Still need more data from existing Boeing built B-29s, but.....I did little more data and number crunching, with new information found. I truly feel that the UNIT NUMBER stamped in the tail, above the pressure door entering the gunner compartment, of Boeing built B-29s does correspond to the Boeing production Craft Number (C/N).
Known data:
ASSY 3-14335-? UNIT 335, Craft Number 4452, B-29-50-BW 42-24791 “Big Time Operator” Tail owned by Nick Veronico.
ASSY 3-14335-13 UNIT 998, unknown Boeing Craft Number. Found on unpainted TB-29 tail from China Lake owned by QuestMasters. ***Currently believed to be Craft Number 10687 B-29-65-BW 44-69855***
ASSY 3-14335-14 unknown UNIT #'s (if this revision was actually put into production)
ASSY 3-14335-15 unknown UNIT #’s (if this revision was actually put into production)
ASSY 3-14335-16 UNIT 528, Craft Number 11216, B-29A-45-BN 44-61739 (currently attached to “Jacks Hack” New England Air Museum B-29A-55-BN 44-61975)
Taigh Ramey owns B-29 tail with UNIT 142. No Assy revision number or aircraft number at this time.
Mathematical process for speculation, based on the UNIT number of 335 found on Craft Number 4452, B-29-50-BW 42-24791 “Big Time Operator” Tail and counting forward into production (*NOTE, craft numbers are sequential, but B-17 production was also going on so those numbers are skipped):
C/N 4452 (B-29-50-BW 42-24791) to C/N 4580 (B-29-50-BW 42-24919) = 128 Aircraft
C/N 7231 (B-29A-1-BN 42-93824) to C/N 7530 (B-29A-30-BN 42-94123) = 299 Aircraft
C/N 10487 (B-29-55-BW 44-69655) to C/N 10687 (B-29-65-BW 44-69855) = 200 Aircraft
335+128+299+200 = 962 (962 is only 30 numbers from the number found in the unpainted tail UNIT 998).
And working backward, in production, from the known unit number: UNIT 528, Craft Number 11216, B-29A-45-BN 44-61739:
C/N 10687 (B-29-65-BW 44-69855) to C/N 11216 (B-29A-45-BN 44-61739) = 529
Again, speculating that at ASSY 3-14335-13 UNIT 999 they started over again with a number sequence of UNIT 1 (knowing that B-29A-45-BN 44-61739 had a tail part number ASSY 3-14335-16 UNIT 528), that would be a total of 529 aircraft produced between the two tail units. Subtract 529 from Boeing Craft Number 11216 (B-29A-45-BN 44-61739) and that is Boeing Craft Number 10687 B-29-65-BW 44-69855.
This data is applied to the known serial numbers of B-29s at China Lake to narrow this down to possible candidates:
http://www.chinalakealumni.org/Aircraft-B.htm Boeing B-29-65-BW 44-69855 Craft Number 10687 shows up as having being disposed of at China Lake on their registry. The only other B-29's disposed of with close serial numbers are: B-29A-60-BW 44-69729 "T Square 54" with is at the Seattle Museum of Flight and B-29-70-BW 44-69957 which remains at Airport Lake, China Lake, CA.
I still need more data to support these findings but at this time, I 100% believe that the Boeing tail UNIT NUMBER corresponds to the production craft number.
_________________
Thanks,
Van
Kosovo, Afghanistan (x2) and Iraq Campaign Veteran
B-29 42-24791 "Big Time Operator"
C-47A 43-15137 "7H" Normandy/Holland Vet
SNJ-5B S/N 84947
UC-45F 43-35764 Cockpit
PT-26A 42-71104
LNE-1 S/N 31556
CG-15A Cockpit
CG-4A Cockpit (x2) and fuselage
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