Was the b29 ever used in Europe?

By the time the B-29 was operational, it was of little use in Europe. The B-29 was designed as a high-altitude long-range bomber. High altitude bombing at the time meant area bombing, and after Dresden that kind of bombing of European cities was politically unpopular.

Did any B-29s fly in Europe?

The primary reason that B-29s were not deployed to Europe was the inertia in the logistics pipeline.

Was the b29 a good plane?

Considered the most advanced bombers in the world, the B-29s had pressurized cabins, remote control gun placements and 2,200-horsepower engines — the most powerful piston engines of the time. Able to fly over 3,000 miles, up to 16 hours, these bombers were just what the Allies needed to target Japan.

Where was the B-29 built?

Building this advanced bomber required massive logistics. Boeing built new B-29 plants at Renton, Washington, and Wichita, Kansas, while Bell built a new plant at Marietta, Georgia, and Martin built one in Omaha, Nebraska.

What replaced the b29?

A strategic reconnaissance version of the B-50B, the RB-50, was developed in 1949 to replace the aging RB-29s used by SAC in its intelligence gathering operations against the Soviet Union. In 1953 the Air Force started replacing its aging WB-29 weather reconnaissance aircraft with modified B-50Ds.

What is the historical background of the B-29 bomber?

Historical Snapshot. Boeing submitted the proposal for the B-29 long-range heavy bomber to the Army in 1940, before the United States entered World War II. One of the most technologically advanced airplanes of World War 2, the B-29 had many new features, including guns that could be fired by remote control.

What was the purpose of the B-29 Superfortress?

Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Superfortress was designed for high-altitude strategic bombing but also excelled in low-altitude night incendiary bombing. B-29s also dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to the end of World War II.

How many B-29s were lost in WW2?

During 1945 the XXI Bomber Command executed 315 B-29 missions, losing a total of 279 planes for an average of 0.9 B-29s lost per mission (the Mission Loss Rate).

How many B-29s did Boeing build?

Boeing built a total of 2,766 B-29s at plants in Wichita, Kan., (previously the Stearman Aircraft Co., merged with Boeing in 1934) and in Renton, Wash.