B-29 ID help

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2019 2:42 pm

Looks more like stateside and an intentional burn. Notice that the same cover is gone from all 4 nacelles. Same sections of 3 of the 4 cowlings are missing too. From the look of the props, it appears that the aircraft wasn't moving when the gear folded up. The H stab looks to have been cut off and the elevator is missing. I'd suspect based on that stuff plus the burn patterns, and the vegetation. that she was used as a fire trainer somewhere in the southwestern part of the US.

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1596

Fuselage stripes indicate TB-29.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:23 pm

I see a tail code "16" and the last four of the serial look like "0062" or "0063"; so maybe look up 44-70062/3? Baugher has nothing on it. Robert A. Mann's The B-29 Superfortress book lists '62 as reclaimed at McClellan AFB in 1954, and '63 reclaimed at Tinker the same year.

This reminds me a lot of a photo I saw when I was a little kid in the children's magazine Jack and Jill, of an old four-engined prop plane - I'm guessing B-29 or B-50 - being burned for Air Force firefighting training; the date would have been 1965 to mid-1968 at the latest.

P.S. Welcome back, Colonel!

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:48 pm

ETA: the folks at McClellan previously burned another B-29 (42-93978, probably) and an XB-32:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=53756&p=534585

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1596

TB-29s also used in Europe (based at Wheelus, Libya IIRC?), so maybe there? Certainly looks like a fire dept airframe. Also it's obvious that the aircraft is placed in a burning area and that separate burns have been done on it (tail section). Plenty of B-29s with engines also were expended at China Lake, etc so the fact it has engines doesn't mean much.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

If this was a controlled practice burn, isn't it odd that there are some type of poles directly in front of the aircraft, what looks like some type of cylinder/tank and perhaps the remains of a building structure?

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:52 am

Couple thoughts Mike... The barrel looks to be about the correct size for it to have been the forward upper turret. IF it was still installed during the burn, then it's about where it would have been installed.
The structure your aft facing arrow points to, is most likely forward structure. If you look carefully, you can see a built up rib on the very front face.

The poles are kinda interesting...might have been some purpose built instrumentation stuff, as you can see several mounts, both horizontal and vertical, as well as some cabling, including a run between the poles at the top. Maybe instrumentation for a control burn test?

b29flteng · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2019 4:05 pm

The prop blades have cuffs on them indicating it's Korea or latter. The tank may be a forward bomb bay fuel tank.

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1596

b29flteng wrote:

The prop blades have cuffs on them indicating it's Korea or latter. The tank may be a forward bomb bay fuel tank.

TB's were all post-Korea IIRC.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2019 6:16 pm

I love watching you guys work!

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1596

That hut makes me think Eglin. Can't quite put my finger on why, but that would still fit with TB-29.

Clifford Bossie · **Posted:** Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:30 pm

It could be one of the B-29s at Eglin that were blasted in various weapons/firepower demos. I have seen a couple where napalm is dropped on B-29s. Some B-29s were also utilized in weapons tests at Aberdeen. The background would fit either one of those locations.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:46 am

Col. Rohr wrote:

Here is another view of it, the field looks like photos I've seen of India or China

Link fixed:

sandiego89 · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2012 12:28 pm **Posts:** 1199

Clifford Bossie wrote:

…...Some B-29s were also utilized in weapons tests at Aberdeen. The background would fit either one of those locations.

Would not be surprised at all if this was at Aberdeen. I've been on base and vegetation looks much like that. Many aircraft, including B-29's met an a violent end there.

Perhaps on the east ranges around here. Still remnants of burn or experiment revetments.

https://goo.gl/maps/8gBRVytyazmLXwQK9

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