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An insight into the design, operation, maintenance, and restoration of the USA’s giant long-range heavy bomber The Boeing B-29 Superfortress has carved its name in history as the bomber aircraft that dropped the world’s first ever atomic-bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Flown mainly by the USAAF towards the end of WW2 and later during the Korean War, the four-engine B-29 was at the cutting edge of aeronautical design for its time, with pressurised crew accommodation, electronic fire-control system, and remotely operated gun turrets. The centrepiece of this manual is the B-29 T Square 54 currently being exquisitely restored to a non-flying condition in Seattle, WA.

Reviews

My (now sadly deceased) father returned to the RAF in 1952, six years after leaving post-WW2 (served with Coastal Command on Liberators), having been invited to do so to crew on the Boeing B-29 Washington, as it was known in Bomber Command. He was a Signaller, it formed the basis of his subsequent continued service with the RAF until retirement, and he really enjoyed his time on this aircraft, with 207 and 35 Squadrons at Marham, encompassing a wide range of operational and training tasks, including the Queen’s Coronation Flypast over Odiham.
Were he alive he would REALLY have enjoyed this book, with a wonderful mix of informative and interesting text, maps, charts , diagrams and, especially, photos. Of particular note is those parts dealing with human elements of operating the aircraft, like the report on the guy who saved his aeroplane after the flare went off, got very badly burned, was not expected to live, and yet the squadron commanders managed to speed up a Medal of Honour so he could get it before he died – which, as it turned out, he didn’t!

This book is a very important part of my aviation history collection, particularly fitting for probably the second best known aircraft in the world, bringing as it did WW2 to an abrupt end and saving thousands of lives. Well done to the author for such a splendid piece of work.

Not really a manual, but more of a history with some excellent photo’s and diagrams. Its pretty interesting with some technical info such as lubrication requirements for various systems. I bought it for my son who is an A&P mechanic and saw “Fifi” the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29 fly into an airport he was working at a couple of years ago, and he has talked about it ever since. I like to see the younger generation learn to appreciate aviation history from an earlier age, and I thought he could use this book to start his own historical aircraft library.

Chris Howlett is a scientist at the UK Hydrographic Office. He is also an enthusiast for the B-29 Superfortress/Boeing Washington and runs an association for ex-RAF B-29 Washington air and ground crews.