Boeing B29 Superfortress at Burke Lakefront Airport Today.
Discussion
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/uvRZL5ar.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/sojh2Bce" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/sojh2Bce.jpg)
Always dreamed of seeing one of these in the flesh ever since my brother had a large Airfix Enola Gay in our bedroom as a kid in the 70s. Drove to an air museum in Canada many years ago to see 'FiFi', only to find a large empty space where she should have been! Just my luck she was flying that day so I never even go to see her!
Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
robsa said:
Always dreamed of seeing one of these in the flesh ever since my brother had a large Airfix Enola Gay in our bedroom as a kid in the 70s. Drove to an air museum in Canada many years ago to see 'FiFi', only to find a large empty space where she should have been! Just my luck she was flying that day so I never even go to see her!
Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
Canada?Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
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Awesome aircraft. I read somewhere that it cost more to develop this aircraft to bomb Japan than it did to develop the atom bombs dropped from it. Not sure if that's true but is possible.
As the Japan bombing campaign progressed any aircrew that had to bail out of these bombers over Japan could expect in a great many cases to be shot at by fighters on their parachutes or lynched/beaten to a pulp when they hit the ground. Some of the stories along these lines are awful to read.
As the Japan bombing campaign progressed any aircrew that had to bail out of these bombers over Japan could expect in a great many cases to be shot at by fighters on their parachutes or lynched/beaten to a pulp when they hit the ground. Some of the stories along these lines are awful to read.
MikeStroud said:
As the Japan bombing campaign progressed any aircrew that had to bail out of these bombers over Japan could expect in a great many cases to be shot at by fighters on their parachutes or lynched/beaten to a pulp when they hit the ground. Some of the stories along these lines are awful to read.
And if I stumbled on a bomber crew member in a field who’d just been dropping bombs on my friends and family I’d be inclined to be less than civil too. Just as the Taliban would’ve been if they’d ever got their hands on one of our Apache crews. 
MikeStroud said:
Awesome aircraft. I read somewhere that it cost more to develop this aircraft to bomb Japan than it did to develop the atom bombs dropped from it. Not sure if that's true but is possible.
As the Japan bombing campaign progressed any aircrew that had to bail out of these bombers over Japan could expect in a great many cases to be shot at by fighters on their parachutes or lynched/beaten to a pulp when they hit the ground. Some of the stories along these lines are awful to read.
The internerd suggests that the B-29 project cost c.$3Bn (US) and the Manhattan Project $2Bn (US). Quite surprising, that.As the Japan bombing campaign progressed any aircrew that had to bail out of these bombers over Japan could expect in a great many cases to be shot at by fighters on their parachutes or lynched/beaten to a pulp when they hit the ground. Some of the stories along these lines are awful to read.
The B29 project was plagued by all sorts of problems, ranging from engine unreliablity to 'industrial action'. Like most other big projects I guess. The industrial action bit always surprises me in time of war. Here in the UK the number of Tempests available to counter V1s was limited because of strikes at Hawkers.
Looking at the pictures there, am I right in thinking that the pilots had no access to the throttles/prop pitch controls? It looks like they are situated on the flight engineers station.
I know that the Russian flight engineers sometimes manipulated the throttles but I thought they leant between the pilots to work them.
Certainly brings a whole new aspect to CRM. I couldn't imagine landing without access to the throttles.
I know that the Russian flight engineers sometimes manipulated the throttles but I thought they leant between the pilots to work them.
Certainly brings a whole new aspect to CRM. I couldn't imagine landing without access to the throttles.
robsa said:
Always dreamed of seeing one of these in the flesh ever since my brother had a large Airfix Enola Gay in our bedroom as a kid in the 70s. Drove to an air museum in Canada many years ago to see 'FiFi', only to find a large empty space where she should have been! Just my luck she was flying that day so I never even go to see her!
Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
Likewise.Very jealous of you seeing one fly! Thanks for the post!
I flew over from the UK to Nellis AFB back in 1997 for the USAF Golden Anniversary Airshow, and one of the highlights for me was going to be to see 'FiFi' fly, but she went tech en-route up from Texas, with an engine failure and so never did get to see a B-29 in the air.
DP1 said:
Looking at the pictures there, am I right in thinking that the pilots had no access to the throttles/prop pitch controls? It looks like they are situated on the flight engineers station..
Reading https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/flying-fi... it looks as there's a set for the pilots as well but who is responsible for throttle operation passes between pilots and engineer.I've read on the web(and would love to find again) a description of flying Fifi from someone who was just starting out at it (and I think passed away before he had the opportunity to do it much if that gives anyone any clues) which emphasised that throttle management is done by the engineer much of the time.
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