Just came across this older article on B-29 names. Only a couple of noseart pics but some great, amusing cartoons about the various crewmembers. http://www.fredonia.edu/faculty/emeritus/edwinlawson/b29/index.html
Yep, B-29s provided some of the best "canvas" for noseart. There were some pretty talented artists doing the work too!
Some more nose art: http://www.mrprophead.com/b29nose.htm http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/3109/noseart.html
And B-29 nose art from the Korean war: http://home.comcast.net/~noseart/0noseart.html The site also has a listing of the B-29s used diring the Korean war: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/b29sinthekoreanwar/0-b29MasterList.htm
I found it unbelievable when I posted the amount of these the US manufactured during ww2 (3,898) With respect to the deaths from the dropping of the Atomic bombs, it is much clearer now that they would have bombed Japan out of existence if left to use conventional warfare. (Strategic bombing)
The section on Japan in this wiki article highlights what you're saying Spidge. The table of percentage of destruction of Japanese cities shows how affect the USAAF was: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_bombing_during_World_War_II#Japanese_bombing
Some of my all time fave noseart in those links, Kyt. I was trying to remember my fave from Korea and found her. I've got the 1/48 B-29 at home that I'll never build but I even went as far as deciding to do her with the black undersides and even got the decals for her. http://home.comcast.net/~noseart/niponnees.jpg
The B-29 has never really rocked my boat. Not sure why. Maybe I need to read something about the crews and missions.
B-29 Hunters of the JAAF http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/books/general/takaki/index.htm Not a fan of Osprey books (over-priced for what they offer) but this one does sound interesting
Well, I can see your point. It was pressurised, the crew flew in shirt sleeves (as per Cheshire's book), etc etc. Heck of an advancement on bombers at the time but the Lanc was almost as capable in the weight carrying department from memory. Perhaps the crews had it "easy" compared to earlier bombing campaigns. Having said that, I wouldn't want to do what they did - low level fire bombing at night, thermals would have flipped them over. There's still some excellent stories of survival and ther aircraft was fairly tough. I recall a pic of a '29 that had a runaway number three prop that refused to feather. It eventually broke the shaft bounced into number four, knocked that out, and then hit the fuse and made a nice hole. Aircraft made it back.
The engines are the reason why Fifi, the Commemorative Air Force's B-29 in the US, is currently grounded. They've been donated/bought modified twin row jobbies but these have to be built up. Will mean more reliable and less trouble in the future. All comes down to money though as always. http://www.cafb29b24.org/index.html Another B-29, Doc, is slowly being restored to airwothiness in Kansas I think. Can you imagine seeing two of these together? Schawing, the ground would throb. http://www.b-29doc.com/ She's not really the last B-29 that can be made airworthy as Kermit Weeks has yet to decide what to do with Fertile Myrtle but he's got plenty of other toys to play with.
I know the aircraft was a great advancement (wasn't it the most expensive weapon of WW2 - cost more to develop that the A-bombs?), but still very dangerous to crew. Not just the "usual" dangers of being killed or being shot down, but B-29 crews didn't fair well if they were captured. Execution seems to have been the norm rather than the exception. But still, the aircraft itself just looks like a tube with wings. No real charactor - no visible flaws, or noticeable idiosyncrasies. In other words, boring eep:
I was going to say the same thing - that she doesn't have the character of earlier designs. However, I didn't put it in as I haven't heard her and I suspect that once I did, she'd be a living, breathing beastie!
Difficult to find on youtube - mainly rubbish vids of RC models: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7QlEN61UC-w
But this is interesting - B-29 Dramatic Landings http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gqSJXXi8M4Q and some nice footage but pain-in-the-ar..neck music: B-29 Retirement Flight http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=r7OG8ta_Kw8
Looks like that "Merrill's Retirement Flight" took off from the Boeing plant in Seattle, Washington. Great footage but you're right about the music even though I like Glenn Miller.
Andy, don't know whether you've been back to TOCH but Ed West posted a link to a B-29 reading list. Some interesting titles: http://home.att.net/~sallyann2/reading-room.html
Thanks Kyt, will check it out. Haven't come across anymore than what I posted there but then, I've never looked too hard for them!
