B-29s Both Drab & Not So Drab.....

[mtpopejoy]

Just found this pic online...

Any idea what the camel "kill markings" represent?

[Swiss Mustangs]

cargo flights over the hump (CBI)

Martin

[mtpopejoy]

cargo flights over the hump (CBI)

Martin

Thank you sir.

[Second Air Force]

Jesse,

I found the instructions for my old Scalemaster sheet:


You can still find these on ebay quite often. The rudder and elevators (and possibly the ailerons as well) were most often silver by the time the aircraft got to the CBI. I don't have a photo of Monsoon Goon to verify that, so do some research prior to painting.

[Django]

Martin, what is the bubble just aft of the cockpit on the one in England? Great photos!

[retroaviation]

...what is the bubble just aft of the cockpit on the one in England?

I believe that was a gun pod added to the side, much like some of the B-25's had.

Gary

[Second Air Force]

...what is the bubble just aft of the cockpit on the one in England?

I believe that was a gun pod added to the side, much like some of the B-25's had.

Gary

There's a B-32/B-24N style nose ball turret in the nose glazing if you look closely. That was an armament development airframe that was tested at Eglin and given up on as being too heavy. The side blisters are quite similar to the Erco blisters on the Privateer. I had no idea it ever left the CONUS. Interesting photo, Martin. I've got a close-up of the nose installation somewhere in the attic.

[Jesse C.]

Thanks for the good info and scan, SAF!

Now, on to ebay!

[Garth]

Jesse,

I found the instructions for my old Scalemaster sheet:

...

You can still find these on ebay quite often. The rudder and elevators (and possibly the ailerons as well) were most often silver by the time the aircraft got to the CBI. I don't have a photo of Monsoon Goon to verify that, so do some research prior to painting.

I know I've seen pictures of a built-up Monsoon Goon on the net somewhere. I did a google search and while I didn't find pics of the model, it did lead me to this site with a pretty good collection of both OD and Nat Metal B-29s:

http://www.444thbg.org/index.htm

[TonyM]

Jesse,

I found the instructions for my old Scalemaster sheet:

...

You can still find these on ebay quite often. The rudder and elevators (and possibly the ailerons as well) were most often silver by the time the aircraft got to the CBI. I don't have a photo of Monsoon Goon to verify that, so do some research prior to painting.

I know I've seen pictures of a built-up Monsoon Goon on the net somewhere. I did a google search and while I didn't find pics of the model, it did lead me to this site with a pretty good collection of both OD and Nat Metal B-29s:

http://www.444thbg.org/index.htm

A photo of Monogram's 1/48 scale B-29 painted OD and with Monsoon Goon decals can be found on page 68 of B-29 Superfortress in Detail and Scale by Alwyn T. Lloyd.

TonyM.

[Second Air Force]

I've posted this photos several times on different B-29 threads. If anyone has a serial number for this airplane I would be greatly in your debt:


She was with the 462nd Bombardment Group (VH) delivered new to Walker AAF, Kansas and went overseas with the group to the CBI. The first flight engineer of Old Man Mose was Lt. Marshall Teague. He was a USAC and Nascar driver after the war and the driving force behind the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" factory racing team in the early to mid fifties. He raced at the Indy 500 as well and won the Daytona Beach Race in a Hudson. Marshall was the first person to lose his life at the brand-new Daytona racetrack while testing the Sumar Special in '59. I was given the original of this photo, taken at the home base in India, by his widow, Mitzi. I would love to find the squadron assignment, ship-in-group number, and serial number of this old girl. It appears that she was sent home as a War Weary, but the serial number is the only way to track that information definitively.

Thanks in advance.

[dred]

...what is the bubble just aft of the cockpit on the one in England?

I believe that was a gun pod added to the side, much like some of the B-25's had.

Gary

Is it known if the pod was tied into the fire control system?

[Second Air Force]

dred,

The YB-29 in question was an experimental deal that was worked on at the same time as the CFC system that was finally adopted. There was a lot of speculation as to whether the GE system was going to work in a combat scenario, and various other turret systems were tested at the same time. The nose ball on this airplane was manned, of course, and the side blister guns look like they would have to be fired from some form of remote station. It is interesting that this airplane still retains the entire CFC turret installation in addition to the new pods, so the nose gunner may have controlled the entire forward battery. Another B-29, 42-24441, had two Martin uppers, two Sperry balls (in the normal turret locations), and an Emerson designed barbette set-up on either side of the nose far forward. This completely eliminated the CFC system, but wasn't adopted either. I'll have to try to find my photo of this airplane's nose, maybe we can figure out how the guns were sighted by studying the picture.