Why werent B-29's used in Europe??

This site covers the basics of that episode:

Russian B-29 Clone — The TU-4 Story, by Wayland Mayo, Page 10

Tupolev Tu-4....oddly familiar :P

 

I seem to recall that during WW2 a B 29 was shot up and was forced to land some where in Russia. The Russians interned the crew and refused to return the B 29 back to America.. It was robbed of all of it's secrets.
I also recall, that during the standoff in Germany with Russia. America threatened to bring in the B 29.. That was the only plane equipped to drop the atom bomb at that time.


Pretty much Franek.

As the soviets where neutrals with Japan. The aircraft where interned. Technically they there right to do so.

Crazy I know. Millions of tons of ordance sent to the Russians, They wouldnt give back the Bomber.

Tu- 4 is supposed to be a nut and bolt copy. must have scared the shit out of Stalin.

Kev

 

Here is a pic of the bombbay



Years ago, I was able to crawl around inside Fifi, the only flying B-29 left. I did not remember there being a split bomb bay.

You know what Icouldnt understand this. I was postive it had the spar through the bay.

I dont know the the history of Fifi but from Wikipedalpedia, about project silverplate to build the aircraft to carry the nuclear bombs.

Initial phase
The project was initiated in October 1943 when Dr. Norman F. Ramsey, a member of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Group E-7, identified the B-29 Superfortress as the only airplane in the U.S. inventory capable of carrying either type of the proposed weapons shapes: the tubular "gun-type fission weapon" shape and the oval plutonium implosion weapon shape.[1]:6 Furthermore, because the attachment box for the main wing spars was located between the bomb bays on the B-29, the gun-type weapon could only be a maximum of 2 ft (0.6 m) in diameter.

and

Modifications to the bomb bays were extensive and time-consuming. Its four 12 ft (3.7 m) bomb bay doors and the fuselage section between the bays were removed and a single 33 ft (10 m) bomb bay configured (the length of the gun-type shape was approximately 17 ft (5.2 m)). New bomb suspensions and bracing were attached for both shape types, with the gun-type suspension anchored in the aft bomb bay (although its length protruded into the forward bay) and the implosion type mounted in the forward bay.[1]:8 Separate twin-release mechanisms were mounted in each bay, using modified glider tow-cable attach-and-release mechanisms.[1]:9 To document the tests, motion picture camera mounts were installed in the rear bay.[2]
The modifications were made using the dummy bomb shapes as models, and the gun-type shape (code-named Thin Man) proved to be a very close fit. All modifications were made by hand and the process required more than 6000 man-hours of labour[


????

Kev

 

This drawing from an operations manual for a B-29 shows the bomb bay was split

 

I just didn't remember it, didn't say it wasn't.

Don't the two sets of doors but up to each other?

 

Nope :p

To be fair, I have walked around the B-29 at Duxford (It's Hawg Wild) many many times and never knew they had a split bomb bay (until I just looked it up)

 

That big wingspar had to run through somewhere. They didn't have that problem with the B-24s, but 40 years later it was the same thing with the B-1.

Design is compromise (won't rhyme but it's true anyway!)

 

According to the blurb some did have a single bomb bay, converted for silverplate.

 

Courtesy of 'life'

Ordance man inserting fuse into 500-lb. demolition bomb in bomb bay of B-29. June 1944.

 

Actually one B-29 was send to England in order to fool the japanese. They were wondering if B-29 would be deployed on the Pacific.
I think the plane landed in Glatton at March 1944.

 

That big wingspar had to run through somewhere. They didn't have that problem with the B-24s, but 40 years later it was the same thing with the B-1.

Design is compromise (won't rhyme but it's true anyway!)

The B-36 had a wing spar through the Bombay as well. I tried to take a picture of it but there was too much pidgeon netting in the way to get a clear shot

 

Courtesy of 'life'

Ordance man inserting fuse into 500-lb. demolition bomb in bomb bay of B-29. June 1944.


Another great photo! The shiny cylinder on top is the fore and aft pressurised communication tunnel.

 

Thats the rear bombbay I think , check out the domed pressure cabin.

What an amazing aircraft!

Kev

 

The B-36 had a wing spar through the Bombay as well. I tried to take a picture of it but there was too much pidgeon netting in the way to get a clear shot


Yea, not much you can do really.

The Lanc on runs right through the crew cabin right by the navs station.

Kev

 

Its a surprise that nothing is wrote on the bombs, i mean some "smartass" phrase like "Hey there Tojo", or "Thats for Perl".

 

Too many bombs dropped already and to be dropped for that kind of game

 

B-29 at Chinese base, revving giant propellers as it prepares to bomb Japan. China 1944.

 

Bombardier in B-29 bombing raid Ansham, Manchuria during WWII. 1944.

 

Planes fr. 58th Bombardment Wing lined up at West Field. 1945.

 

The prototype shown visiting USAAF Glatton was one of 14 produced at the US government owned plant at Boeing Wichita, Kansas.The 14 prototypes were only ready to fly in the autumn of 1943 for assessment at the Accelerated Service Test Branch at Smokey Hill, Kansas.Engine refinements meant that there was a delay in main production which did not reach production targets until the middle of 1944.By the end of 1943,only one production B 29 had flown long range and less than 70 B 29 pilots had completed training and validation.Previous to that The three flight experimental XB 29s had only been ready be test flown in the new year of 1942 with continous refined engineering applied from feedback from the RAF experience of bombing operations and air warfare over the European mainland.

This background to the developement and production of the B 29 illustrates the reason why the aircraft could not be utilised in the offensive against Germany.The aircraft was chosen to carry the offensive to Japan which up to as late as 1943 had seen the Allies restricted to a defensive policy of holding Japanese expansion.The B 29 was seen as the weapon to severely affect the Japanese war economy from remote bases in the South Pacific and China and this could only start when bomber squadrons and crews could be formed to match the aircraft production rates.

I think the arrival of the YB 29 at Glatton was part of the assessment of the aircraft to undertake the long range operations so essential to prove the specification for the aircraft's future role in the Pacific.Apart from the use of newly constructed Chinese bases,on which there was quite a debate over costs back charged to the US by the Chinese goverment,(the US considered that they were charged double the true costs),the US also drew up plans to operate out of the Calcutta area as an option against failure to make progress in capturing "island hopping" sites in the Pacific.