Boeing B-29 "Super Fortress"

Bomber (Testbed)

Tests: Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 / Republic JB-2 "Loon" / McDonnell XF-85 "Goblin"

Engine: 4x Wright R-3350-23 Cyclone piston engines

Wing Span: 141' 2''

Length: 99'

Height: 27' 8''

Weight: Empty 69,610 lb / Loaded 120,000 lb

Maximum Speed: 357 mph

Ceiling: 36,000'

Range: 3,250 miles

Crew: 10-14

Armament: 1x 20mm cannon / 12x 0.50'' machine guns / 20,000 lb of bombs

History:

The Boeing B-29 has a small and some what unexpected place in the history of the first jets, it was used both by the USA and the USSR to test the Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 by "air launch". The Americans used the Boeing B-29 to test the Republic JB-2 "Loon" (a copy of the Fi 103 V-1), also a B-29 (44-84111) was modified for use as a mothership for the then XP-85 program.

The Soviets also used the B-29, three B-29 fell into Soviet hand when they were force-landed in the Far East of the USSR in 1944, they were instantly appropriated and put to good use for the testing of the German Fi 103 V-1 and the German Rocket powered Supersonic reconnaissance aircraft the DFS 346. The Soviets when on to copy the the B-29 as the Tupolev Tu-4.

A JB-2 being loaded onto a B-29	A Soviet B-29 with the German DFS 346