  • Superfortress, The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II – Curtis LeMay, Bill Yenne
  • B-29 Superfortress Units of World War 2 – Robert F. Dorr, Osprey Combat Aircraft 33
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress – Steve Pace, Crowood Aviation Series 2003
  • The B-29 Book – Frederick A. Johnsen 1978
  • B-29 Hunters of the JAAF – Koji Takaki and Henry Sakaida, Osprey Aviation Elite Units 5
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress U.S.A.A.F. 1942-1945 – Roger A. Freeman, Camouflage & Markings Number 19
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress – Peter M. Bowers, Warbird Tech Series Volume 14, 1999
  • B-29 Superfortress – in Detail & Scale Vol. 10 – Part 1 Production Version, Alwyn T. Lloyd
  • B-29 Superfortress – in Detail & Scale Vol. 25 – Part 2 Derivatives, Alwyn T. Lloyd
  • The Boeing B-29 Superfortress – Mitch Mayborn, Profile Publications Number 101
  • S. Army Air Forces In The Pacific – Aero Pictorials 2
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II – Bill Gunston
  • Cataclysm, General Hap Arnold and the Defeat of Japan – Herman S. Wolk, University of North Texas Press
  • Burning Japan – Air Force Bombing Strategy Change in the Pacific – Daniel T. Schwabe
  • Whirlwind The Air War Against Japan 1942-1945 – Barrett Tillman
  • Bombs Away! Representing the Air War over Europe and Japan – Wilfried Wilms, William Rasch
  • B-29 Superfortress Units of the Korean War – Robert F. Dorr, Osprey Combat Aircraft 042
  • B-29 Superfortress in action – Stive Birdsall, Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft 31
  • B-29 Superfortress in action – Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft 165
  • B-29 The Superfortress – Mantelli, Brown, Kittel, Graf; 2014
  • Bringing the Thunder, The Missions of a WW II B-29 Pilot in the Pacific – Gordon Bennett Robertson Jr, Stackpole Military History Series
  • The B-29 Airplane Commander Training Manual for the Superfortress – Headquarters AAF 1945
  • B-29 Combat Crew Manual – XX Bomber Command 1944