Sign-In
Cart
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Paperback
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 2372973576
ISBN13: 9782372973571
Publisher: Edizioni R.E.I. France
Published: Feb 8 2019
Pages: 174
Weight: 0.46
Height: 0.37 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
ISBN13: 9782372973571
Publisher: Edizioni R.E.I. France
Published: Feb 8 2019
Pages: 174
Weight: 0.46
Height: 0.37 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
New edition completely revised and updated. The Boeing B 29 Superfortress will be remembered as the aircraft to have used the atomic weapon in action during the war: it was, in fact, aircraft of this type that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan to surrender in August 1945.
The Superfortress was designed for high-altitude strategic bombing, but also excelled in low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing and the dropping of naval mines to blockade Japan.
One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 was designed with cutting-edge technology, which included a pressurized cabin, a two-wheel tricycle landing gear, and a computer-controlled analog fire control system, which allowed a gunner and a fire control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets.
The design and production cost of $3 billion, equivalent to $51 billion in 2024 dollars, far exceeding the $1.9 billion cost of the Manhattan Project, made the B-29 program the most expensive of the war.
The B-29 was capable of flying at altitudes of up to 9,710 metres (31,850 ft) at speeds of up to 560 km/h (350 mph): this was its best defense, because Japanese fighters could barely reach that altitude and few could catch the B-29 even if they did.
The most famous B-29s were the Silverplate series, which were extensively modified to carry nuclear weapons.
- Initially, it was considered to use the British Lancaster as a nuclear bomber, as this would require fewer modifications. However, the B-29's superior range and high-altitude performance made it a much better choice, and after the B-29 began to be modified in November 1943 to carry the atomic bomb, the suggestion of using the Lancaster was never considered again.
One of the largest aircraft of World War II, the B-29 was designed with cutting-edge technology, which included a pressurized cabin, a two-wheel tricycle landing gear, and a computer-controlled analog fire control system, which allowed a gunner and a fire control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets.
The design and production cost of $3 billion, equivalent to $51 billion in 2024 dollars, far exceeding the $1.9 billion cost of the Manhattan Project, made the B-29 program the most expensive of the war.
The B-29 was capable of flying at altitudes of up to 9,710 metres (31,850 ft) at speeds of up to 560 km/h (350 mph): this was its best defense, because Japanese fighters could barely reach that altitude and few could catch the B-29 even if they did.
The most famous B-29s were the Silverplate series, which were extensively modified to carry nuclear weapons.
- Initially, it was considered to use the British Lancaster as a nuclear bomber, as this would require fewer modifications. However, the B-29's superior range and high-altitude performance made it a much better choice, and after the B-29 began to be modified in November 1943 to carry the atomic bomb, the suggestion of using the Lancaster was never considered again.
Also in
Air Combat
Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II
Henderson, Bruce
Hardcover
$28.50
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
Gladwell, Malcolm
Paperback
From $10.99
Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II
Aikman, Becky
Paperback
$17.99
The Navigator's Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together
Dondi, Jan Cress
Hardcover
$30.88
Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II
Aikman, Becky
Hardcover
$30.39
A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
Makos, Adam
Alexander, Larry
Hardcover
$29.45
Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War - Tactics, Operations, Strategy
Sekirin, Illya
Hardcover
$37.95
Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth
Snyder, Steve
Paperback
$18.95
Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
Miller, Donald L.
Paperback
$21.85
Stone Age Astronaut: The Astonishing Adventures of America's Forgotten Flier
Callanan, Liam
Paperback
$23.70
Fighting Fifteen: The Navy's Top Ace and the Deadliest Hellcat Squadron of the Pacific War
Moore, Stephen L.
Hardcover
$33.25
Those Who Know The Sky: Hobey Baker, The Dawn of Aviation, and The War to End All Wars
Margiotti, Thomas F.
Hardcover
$37.99
Ohio to Supersonic: Flying the Sr-71 Blackbird to the Secret World of the Skunk Works
Sheffield
Hardcover
$42.75
Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
Olds, Robin
Olds, Christina
Rasimus, Ed
Paperback
$21.85
I'm Alive: A Young Fighter Pilot's Diary of the US Navy Air War in Vietnam, 1964-1965 Volume 25
Reilly, Errol F.
Hardcover
$33.20
Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
Maurer, Kevin
Paperback
$18.99
Reggiane Fighters: Re.2000 Falco, Re.2001 Ariete I, Re.2002 Ariete II, Re.2005 Sagittario
Caliaro, Luigino
Hardcover
$52.20
A Wing and a Prayer: The Bloody 100th Bomb Group of the Us Eighth Air Force in Action Over Europe in World War II
Crosby, Harry H.
Paperback
$23.75
Speed: The Life of a Test Pilot and Birth of an American Icon
Gilliland, Bob
Dunnavant, Keith
Hardcover
$33.20
Baptism of Fire: The First Combat Experiences of the Royal Hungarian Air Force and Slovak Air Force, March 1939
Stenge, Csaba B.
Paperback
$28.45
Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission That Changed the War in the Pacific
Drury, Bob
Clavin, Tom
Paperback
$19.00
Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare
Stumpf, David K.
Hardcover
$49.95
Clash of the Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II
Tillman, Barrett
Paperback
$27.00
Samurai!: The Autobiography of Japan's World War II Flying Ace
Sakai, Saburo
Caidin, Martin
Saito, Fred
Paperback
$21.24
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
Gladwell, Malcolm
Hardcover
From $10.99
The Africa Ship: Ludwig Bockholt, Zeppelin L 59, and the Most Daring Rescue Mission of Wwi
Etzold, Dominic
Hardcover
$33.24
The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid--America's First World War II Vict ory
Nelson, Craig
Paperback
$27.00
Cag: The Naval Aviation Career of Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale (1949-1965) In His Own Words
Stockdale, James B.
Paperback
$18.99
Dam Busters: The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led the Devastating Raid to Smash the German Dams in 1943
Holland, James
Paperback
$19.00
The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949 with a Comprehensive Chronology of Missions and Events
Haulman, Daniel
Caver, Joseph D.
Ennels, Jerome
Hardcover
$27.50
Spanish Civil War in the Air Volume 2: 1938-1939
Martínez, Eduardo Manuel Gil
Cerdá, Juan Arráez
Paperback
$28.45
I Always Wanted to Fly: America S Cold War Airmen
Samuel, Wolfgang W. E.
Samuel, Colonel Wolfgang W. E.
Paperback
$20.90
The Blond Knight of Germany: A Biography Of...Erich Hartmann
Toliver, Raymond F.
Constable, Trevor J.
Paperback
$44.00
Cuban Military Aviation Volume 2: The Cuban Army Air Force, the Fight Against Castro's Guerrillas, and the Bay of Pigs, 1952-1961
Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis
Higuchi, Hélio
Paperback
$28.45
The Shadow Tiger: Billy McDonald, Wingman to Chennault
McDonald, William C., III
Evenson, Barbara L.
Hardcover
$49.95
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II
Zuckoff, Mitchell
Paperback
$17.09
Modern Military Aircraft: Multi-Role Fighters * Interceptors * Bombers * Transports
Ward, Edward
Paperback
$16.14
The Art of Air and Space: Interpretations of Flight from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
Russo, Carolyn
Hardcover
$52.25
Through the Yellow Visor: The Life and (Mis)Adventures of a US Navy Fighter Pilot
Aiello, E. Vincent Jell-O
Paperback
$26.40
Spanish Military Jets 1954-2022: Difficult Beginnings
Gil Martínez, Eduardo Manuel
Arráez Cerdá, Juan
Paperback
$23.70
Solomons Air War Volume 4: Operation Ke: The Evacuation of Guadalcanal January - February 1943
Ingman, Peter
Claringbould, Michael
Paperback
$46.50
Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe
Croissant, Mike
Paperback
$18.00
Black Lion One: Topgun Trailblazer Capt. John Monroe Hawk Smith in Command of Vf-213
Auten, Donald E.
Hardcover
$28.49
Desert Storm Air War: The Aerial Campaign against Saddam's Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War
Corrigan, Jim
Hardcover
$29.95
Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World
Alexander, Caroline
Hardcover
$30.40
The Star of Africa: The Complete Story of Hans-Joachim Marseille as Told by Those Who Knew Him and Those He Fought
Heaton, Colin D.
Hardcover
$42.74
Black Cross Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front: Volume 4, Stalingrad to Kuban 1942-1943
Bergström, Christer
Paperback
$47.49
Drone Warrior: An Elite Soldier's Inside Account of the Hunt for America's Most Dangerous Enemies
Velicovich, Brett
Stewart, Christopher S.
Paperback
$19.99
Every Reason to Fail: The Unlikely Story of Miss Montana and the D-Day Squadron
Douglass, Bryan
Paperback
$31.95
Countdown to Launch!: Rockets, Computers, and Coming of Age in the Cold War
Hollis, Ralph L.
Paperback
$14.99
Pan Am at War: How the Airline Secretly Helped America Fight World War II
Vaz, Mark Cotta
Hill, John H.
Paperback
$21.84
The Wrong Stuff: The Adventures and Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator
Smith, Truman
Paperback
$20.85
Fighting the Flying Circus: The Greatest True Air Adventure to Come Out of World War I
Rickenbacker, Eddie V.
Paperback
$19.00
Secrets of the P-39 Aircobra Fighter Plane World War II: Royal Gifts of Lawrence Dale "Larry" Bell of the Bell Aircraft Company
Long, Patricia E.
Paperback
$19.99
Great Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the World: From the Curtiss "America" to the Kawasaki P-1
Dean, Ralph J.
Hardcover
$42.75
Operation Bowler: The Audacious Allied Bombing of Venice During World War II
Glancey, Jonathan
Hardcover
$30.40
Lost Over Luzon: John Wesley Evatt, Bombing Squadron Nineteen and the Wife Who Waited
Evatt, Danny R.
Paperback
$15.54
Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of the Battle of Britian
Brickhill, Paul
Paperback
$23.70
The Simpkinson NASA Archive UFO: With Over 150 Earliest NASA Photos, Many Once Secret
Taylor, Travis S.
Wilson, Ed
Hardcover
$149.99
Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas That Revolutionized War, from Kitty Hawk to Iraq
Budiansky, Stephen
Paperback
$32.00
Dragon's Jaw: An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam
Tillman, Barrett
Coonts, Stephen
Paperback
$21.99
Pacific Profiles Volume 19: American Night Fighters Pacific Theatre 1943-45
Claringbould, Michael
Paperback
$40.80
The Armed Forces of North Korea Volume 2: Korean People´s Army Air and Anti-Air Force
Mitzer, Stijn
Oliemans, Joost
Paperback
$28.45
The Royal Air Force in Texas: Training British Pilots in Terrell During World War II
Killebrew, Tom
Paperback
$19.95
The Aviator: A Biography of James R. McConnell, Lafayette Escadrille Fighter Pilot
Tom, Steven T.
Hardcover
$28.49
The Black Sheep: The Definitive History of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II
Gamble, Bruce
Paperback
$22.00
The Interrogator: The Story of Hanns-Joachim Scharff, Master Interrogator of the Luftwaffe
Toliver, Raymond F.
Hardcover
$33.25
Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11
Spencer, Lynn
Paperback
$19.99
Military Aircrafts in the Sky: Air Combat from World War II Planes to Modern Fighter Jets That Changed History
Modern Daily Press
Paperback
$14.94
Mavericks of the Sky: The First Daring Pilots of the U.S. Air Mail
Rosenberg, Barry
Macaulay, Catherine
Paperback
$21.99
South Pacific Air War Volume 6: Wau to Bismarck Sea, January - March 1943
Ingman, Peter
Claringbould, Michael
Paperback
$46.50
Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy
Jett, Philip
Paperback
$18.99
Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II
Yenne, Bill
Paperback
$27.00
Graphic War: The Secret Aviation Drawings and Illustrations of World War II
Nijboer, Donald
Paperback
$33.25
The Yugoslav Air Force Volume 3: In the Battles for Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991-1992
Radic, Aleksandar
Paperback
$28.45