This is a list I've put together of surviving B-29 airframes. Feel free to make corrections/comments. Enjoy...
COMPLETE AIRFRAMES ON DISPLAY OR IN STORAGE
1. 42-65281 B-29-25-MO MISS AMERICA 62 Travis AFB Museum, California. This aircraft flew with the 6th Bomb Group, 313th Bomb Wing, 24th Bomb Squadron out of Tinian Island. Flew 30 missions and shot down two aircraft. Served with the 307th Bomb Group in Korea. Eventually converted to a WB-29 and served with the 53rd Weather Squadron at Kindley Field, Bermuda. Converted to a TB-29 and served with the 3510th Combat Crew Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas. Sent to China Lake for use as a Target in 1956. Aircraft recovered in poor condition in the 1980's. Nose glass frame and numerous parts missing. Fully restored and complete with gun turrets in 1990 and put on display with it's original markings. A new display hangar is being constructed and the aircraft will eventually be moved indoors.
2. 42-93967 B-29A-15-BN DARK SLIDE Georgia Veterans State Park, Cordele, Georgia. F-13 photo recon aircraft. Recovered from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the 1970's. Aircraft is improperly marked and on outdoor display. Interior is vandalized. The only remaining F-13. This aircraft is a combat vetern.
3. 44-27297 B-29-35-MO BOCKSCAR USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. 509th Composite Group aircraft that dropped the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki August 9, 1945. Put into storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona in September 1946. There was some confusion between this aircraft and The Great Artiste . Reportedly, The Great Artiste was originally earmarked as the Nagasaki bomber and was to be set aside for preservation. Some photographs show Bockscar in storage with The Great Artiste's numbers on the fuselage. Last flight was in September 1961 from DMAFB to the USAF Museum (with the number 89 on the fuselage). Aircraft is fully restored and on permanent display in it's correct markings. The original Great Artiste was damaged in a landing accident on September 3, 1948 at Goose Bay, Labrador. The aircraft was scrapped on the base.
4. 44-27343 B-29-40-MO TINKER HERITAGE Tinker AFB Air Park, Oklahoma. Name on aircraft is not original. No gun turrets installed. Recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. Outdoor display.
5. 44-61535 B-29A-35-BN RAZ'N HELL Castle Air Museum, California. This aircraft is assembled from 3 airframe wrecks recovered from China Lake. 44-6135 - tail,
44-84084 - wings, 44-70064 fuselage. Upper forward gun turret is an improper type. Outdoor display.
6. 44-61669 B-29A-40-BN FLAGSHIP 500 (previously carried the name THE MISSION INN) March Field Museum, Riverside, California. Served with 581st Air resupply Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Sent to China Lake as a target on 18 March 1956. Recovered from China Lake between 1981 and 1982. Outdoor display. No gun turrets installed.
7. 44-61671 B-29A-40-BN THE GREAT ARTISTE Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Name not original to the aircraft. This aircraft was the original SB-29 Air/Sea Rescue aircraft. Recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds and put on display at Pease AFB, New Hampshire until that base closed. Outdoor display.
8. 44-61748 B-29A-45-BN IT'S HAWG WILD American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England. Aircraft assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa in March 1952. Flew 105 combat missions over North Korea. Sent to China Lake as a target in November 1956. Donated to the Imperial War Museum by the US Navy in 1979. Recovered from China Lake on November 16, 1979 after being made flyable and flown to Tucson, Arizona for further restoration by Aero Services. On February 16, 1980, the aircraft was flown to Flint, Missouri. On March 2, 1980, the aircraft arrived at Duxford via Loring, Maine; Gander, Newfoundland; Sondestrom Fjord, Greenland; Keflavik, Iceland; and Mildenhall, UK. Severe corrosion was found in the bomb bay area requiring extensive repairs. Exterior was eventually repainted in its wartime configuration and the aircraft was fully restored. On permanent indoor display.
9. 44-61975 B-29A-55-BN JACK'S HACK New England Air Museum; Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Name not original to aircraft. Used at training command at several different bases until 1954. Converted to an operational bomber and stationed for 2 years at RAF Molesworth, UK. Sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland in 1956. Recovered from Aberdeen in June 1973 by members of the Bradley Air Museum (later to be renamed the New England Air Museum). Put on outdoor display. Severely damaged by a tornado in 1979. Wing spar bent; damage to tail assembly, and one engine torn off. Partially repaired and left on display missing outboard wing assemblies. Full restoration began in 1998 sponsored by the 58th Bomb Wing Association. Aircraft is in final stages of an extensive and thorough restoration and is now displayed in the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial Hangar.
10. 44-622022 B-29A-60-BN PEACHY Fred E. Weisbrod Museum, Colorado. Originally named Laggin Dragon (not the 509th aircraft of the same name). Recovered from China Lake in 1972. Flight deck recently restored and exterior polished. Moved to an indoor display hangar in May 2001. No gun turrets.
11. 44-62070 B-29A-60-BN FIFI Commemorative Air Force; Midland, Texas. Name not original to the aircraft. First B-29 recovered from China Lake. Flown out after 9 weeks of maintenance on August 3, 1971. FAA certified on September 25, 1974. Restored and flyable. Major overhaul in 1991 at Boeing in Seattle. Gun turrets are empty casings. Tail code was never carried by any B-29 unit. The large A in a black square is in honor of Vic Agather who spearheaded the effort to get the aircraft from China Lake. Modern avionics installed. Major restoration in 2005. Aircraft grounded awaiting funding for engine overhaul / modification as of Nov 2007.
12. 44-62220 B-29A-70-BN JOLTIN JOSIE THE PACIFIC PIONEER Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. Name not original to aircraft. Originally displayed at Kelly AFB until it closed. No gun turrets installed. Outdoor display.
13. 44-69729 B-29-60-BW T Square 54 on tail. Aircraft was a crew rotational B-29 and never carried a name. Flew 36 missions with the 73rd BW, 498th BG, 875th BS out of Saipan. Eventually modified as a re-fueler and served in Korea. Recovered from China Lake in 1986. Assembled and displayed at Lowery AFB, Colorado. Obtained by the Museum of Flight, Seattle when Lowery closed. Extensive restoration in progress back to factory original condition. All systems will be functional. Aircraft is outdoors in museum storage area.
14. 44-69972 B-29-70-BW DOC Owned by the United States Aviation Museum. Aircraft is currently located at the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kansas. July 1951 assigned to the 7th Radar Calibration Squadron. February 1955 assigned to the 17th Tow Target Squadron; Yuma, AZ. Flown to China Lake for use as a target on 14 March 1956. Recovered from China Lake in April 1998. Aircraft was missing numerous parts including a prop and the vertical stabilizer, which had been cut off. Initially the aircraft was towed over a 3-day period to the US Aviation Museum grounds in Inyokern, California. Restoration to flyable status was the goal, but the facilities at Inyorkern were not sufficient to support restoration in the elements. Boeing volunteered to restore the aircraft and it was shipped to Wichita for complete restoration to flyable condition. The aircraft is nearing re-assembly as of Jan 2003. The New England Air Museum has donated their flyable vertical stabilizer from 44-61975 for use on Doc . The original stabilizer from Doc will be cosmetically rebuilt and installed on the NEAM's B-29. In March 2007 the aircraft was moved to the ramp outside of the Kansas Aviation Museum and is now in the elements.
15. 44-70016 B-29-75-BW SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona. Flew 31 combat missions from Guam. Saw service with the 4713th Radar Evaluation Electronics Countermeasures Flight and carried the Disney name Dopey . Originally displayed at the main gate of Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ. Over the years, the aircraft deteriorated and the base was going to scrap the aircraft. A suggestion was made to donate it to the newly formed Pima Air Museum behind the base. The aircraft has since been fully restored and is on indoor display.
16. 44-70049 B-29-75-BW Owned by Kermit Weeks and in desert storage at Aero Trader, Borrego Springs, California. Originally obtained from Disney Studios. One of 4 B-29's obtained by Disney from China Lake for use in the movie The Last flight of Noah's Ark . Two of the airframes were destroyed making the film.
17. 44-70113 B-29-80-BW SWEET ELOISE On outdoor display at the main gate of Dobbins ARB, Georgia. Name on aircraft is not original. This aircraft was originally named Marilyn Gay during WWII. It was renamed Hoof Hearted after the war during it's service in England. The B-29 Superfortress Association named the aircraft Sweet Eloise in a ceremony in the 1990's. Originally stationed in Saipan with the 73rd BW, 500BG, 883rd BS. Shot down 3 fighters and possibly 3 more. Flew 27 combat missions and 5 POW missions. Sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1956. Recovered in 1973 and moved in pieces to the now defunct Florence Air and Missile Museum in South Carolina. Aircraft was left in the open disassembled until 1989. After reassembly, while aircraft was being towed to its display spot, the fuselage split at two seams and collapsed. The museum hadn't properly bolted the fuselage sections together and the plane could not stand the strain. The aircraft was abandoned where it fell. Further damage was caused by Hurricane Hugo. The nose section was rolled onto its side. The aircraft lay derelict until obtained by the B-29 Superfortress Association at Dobbins ARB. This group had formed with the intention of getting and displaying a B-29 at Dobbins ARB. After failing to get Enola Gay from the Smithsonian (and several other B-29's), they were able to obtain the Florence aircraft. The components were removed and sent to various vo-tech schools for restoration - never a good sign. Restoration was conducted between 1994-1996. The aircraft is now on display at the main entrance to Dobbins ARB and illuminated at night. Cosmetic restoration only. Nothing was attempted on the interior. The nose glass is an aluminum fake. The side blisters are from a Burger King children's play area. Gun turrets are fake with plastic pipe for guns. Missing hatches were plated over. Entire aircraft is painted gray/white. The name and nose art was never carried by this aircraft, although it does have the number and tail code it wore in WWII. This aircraft was a lead ship, yet the dorsal stripe was not applied. Outdoor display.
18. 44-84053 B-29-55-BA BONNIE LEE Museum of Aviation, Georgia. Name not original to the aircraft. Recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1983. All records prior to 1956 for this aircraft were lost. Aircraft is painted gloss silver and is on indoor display. No gun turrets installed.
19. 44-84076 B-29B-60-BA MAN O' WAR Strategic Air and Space Museum, Nebraska. Aircraft was recently put on indoor display. Underside painted black. No gun turrets installed. Undergoing restoration (2005).
20. 44-86292 B-29-45-MO ENOLA GAY National Air and Space Museum / Paul Garber Restoration and Storage Facility, Maryland. 509th Composite Group aircraft. Dropped the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB; Tucson, AZ on July 24, 1946 after going on a cross-country tour. Flown by Paul Tibbets to Park Ridge, Illinois and deeded over to the Smithsonian Institution on July 3, 1949. Flown to Pyote AFB, Texas and again put into storage with the B-17 Swoose on January 12, 1952. Final flight of the aircraft was on December 2, 1953 to Andrews AFB, Washington DC. Aircraft was put into outdoor storage (again with the Swoose ) on the base and was heavily vandalized over the years. On August 10, 1960 workers began to disassemble the aircraft and it was finally moved into indoor storage at the Garber facility on July 21, 1961. Restoration began on December 5, 1984 and was completed in 2002. Aircraft has been restored to it’s Aug 6th, 1945 configuration. The aircraft is now displayed at the new Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport.
21. 44-86408 B-29-55-MO HAGARTYS HAG Hill AFB Museum, Utah. Name not original to the aircraft. Took part in air sampling during the atomic bomb tests in the Pacific. Sent to Dugway Proving Ground in 1953. Used for chemical testing, then abandoned. Recovered from Dugway aprox. 1983. Aircraft had faint 6th Bomb Group Markings. On outdoor display. Aircraft has areas of heavy corrosion. False (non-conforming) gun turrets installed.
22. 44-87627 B-29-80-BW BOSSIER CITY 8th Air Force Museum, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Name not original. Originally recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Outdoor display with no gun turrets.
23. 44-87779 B-29-90-BW LEGAL EAGLE II South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. No gun turrets installed. Improperly marked with WWII era 6th BG markings and Korean War era United States Air Force on the fuselage. Outdoor display. Aircraft was polished several years ago.
24. 45-21739 B-29-90-BW UNIFICATION KIA Aerospace Museum, Sanchon, South Korea. Name not original to the aircraft. Recovered from China Lake and donated to the UN Korean War Allies Association Museum; Seoul, South Korea in 1972. Originally on outdoor display carrying it’s markings from it’s use as a training aircraft. A large number 48 on the vertical stabilizer. There is rumor that it has been moved to an indoor display in 2005.
25. 45-21748 B-29-97-BW DUKE OF ALBUQUEQUE (name does not appear on the aircraft). National Atomic Museum, New Mexico. Name not original to the aircraft. Briefly served with the 509th from Dec 1946 to Aug 1947. Used as a ground training aircraft at Chanute AFB, Illinois. Eventually put on display as Enola Gay. Aircraft was disassembled and moved to the NAM when Chanute closed in August 1993. Aircraft is on outdoor display and in poor condition. Entire plane is painted gray including the props. Aircraft is currently on Kirtland AFB at the old museum site awaiting transfer to the new museum.
26. 45-21787 B-29-95-BW FERTILE MYRTLE International Sport Flying Museum, Florida. This aircraft was one of the NACA test drop airplanes stationed at Edwards AFB, California. It was used to drop the D-558-II. Was eventually owned by the American Air Museum in Oakland, California and maintained in flyable condition. Was used in the movie The Right Stuff . Severe wing spar corrosion grounded the plane and it was sold to Kermit Weeks. He had the nose section put on display in his Florida Museum while the rest of the aircraft was put into storage at Aero Trader in Borrego Springs, California. The nose section was heavily damaged in Hurricane Hugo and subsequently vandalized before it was recovered. It has since been restored and completely re-skinned. It was on display at Kermit Weeks Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida. Reportedly part of his collection including this nose section was sold to the International Sport Flying Museum. This B-29 is a complete airframe although the components are in different locations.
PARTIAL AIRFRAMES ON DISPLAY OR IN STORAGE
1. 42-24791 B-29-50-BW THE BIG TIME OPERATOR Nose section in storage at the Seattle Museum of Flight. Other components are stored at the USAF Museum. This aircraft flew numerous missions in WWII. Nose was displayed at the now closed Beale AFB Museum, California. Nose was used as a source of parts for the Museum of Flight's B-29 restoration. Derelict behind the NEAM.
2. 44-61739 B-29A-50-BN In storage at the Museum of Aviation, Georgia. Nose section only. Recovered from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
3. 44-62139 B-29A-65-BN COMMAND DECISION USAF Museum, Ohio. Name not original to this aircraft. Forward fuselage only. Set up as a walk through display.
4. 44-69957 B-29-70-BW United States Aviation Museum; Inyokern, California. Severely damaged and gutted nose section recovered from China Lake. This aircraft took a direct hit from a weapons test.
5. 44-70102 B-29-75-BW HERE'S HOPIN China Lake NAS. Originally recovered by the United State Aviation Museum after the recovery of Doc . Reportedly this aircraft has been re-acquired by the Navy at China Lake for incorporation into the China Lake NAS Museum. Large holes in fuselage with the aft section missing from the rear bomb bay.
6. 44-84084 B-29-60-BA Owned by Kermit Weeks. One of the B-29's recovered from China Lake by Disney. Components are in storage at Aero Trader, Borrego Springs, California. Wings are installed on 44-61535.
IDENTIFIED WRECKS
1. 42-656287 B-29-25-MO Underwater off of Aquadilla, Puerto Rico. Tail number not confirmed, but a recent survey of the wreck and the fact that the fuselage is broken in half corresponds to the accident report of aircraft 42-65287. No recovery is planned.
2. 44-62214 LADY OF THE LAKE Submerged in pond on Eielson AFB, Alaska. Name not original to this aircraft and is simply a name the aircraft is referred to as. Aircraft was damaged on landing after a gear failure on April 7, 1956. Aircraft was deemed not worthy of repair. After it was cannibalized for parts, it was towed to a frozen pond for use as a ditched aircraft trainer . The pond turned out to be deeper than anyone thought and the aircraft is almost totally submerged. No recovery is planned.
3. 45-21768 B-29-95-BW KEE BIRD Modified as an F-13. Became lost on a recon mission after taking off from Ladd AFB, Alaska in 1947. Ran low on fuel and belly landed on a frozen lake in North West Greenland. Fuselage burned and abandoned after attempted recovery in May 1995. Wings, tail, engines, and props are still intact. Wreckage is visible in shallow water.
4. 45-21847 B-29-100-BW BEETLE BOMB Submerged in 250 feet of water in Lake Mead, Nevada. Aircraft ditched after flying to low and striking the surface of the lake. 3 engines broke away and the aircraft bounced 200feet back into the air before landing on the lake. Aircraft was flying a joint Army-Navy mission to measure gamma rays and radiation from the sun. No loss of life. In August 2002, the aircraft was located using sonar and a ROV. Divers explored the wreck. Aircraft is largely intact and well preserved. Tail section and nose damaged. Engines #2, #3, and #4 broke away on impact. The Park Service will not permit recovery.
MISCELLANEOUS B-29 INFORMATION
* Tupolev TU-4 B-29 copy. Outdoor display at the Monino Air Museum, Moscow, Russia.
* 28606501 Tupolev TU-4 B-29 copy. AWACS version with turboprop engines. Outdoor display at the China Air Museum, Beijing, China. This aircraft was viewed by a reunion of AVG pilots touring China in 1995.
* 44-62203 This aircraft was listed as a Superfortress survivor at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1972. Fate of this aircraft is unknown - probably scrapped. All of the other tail numbers listed with this aircraft were saved.
* 42-24592 B-29-40-BW DAUNTLESS DOTTY Tail marked as A Square 1. Colonel Robert Morgan's (Memphis Belle) B-29. This aircraft crashed in the ocean shortly after take-off from Kwajalein Island on its return flight to the states. The crew assigned to ferry the aircraft home was fatigued and suppose to spend the night on Kwajalein. Instead, they chose to press on to Hawaii. The tide had come in and water was flowing across a low spot on the runway. It has been speculated that the aircraft lost take-off speed when it plowed through this water. An effort, sponsored by the Memphis Belle Association is underway to find and photograph the wreck.
* Rumors of numerous B-29 wrecks on the island of Guam. One supposedly is intact in the jungle. Another B-29 fuselage is visible in an area where damaged aircraft were dumped.
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