Warbird Information Exchange

anyone look up the SN of that 29? 44-##725?

_________________
S.

She's 44-69725, Smis. You also mentioned the nose wheel covers--they were "standard equipment" on the early production B-29s but were omitted later in production. It appears that the guys found a set to add to V43 as she was well beyond the date when they quit putting them on at the factories. Some late war wheels were never even machined for the Dzus fasteners that the caps attach to.

I would certainly like to see a serial number for the airplane that is getting a #3 propeller change. Notice that it has a cuffed Hamilton Standard unit installed. That is the first wartime photo that I have ever seen of the modified propeller in the combat zone. They were usually only seen on stateside trainers, installed per a T.O. to assist in engine cooling.

That F-5 photo with the Dominator in the background makes sense now that you've captioned it, aj2. The B-32s were stationed at Yontan at the end of the War so all the pieces fit.

Great photos and detective work, and thanks especially for that cuffed propeller picture!!
Scott

That is Ben's Raiders do you have the number for it?

Well, I don't think the airplane getting the prop change really is Ben's Raiders. If she were you would be able to see the "4" of her plane-in-squadron number beneath the cockpit. Also, no nosewheel hubcaps and the "NO SMOKING WITHIN 100 FEET" warning on the nose gear door is missing. The photos of Ben's Raiders all show her with the normal uncuffed propellers and the airplane getting worked on definitely has cuffs.

If you were asking about the serial of Ben's Raiders, she was B-29-60-BW 44-69725.

Scott

another very overlooked chapter in ww 2 history, & in europe too!!

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

You are right, they were delivering them sans fairing. I had never noticed that before. The best photo is the 1000th Boeing Wichita delivery set in the factory without fairing. I am seeing some block 1 through 10's with the fairing, though. And then later on with the Renton aerodynamically faired turrets. The early fairing is best shown with the photo of the first YB-29...http://www.airwar.ru/image/idop/bww2/b29/b29-4.jpg

_________________
Searching for B-29A-55-BN 44-61966 photo and history!

Only the shorter two-gun turret installed on the early production B-29s had fairings between the cover and fuselage. When the four-gun turret was designed you'll notice that it is a good bit taller, hence the "gap" between the cover and fuselage.

The final design with the streamlined dome and full fairings was only installed on very late Renton B-29s and on the B-50.

Scott

Scott, I just assumed that because its in the same series of photos and the writing on the back is the same it was Ben's Raider.
Do we have any interest in aerial photos of the POW camps????

Yes, post away! I've seen a couple of photos of POW camps taken from 315th Wing Superfortresses during drop operations. More is always better!

Scott

Here is a link to one, a little ways past half down the page, an aerial view of one of the camps being dropped on.
http://mofak.com/Hap%20Halloran-Hero.htm

_________________

Aviation Illustration Website
http://shepartstudio.com/illustration/

[b]Here are the last of the B-29 photos, notice this is a Rescue plane and that tiny raft....I decided to add these photos, this is a time he was flying Air-Sea rescue, this collection of photos starts in 1936 and runs through the sixties, so they bounce around a lot.

30


31


32


33



34


35


36


37


38

That Air Sea Rescue airplane is really interesting. I took the liberty of blowing the photo up and you can see the "United States Air Force" title appears to have been removed above the "RESCUE" lettering. I'm guessing 1950/'51 or so?

Scott

POW Camps in Japan

39


40


41


42

43


44