What passes for history does not mention the Boeing B-29 Superfortress except in passing or with less than adequate praise. It was not only one more bomber of the bunch – it was something of a technological leap, one quite out of the ordinary, from conception and execution. Once the war ended, the B-29, in a way, barely changed history anymore; however, it remained an icon of air transport innovation, still edging to the present day.
It all started with the picture in 1940 when the American Air Forces dared manufacturers to construct a bomb carrier of 20,000 pounds that could fly 400 mph and hit the target area 2,500 miles or more away. Boeing reacted with Model 345 – later known as B-29 – which in 1942 had its maiden flight, revealing it to be an aircraft fitted with the latest technological breakthroughs and advanced safety features, including pressurized compartments for the crew, remotely controlled gunners, one of the earliest computer-assisted pilot optics, and among the most powerful engines of the time.
It was thus not a low-price breakthrough. The B-29 remained the most expensive American project during WW2, costing almost double that of the next highest military program. The high investment had its great returns.
However, there were issues with early models. General Curtis LeMay hilariously cited that the B-29 was “as infested with bugs as the Smithsonian’s department of entomology.” The repairing of both malfunctioning parts and the morale of the crews required much hard work by engineers and crews, and in fact, these were the years when the aircraft had become the backbone of the Pacific campaign.
Perhaps the B-29 made the most impression on the world when it was deployed in August 1945. The atomic bomb missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were carried out by “Silverplate” editions of the B-29, which had been tailored to the task in question.
These planes had ditched the majority of the defensive equipment to take advantage of the weight reduction; at the same time, others in the pack provided various kinds of meteorological observations, spying, and recording. Although the planes Enola Gay and Bockscar may have become infamous, the operations were the outcome of careful preparation and collaboration.
After the war, the B-29’s history did not end. Eventually, it became the B-50 Superfortress with new, stronger engines and a long-lasting airframe. In 1949, the B-50 dubbed Lucky Lady II made history by completing the first nonstop flight around the world, which was nonstop and kept secret until the safe landing was made.
Later on, Boeing would be using the B-29 as a platform for designing peaceful means of transportation. Its pressurized cabin and solid construction gave birth to the C-97 Stratofreighter and the elegant Stratocruiser passenger plane. It was the Stratocruiser that mainly got recognized for the similarity with comfort and even had a lounge on its lower part, and that, for some time, was considered the peak of the postwar air travel.
The reach of the B-29 also covered the scientific area. Surplus military planes were transformed into mobile research stations that were used for conducting experiments and studies of cosmic rays, solar radiation, and even the atmosphere while they were flying at high altitudes. A plane among these, with tail number 45-21847, was lost in Lake Mead in 1948 during one of the flights. These flying laboratories were advancing science quietly but rapidly and opening gates for future explorations.
The people who were behind the scenes and can be considered the B-29’s souls—pilots, engineers, ground crews, and scientists—did not have an easy time. Most of the technology they had to work with was indeed untested at the time, and their missions were very challenging, yet they often risked everything they had. Their determination did not make the Superfortress only a war machine, but also a means of exploration.
Present-day surviving B-29s can be spotted in museums located all over the United States. One can actually feel the grandeur and the daring that went into their design when standing beneath their wide wings. In fact, these aircraft are not just made of metal and rivets that are left in the past history—they are commemorations of the era when will and courage changed the direction of history.