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Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Boeing · Bomber · USA · WWII (1939–1945)

Boeing B-29 Superfortress — Bomber
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The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engine, propeller-driven, heavy bomber designed by Boeing and produced from 1943 to 1946. With approximately 3,970 airframes built, the B-29 was the most technologically ambitious bomber to enter service in WWII and the platform that conducted the U.S. long-range bombing campaign against Japan in 1944-1945, including the atomic-bomb missions against Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August 1945). The aircraft introduced multiple firsts — pressurised cabin (allowing high-altitude flights without crew oxygen masks), remote-controlled gun turrets fired by central fire-control system, computer-assisted bombing system, and high-altitude fuel-injected radial engines.

The XB-29 prototype first flew on 21 September 1942. The aircraft was developed under an extraordinary $3 billion programme — the most-expensive U.S. weapons-development project of WWII, exceeding the Manhattan Project itself in development cost. The B-29 was much larger and more potent than predecessor heavy bombers: 99 ft long, 141 ft wingspan, 105,000 lb empty weight (vs B-17's 36,135 lb), 20,000 lb maximum bomb load (vs B-17's 8,000 lb), and 4,500 mile range (vs B-17's 2,000 nm). Four Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone 18-cylinder radial engines (2,200 hp each) powered the aircraft to 357 mph at 30,000 ft — a remarkable cruise altitude that put the B-29 above most Japanese fighter and flak performance ceilings.

The B-29's combat record covers the long-range bombing campaign against Japan. The first B-29 raid on Japan was 14-15 June 1944 (XX Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force, against the Yawata steelworks in Kyushu — limited results from extreme range from China bases). XXI Bomber Command flights from the Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian, Guam) began November 1944 and ramped up rapidly. Major General Curtis LeMay's doctrinal revision (March 1945) changed B-29 operations from high-altitude precision daylight bombing to low-altitude (5,000-9,000 ft) night incendiary bombing, dramatically increasing damage to Japanese cities. The 9-10 March 1945 firebombing of Tokyo killed about 100,000 civilians — the deadliest single air raid in history. Subsequent firebombing raids destroyed most of Japan's major industrial cities. The atomic-bomb missions on Hiroshima (B-29 "Enola Gay", 6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (B-29 "Bockscar", 9 August 1945) led directly to Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945.

Major variants included the B-29A (1944, ~1,119 built, slightly modified airframe), B-29B (1944-1945, modified for low-altitude radar bombing missions, ~310 built), F-13A / RB-29 (photo-reconnaissance variant, used during Korean War), KB-29 (aerial-refuelling tanker variants, used 1948-1957), and the post-WWII B-50 Superfortress (essentially a re-engined B-29 with Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines, 371 built, last U.S. propeller-engined bomber in production). Soviet Tupolev reverse-engineered the B-29 (after three damaged B-29s force-landed in Vladivostok 1944) into the Tupolev Tu-4 'Bull' (~847 built between 1947 and 1952) — the first Soviet long-range heavy bomber. Last U.S. B-29 retirement was Korean War-era (1953); foreign post-WWII operators included USSR (Tu-4), Royal Air Force (88 B-29 Washington Mk I, 1950-1955), Argentina, and Brazil. Around 3 B-29 airframes are airworthy in 2026 ("FIFI" of the Commemorative Air Force, 'Doc' of Doc's Friends, plus several partial-restoration projects).

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The B-29 Superfortress was the biggest American bomber of World War II. It was bigger than the B-17 Flying Fortress and could fly higher, faster, and farther than any other bomber of its time. Each one was longer than a basketball court.

The B-29 was the first bomber with a sealed cabin full of fresh air. This let the crew fly above 30,000 feet without wearing oxygen masks. The plane also had remote-controlled machine gun turrets. Gunners aimed them with joysticks from inside the cabin, like an early video game.

About 4,000 B-29s were built between 1943 and 1946. They flew the longest bombing trips of the war. Taking off from islands in the Pacific Ocean, they flew thousands of miles to Japan and back. The most famous B-29 was named Enola Gay. It dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945, which helped end the war.

After the war, B-29s kept flying for many years. The Soviet Union even copied the design exactly. When three U.S. B-29s landed in Russia by accident, Soviet engineers took them apart and built their own version called the Tu-4.

Today only two B-29s still fly. One is named FIFI and the other is Doc — both fly to airshows across America.

Fun Facts

  • The B-29 was so big that it weighed over 130,000 pounds when fully loaded with bombs and fuel — about as much as 20 elephants.
  • Each B-29 had a pressurized cabin like a modern airliner, so the crew didn't need oxygen masks at high altitude.
  • The plane's machine guns were remote-controlled — gunners aimed them with joysticks from inside the cabin.
  • Only 4,000 B-29s were built — far fewer than the 12,000 B-17s.
  • Two B-29s named Enola Gay and Bockscar dropped the atomic bombs that ended World War II.
  • Russia copied the B-29 design exactly and built 850 of their own version called the Tu-4 Bull.
  • Today only two B-29s still fly, both lovingly restored — they visit airshows across America.

Kids’ Questions

Why was the B-29 so much more advanced than the B-17?

The B-29 was a brand-new design with technology the B-17 didn't have. It had a pressurized cabin, computer-controlled gun turrets, much longer range, and could fly higher than any other airplane of its time. The downside was that the B-29 was very complicated — its big engines often caught fire. The B-17 was simpler and more reliable, but the B-29 could do things no other plane could.

Why did Russia copy the B-29?

During World War II, three American B-29s had to make emergency landings in Soviet (Russian) territory. The Soviet Union and the United States were allies at the time, but the Soviets didn't return the planes. Instead, they took them apart down to every last screw and rivet, measured everything, and built their own exact copy called the Tu-4. They even reproduced the same shaped patches on a damaged wing! It took the Soviet engineers about three years to figure out how to build it.

Variants

B-29 (initial production)
Initial production variant. Wright R-3350-23 engines. ~2,540 built. Backbone of XX / XXI Bomber Command missions against Japan in WWII.
B-29A
Improved 1944 variant. Slightly modified airframe with revised wing structure. ~1,119 built. Flew with USAAF Twentieth Air Force.
B-29B
Low-altitude variant. Stripped of most defensive armament (kept tail turret only) for reduced weight, optimised for AN/APQ-7 Eagle radar bombing. ~310 built. Used for night-incendiary firebombing of Japan in 1945.
F-13A / RB-29
Photo-reconnaissance variant. Cameras replaced bomb-bay equipment; defensive armament retained. ~120 conversions. Used in Korean War period.
KB-29 / B-50 / Tu-4
KB-29: aerial-refuelling tanker variant (used 1948-1957 for Strategic Air Command). B-50: post-WWII re-engined variant with R-4360 Wasp Major engines, 371 built. Tu-4: Soviet reverse-engineered B-29 copy, ~847 built 1947-1952.

Notable Operators

United States Army Air Forces / U.S. Air Force
Sole WWII operator. XX Bomber Command (China-based, 1944), XXI Bomber Command (Marianas-based, late 1944-1945), Twentieth Air Force overall. Post-WWII Strategic Air Command operated B-29 / B-50 / KB-29 through 1957.
Royal Air Force
88 B-29 Washington Mk I airframes operated 1950-1955. Used as interim long-range bomber pending Vickers Valiant / Avro Vulcan / Handley Page Victor V-bomber service entry. Returned to U.S. forces 1955.
Soviet Air Force
Tu-4 'Bull' (reverse-engineered B-29 copy). ~847 Tu-4 built 1947-1952; gave the USSR its first long-range nuclear-bombing platform. Operated through 1965; replaced by Tu-95 'Bear' and other types. Inspiration for Soviet long-range bomber design through the 1960s.
Civilian / preservation
Around 3 airworthy B-29s in 2026: 'FIFI' of the Commemorative Air Force (Texas), 'Doc' of Doc's Friends Inc. (Wichita, Kansas; also occasionally airworthy), and a small number of partial restorations. ~22 static museum B-29 airframes survive worldwide. The 'Enola Gay' (Tinian-based atomic-bomb B-29) is at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center; 'Bockscar' (Nagasaki atomic-bomb B-29) is at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the B-29 a revolutionary aircraft?

Multiple firsts in a single airframe. Pressurised cabin — the first U.S. frontline bomber with a sealed pressurised crew compartment, allowing high-altitude flights without crew oxygen masks. Remote-controlled gun turrets — the gun barrels were physically remote from gunners, who fired electrically via a central fire-control system that calculated lead, range, and altitude corrections automatically. Computer-assisted bombing — the AN/APQ-7 Eagle radar (later AN/APQ-13 Mickey radar) gave the crew a radar-bombsight for night flights. High-altitude fuel-injected radial engines — the Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone produced 2,200 hp at altitude through complex turbocharging. The combination produced an aircraft of dramatically superior performance to the contemporary B-17 Flying Fortress.

What was the Tokyo firebombing?

The 9-10 March 1945 raid on Tokyo by 279 B-29s of XXI Bomber Command. The raid used incendiary bombs (mostly M-69 napalm cluster bombs) at low altitude (5,000-9,000 ft), at night, to ignite Tokyo's wooden civilian housing. About 16 square miles of central Tokyo were destroyed; estimated 100,000 Japanese civilians killed (mostly through fire / asphyxiation). The raid is the deadliest single air raid in history, exceeding either the Hiroshima or Nagasaki atomic bombings in immediate civilian deaths. Subsequent firebombing raids of similar scale on Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Yokohama, and other Japanese industrial cities destroyed approximately 30% of Japan's urban-industrial base by August 1945.

What were the atomic-bomb B-29s?

The two B-29s that delivered atomic weapons to Japan. Enola Gay (B-29-45-MO, 44-86292): a 509th Composite Group B-29 modified for atomic-bomb delivery, named after pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets's mother. Dropped 'Little Boy' uranium-235 bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Bockscar (B-29-35-MO, 44-27297): a similar modified B-29 of the 509th, named for its commander Captain Frederick Bock. Dropped 'Fat Man' plutonium bomb on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Both aircraft survive: Enola Gay is at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center; Bockscar is at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

How does the B-29 compare to the B-17?

Different generations and different performance envelopes. The B-17 Flying Fortress was the principal U.S. heavy bomber of 1942-1944 European theatre missions — mature design, well-tested, but limited in altitude / range / payload. The B-29 was the next-generation long-range bomber: pressurised cabin, computer-controlled defensive armament, twice the bomb load, greater range, higher altitude. The B-17 was used through 1945 in Europe; the B-29 was the dominant Pacific-theatre long-range bomber from late 1944. The B-17 was the more numerous WWII heavy bomber (12,731 vs 3,970), but each B-29 airframe delivered far more bomb load over far longer ranges.

What was the Tupolev Tu-4?

The Soviet reverse-engineered copy of the B-29. After three damaged B-29s force-landed in Vladivostok in 1944 (and were not returned to the U.S.), Stalin ordered the Soviet aviation industry to produce an exact copy. Andrei Tupolev's design bureau took five years (1944-1949) to reverse-engineer the design and produce ~847 Tu-4 'Bull' aircraft (1947-1952). The Tu-4 gave the USSR its first long-range nuclear-bombing platform and the airframe basis for the subsequent Tu-95 'Bear' and other Soviet long-range bombers. The Tu-4 is one of the landmark Soviet aircraft programmes — essentially a complete national copy of a frontline U.S. weapons system.

How many B-29s are still flying?

About 3 airworthy in 2026 — 'FIFI' of the Commemorative Air Force (Texas), 'Doc' of Doc's Friends (Wichita, Kansas), and a small number of partial-restoration projects. The B-29's complex systems (Wright R-3350 engines, pressurised cabin, computer-controlled defensive armament) make airworthy operation expensive and demanding. The static museum population is ~22 airframes worldwide, including the 'Enola Gay' at the Smithsonian and 'Bockscar' at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

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