Model name:Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber(NO.77)
Application: Collection,Souvenir Gift, Home Office Decoration,Educational,Model
Age Range: > 14 years old
Type: Static finished model
Material: Zinc alloy,plastic
Scale: 1:200
Size: approx 15.1cm(L) * 21.5cm(W) * 4.2cm(H)/6inch(L) * 8.5inch(W)*1.6inch(H)
Package:Aircraft model, Display Stand,Original box
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Airframe 77: A Historic Aircraft
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was one of the most advanced and formidable aircraft of World War II. As a heavy bomber, it featured a pressurized cabin, a central fire-control system, and remote-controlled machine gun turrets. However, among the nearly 4,000 B-29s built, one holds a unique and pivotal place in history: B-29-45-MO, Serial Number 44-86292, often referred to as "Airframe 77."
This specific B-29 is more famously known to the world as the "Bockscar."
The Mission That Changed the World
On August 9, 1945, "Bockscar," piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney, took off from Tinian Island on one of the most consequential missions in military history. Its primary target was the Japanese city of Kokura, with Nagasaki as the secondary target.
Due to poor weather and smoke over Kokura, the crew made three passes but could not visually sight the target. Low on fuel and unable to locate the primary target, they proceeded to Nagasaki. After a hazardous bomb run through clouds and using only a brief break in the weather for a visual sighting, they released their payload: "Fat Man," a plutonium atomic bomb.
The bomb detonated over the Urakami Valley in Nagasaki, leading to Japan's unconditional surrender and the end of World War II.
Why "Airframe 77" and "Bockscar"?
Airframe 77: This designation indicates that this was the 77th B-29 built at the Martin Omaha plant (the "MO" in its model number). It's a production line identifier.
"Bockscar": The plane's name was a pun on its assigned aircraft commander, Captain Frederick C. Bock. However, on the fateful day, the mission was flown by Major Sweeney's crew, while Captain Bock piloted another B-29, The Great Artiste, which was used for scientific instrumentation.
Post-War History and Legacy
After the war, "Bockscar" was flown to the United States. Unlike the Enola Gay (which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima), "Bockscar" did not receive immediate recognition. For years, it was displayed with the wrong bomb painted on its underside and without proper attribution of its historic role.
Today, this historic aircraft is preserved and on public display. Visitors can see it at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. It stands as a silent but powerful testament to the technological power of its era and the profound, complex legacy of the events that brought an end to the deadliest conflict in human history.
In summary, B-29 Airframe 77, "Bockscar," is not just a machine of war, but a primary artifact of the 20th century—a tangible link to the dawn of the atomic age and a permanent symbol of the end of World War II.