World War II Database

1.  BILL says:
24 Mar 2009 11:45:56 AM

Did you know that the B-29 engines were powered by HEMI! and that's the truth.

2.  BILL says:
28 Mar 2009 10:05:32 AM

In addition to the Hemi logo, Chrysler even put the trade-mark ram horns on the engine tags,too. A little known fact in Aviation History.

3.  David Stubblebine says:
7 Jul 2009 10:22:15 PM

Photo date is 1945-1946. Tail number says plane entered service in 1945 and National Insignia says photo is pre-1947, so: 1945-1946.

4.  Bill says:
31 Jul 2010 09:55:24 AM

Photograph of B-29 s/n 487775 courtesy of
Boeing Aircraft Co.

At the end of the Pacific War, the USAAF had
forty B-29 groups with 2,132 aircraft, with
twenty one of them at combat bases.

The first B-29 was delivered to the USAAF in September 1943, and major modifications were
still being made to the bomber, and the last
B-29 was delivered October 1945.

Did you know...

Boeing's Wichita, Kansas site, had once been
open prairie overnight production facilities
were built, to build the B-29.
The forgotten civilian workers and soldiers
fought the production war, the daily battle
to final victory.

Boeing workers were specialists setting up
the jigs, tooling and fixtures. Engineering teams started to design production and
fabricating areas. Everything needed to build
the B-29 vendors shipped needed parts, and
the USAAF requested vendors stop all other
commitments and supply the parts needed.

"Who were the people who built the B-29?"

They came from all over the United States,
and many of them never built an airplane
before,or were production specialists, but
many did have basic skills with tools many
were housewives, farmers, workers, clerks ranch-hands,roughnecks, city slickers and teachers for many working for Boeing was the first job they ever had.
Many were willing to work 80 hours a week.

By late 1943 Boeing was building the B-29 in
three 7 1/2 hour shifts, six days a week the
work was changed to, two 10 hour overtime shifts six days a week.
Key personnel worked longer sleeping when they could. Average number of manhours per
each B-29 for the first 100 bombers was
157,000.
Average number of manhours per B-29 for the
last 100 bombers 17,000.
Peak production per day was 4.2 B-29's.

Boeing developed the B-29 during World War II
production, modifications, testing all in a
short time. The USAAF deployed the bomber
worked out the tactics, trained the crews.

5. Karl says:
1 May 2011 11:57:42 AM

FYI I have a framed photo of this same plane. It is at a lower angle than the photo above. It has a faded inscription on the back "For Mickey Uncle Don 28 Aug 52".

6.  Bill says:
17 Apr 2015 10:41:47 PM

CAMOUFLAGE 101:

First B-29s came off production line painted in
(OD) olive drab w/gray undersides. As the war progressed B-29s left the factory in natural aluminum, some B-29s of the 73rd Bomb Wing operating out of Saipan painted their aircraft black on the undersides for night operations.

POST WAR:

B-29s operating out of Japan were camouflaged
natural aluminum topside with black undersides
with the black extending to top of tail section aft of the rear dorsal turret. Last of the B-29s
in USAF service were retired 21 June 1960

BRITISH CONNECTIN: RAF WASHINGTONS

The RAF operated the B-29 under the name of Washington B Mk.1 about (89) were transferred from the USAF 1950-1951 to provide Britain with a nuclear capable bomber. Aircraft were returned to USAF bombers were in natural aluminum. Australia operated (2) B-29s for training and elevation aircraft later scrapped.