World War Photos

B-29 of the 6th Bombardment Group

The B-29 Superfortress was designed with an all-metal, semi-monocoque fuselage structure, incorporating stressed skin, extruded longerons, and formed circumferentials made of 24ST aluminum alloy. Flush rivets were predominantly used to attach the skin to the fuselage structure, ensuring a smooth exterior surface to reduce drag.

Fuselage and Compartments

• The B-29 had three pressurized compartments:
  • The nose compartment
  • The compartment aft of the rear bomb-bay
  • The extreme tail compartment

Forward Compartment

• The forward compartment housed the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, radio operator, navigator, and bombardier.
• There were three exits in this compartment:
  1. Normal Entry and Exit: Through a hatch in the floor beside the flight engineer’s station via the nose landing gear wheel-well.
  2. Emergency Exit 1: Through the pressure bulkhead (station 115) door, which led to the bomb-bay.
  3. Emergency Exit 2: The flight engineer’s removable window, usable as an exit on the ground or in water.

Rear Compartment

• Located immediately aft of the rear bomb-bay, connected to the forward compartment by a pressurized tunnel, allowing crew movement during high-altitude flight.
• Exits from the rear compartment included:
  1. Pressure Bulkhead Door (Station 646): Emergency exit through the aft bomb-bay.
  2. Pressure Bulkhead Door (Station 834): Emergency exit to the rear unpressurized compartment.
  3. Rear Entrance Door: Normal and emergency exit from the rear unpressurized compartment.
  4. Escape Hatch: Located on the upper left side of the fuselage, usable as an emergency exit on the ground or in water.

Tail-Gunner Compartment

• The tail-gunner was housed in a small pressurized enclosure formed by pressure bulkheads at stations 1110 and 1144.
• Entrance: Through a door in the station 1110 bulkhead.
• Emergency Exit: Through a window on the right side (left-hand side of the aircraft).

This design provided the B-29 with significant operational flexibility, enabling crew members to move between compartments during flight, and multiple emergency exits to enhance crew safety.