Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Technical Information

Background
During WWII it was used only in the Pacific by the 20th Air Force against the Japanese. It was a very advanced bomber for it's day, with pressurized crew compartments and remote-controlled gun turrets.

While envisioned as a high altitude daylight bomber, it's greatest successes were low-level nighttime raids dropping incendiary bombs on the combustible Japanese cities. The B-29 "Enola Gay" and "Bock's Car" are famous for dropping the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended the war.

After the war it became the main means of intended delivery for nuclear bombs. It was last used operationally in the Korean War conducting strategic bombing.

Technical Details
Crew  Ten or more (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, navigator, engineer, radio, CFC gunner, waist gunners, tail gunner, radar)
Engine  4 x 1600kW Wright R-3350-23 turbofan engines
Span  141'
Length  99'
Height  3.86m
Maximum Speed 357 mph at 31,856'
Range  2,823 miles
Armament  12 x .50 cal. MG, four each in the top turrets and two each in the belly turrets also 20mm cannon in tail
Bombload  20,000 lbs.

Last Updated
September 30, 2009