Okla-homey
9/21/2006, 06:01 AM
long before Starbucks, Seattle gave the world something a lot more satisfying than overpriced coffee...
September 21, 1942 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress takes flight
On this day in 1942, the U.S. B-29 "Superfortress" makes its maiden flight from the Boeing plant in Seattle, Washington. It was the largest bomber used in WWII by any nation.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/2663/b29drwg10qg.jpg
The B-29 was conceived in 1939 by Gen. Hap Arnold, who was afraid a German victory in Europe would mean the United States would be devoid of bases on the European side of the Atlantic from which to counterattack.
A bomber was needed that would fly faster, farther, and higher than any then available, so Boeing set to creating the four-engine heavy bomber. In just a little over two years, a corporate army of engineers and designers, without benefit of calculators (let alone computers,) put the world's most sophisticated and capable bomber on the Seattle tarmac.
Those guys did it with pencils, paper, and sliderules.
Eventually, 1620 B-29's were built by Boeing at their Wichita, Kansas plant. 357 were built under license by Bell at their Atlanta, Georgia plant and similarly, 536 were built by Martin at their Omaha, Nebraska plant.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/1563/b2941ul.jpg
A Superfort photographed with Tokyo below
The plane was extraordinary. The B-29 was designed for long distance, high altitude operation and utilized the favorable flying conditions afforded by sub-stratosphere flight.
Pressurized cabins meant the crew didn't have to wear heavy cold-weather gear or suck oxygen from a hose. In addition to standard oxygen equipment, the use of two turbosuperchargers on each of its four enormous rotary engines enabled "Superforts" to fly at a service ceiling in excess of 40,000 feet.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6144/eeeeeeeeeusairp8qf1.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The four 18-cylinder Wright Model R-3350-23 engines developed 2200 horsepower each, giving the airplane a total of 8800 horsepower.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5089/b2910rm.jpg
B-29 front office. The "greenhouse" effect made pre-flight checks miserable. It could easily hit 120 degrees inside on a sunny summer day. Fortunately, it cooled off pretty quick once the engines were running and cooling air started to flow through the cockpit vents.
The airplane could carry a 10-ton bomb load and had for defensive armament 10 .50 caliber machine guns and one 20 mm cannon. The machine guns were housed in five power turrets, the cannon protruding from the tail turret. All turrets were actuated electrically and were remotely controlled from sighting stations within the heated and pressurized crew compartment.
Able to carry bombloads almost equal to its own weight at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet. It contained a duplicate set of controls and instrumentation aft of the pilots station at the flight engineer's station which could actually to be used to fly the plane in the event the front cockpit was destroyed by enemy fire. It also sported the first radar bombing system of any U.S. bomber.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3526/b29blimphanger1tx.jpg
One flying B-29 remains. Here's "Fifi" at an airshow in Akron OH. That's a blimp hangar in the background.
The Superfortress made its maiden run over the continental United States on September 21, but would not make its bombing-run debut until June 5, 1944, against Bangkok, in preparation for the Allied liberation of Burma from Japanese occupation.
A little more than a week later, the B-29 made its first run against the Japanese mainland. On June 14, 60 B-29s based in Chengtu, China, bombed an iron and steel works factory on Honshu Island.
Meanwhile, the Marianas Islands in the South Pacific were being recaptured by the United States, primarily to provide air bases for their new B-29s -- a perfect position from which to strike the Japanese mainland on a consistent and constant basis.
Once the bases were ready, the B-29s were employed in a long bombing campaign against Tokyo and other important Japanese cities. Incidentally, our Andersen AFB with its multiple 10,000 runways on Guam is a remnant of this period. As late as 1973, we were bombing North Vietnam from the huge bomber base on Guam. A very cool place that positively drips with memories of great men who flew their missions and put bombs on target no matter what.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3037/bguamfltline26wd.jpg
Approaching Anderson -- looking southwest. Note the cliffs at the approach end of the multiple parallel runways.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/6637/bfinalassault3ks.jpg
These missions against the Japanese homeland were'nt all "milkruns."
Although capable of precision bombing at high altitudes, the decentralized "cottage"-based industries in many Japanese cities, the much higher wind speeds aloft, and the extensive Nipponese use of wooden structures, convinced US air leaders the way to go was dropping incendiary devices from a mere 5,000 feet. This, firebombing in an attempt to destroy the cities and break the will of the Axis power became the policy.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3152/b2978rs.jpg
Formation bombing was the norm
One such firebombing raid in March 1945 killed more than 80,000 people in a single day. But the most famous, or perhaps infamous, use of the B-29 would come in August as it was the only plane capable of delivering a 10,000-pound bomb--the atomic bomb.
The Enola Gay and the Bock's Car took off from Tinian, Guam's sister island in the northern Marianas, on August 6 and 9, respectively, and flew into history.
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9599/eeeeeeeeeeeeeee51749729lp9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8629/eeeeeeeb29superfortressartnt3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/9862/bvalorinthepacific9zh.jpg
Another 1945 morning's "aluminum overcast" enroute to pound Japan.
Just 15 years after the B-29 roll-out, the boys in Seattle were at it again designing a turnbo-jet powered replacement for the B-29/B-50 that become the B-52 "Stratofortress" (a/k/a "BUFF") which is still in service today.
Right here in Tulsa, the Nordam Group employs about 650 Okies making modernization and maintenance modifications to the BUFF which is a direct descendent of the B-29.
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/508/eeeeeeeeeeeb52acp9.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7166/insane7zopp6.jpg
September 21, 1942 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress takes flight
On this day in 1942, the U.S. B-29 "Superfortress" makes its maiden flight from the Boeing plant in Seattle, Washington. It was the largest bomber used in WWII by any nation.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/2663/b29drwg10qg.jpg
The B-29 was conceived in 1939 by Gen. Hap Arnold, who was afraid a German victory in Europe would mean the United States would be devoid of bases on the European side of the Atlantic from which to counterattack.
A bomber was needed that would fly faster, farther, and higher than any then available, so Boeing set to creating the four-engine heavy bomber. In just a little over two years, a corporate army of engineers and designers, without benefit of calculators (let alone computers,) put the world's most sophisticated and capable bomber on the Seattle tarmac.
Those guys did it with pencils, paper, and sliderules.
Eventually, 1620 B-29's were built by Boeing at their Wichita, Kansas plant. 357 were built under license by Bell at their Atlanta, Georgia plant and similarly, 536 were built by Martin at their Omaha, Nebraska plant.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/1563/b2941ul.jpg
A Superfort photographed with Tokyo below
The plane was extraordinary. The B-29 was designed for long distance, high altitude operation and utilized the favorable flying conditions afforded by sub-stratosphere flight.
Pressurized cabins meant the crew didn't have to wear heavy cold-weather gear or suck oxygen from a hose. In addition to standard oxygen equipment, the use of two turbosuperchargers on each of its four enormous rotary engines enabled "Superforts" to fly at a service ceiling in excess of 40,000 feet.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6144/eeeeeeeeeusairp8qf1.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The four 18-cylinder Wright Model R-3350-23 engines developed 2200 horsepower each, giving the airplane a total of 8800 horsepower.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5089/b2910rm.jpg
B-29 front office. The "greenhouse" effect made pre-flight checks miserable. It could easily hit 120 degrees inside on a sunny summer day. Fortunately, it cooled off pretty quick once the engines were running and cooling air started to flow through the cockpit vents.
The airplane could carry a 10-ton bomb load and had for defensive armament 10 .50 caliber machine guns and one 20 mm cannon. The machine guns were housed in five power turrets, the cannon protruding from the tail turret. All turrets were actuated electrically and were remotely controlled from sighting stations within the heated and pressurized crew compartment.
Able to carry bombloads almost equal to its own weight at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet. It contained a duplicate set of controls and instrumentation aft of the pilots station at the flight engineer's station which could actually to be used to fly the plane in the event the front cockpit was destroyed by enemy fire. It also sported the first radar bombing system of any U.S. bomber.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3526/b29blimphanger1tx.jpg
One flying B-29 remains. Here's "Fifi" at an airshow in Akron OH. That's a blimp hangar in the background.
The Superfortress made its maiden run over the continental United States on September 21, but would not make its bombing-run debut until June 5, 1944, against Bangkok, in preparation for the Allied liberation of Burma from Japanese occupation.
A little more than a week later, the B-29 made its first run against the Japanese mainland. On June 14, 60 B-29s based in Chengtu, China, bombed an iron and steel works factory on Honshu Island.
Meanwhile, the Marianas Islands in the South Pacific were being recaptured by the United States, primarily to provide air bases for their new B-29s -- a perfect position from which to strike the Japanese mainland on a consistent and constant basis.
Once the bases were ready, the B-29s were employed in a long bombing campaign against Tokyo and other important Japanese cities. Incidentally, our Andersen AFB with its multiple 10,000 runways on Guam is a remnant of this period. As late as 1973, we were bombing North Vietnam from the huge bomber base on Guam. A very cool place that positively drips with memories of great men who flew their missions and put bombs on target no matter what.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3037/bguamfltline26wd.jpg
Approaching Anderson -- looking southwest. Note the cliffs at the approach end of the multiple parallel runways.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/6637/bfinalassault3ks.jpg
These missions against the Japanese homeland were'nt all "milkruns."
Although capable of precision bombing at high altitudes, the decentralized "cottage"-based industries in many Japanese cities, the much higher wind speeds aloft, and the extensive Nipponese use of wooden structures, convinced US air leaders the way to go was dropping incendiary devices from a mere 5,000 feet. This, firebombing in an attempt to destroy the cities and break the will of the Axis power became the policy.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3152/b2978rs.jpg
Formation bombing was the norm
One such firebombing raid in March 1945 killed more than 80,000 people in a single day. But the most famous, or perhaps infamous, use of the B-29 would come in August as it was the only plane capable of delivering a 10,000-pound bomb--the atomic bomb.
The Enola Gay and the Bock's Car took off from Tinian, Guam's sister island in the northern Marianas, on August 6 and 9, respectively, and flew into history.
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9599/eeeeeeeeeeeeeee51749729lp9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8629/eeeeeeeb29superfortressartnt3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/9862/bvalorinthepacific9zh.jpg
Another 1945 morning's "aluminum overcast" enroute to pound Japan.
Just 15 years after the B-29 roll-out, the boys in Seattle were at it again designing a turnbo-jet powered replacement for the B-29/B-50 that become the B-52 "Stratofortress" (a/k/a "BUFF") which is still in service today.
Right here in Tulsa, the Nordam Group employs about 650 Okies making modernization and maintenance modifications to the BUFF which is a direct descendent of the B-29.
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/508/eeeeeeeeeeeb52acp9.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7166/insane7zopp6.jpg