The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber developed by the United States during World War II. It represented the pinnacle of propeller-driven bomber technology and is best known for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, effectively ending the war with Japan.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 21, 1942 | First flight of the XB-29 prototype |
| June 5, 1944 | First combat mission (98 B-29s attack Bangkok's railroad bridge) |
| November 24, 1944 | First raid on Tokyo (111 B-29s bomb the Musashino aircraft plant) |
| March 9-10, 1945 | Operation Meetinghouse — Firebombing of Tokyo; 334 B-29s destroy 16 square miles, killing ~87,000 people |
| August 6, 1945 | Enola Gay (Tail #82, later marked "R" and "82") drops "Little Boy" on Hiroshima |
| August 9, 1945 | Bockscar (Tail #77) drops "Fat Man" on Nagasaki |
| September 2, 1945 | Japan formally surrenders aboard USS Missouri; B-29s fly overhead |
B-29s served extensively as strategic bombers, conducting daylight raids until heavy losses to MiG-15 fighters forced a switch to night bombing. The last B-29 combat mission was flown on May 5, 1954.
The B-29 remains one of the most historically significant aircraft ever built:
Total built: 3,970 (including prototypes and post-war variants)
Only two B-29s are still flying today:
FIFI — Owned by the Commemorative Air Force (since 1971)
Doc — Restored and flew in 2016, based in Wichita, Kansas
Many survivors are on static display in museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center (the Enola Gay).
*"The B-29 was the most expensive weapons project of World War II — costing more than the Manhattan Project."*
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was not just a bomber; it was a technological marvel that bridged the gap between propeller-driven aircraft and the jet age. Its pressurized cabin, remote-controlled guns, and massive bomb load made it the ultimate strategic weapon of its time.
While its legacy is forever tied to the atomic bombings that ended World War II, the B-29 also served as a conventional bomber in two wars, a reconnaissance platform, a tanker, and even a mothership for experimental aircraft. It was truly a super fortress in every sense of the name.