Last B-29 active in the Air Force

[airnutz]

may have as much trouble finding the last B-29 to fly in active duty

It may not be all that difficult, they were pretty thin pickin's by then. I was going to suggest 2AF ask "his friend"
if he knew the answer, but given your experience...

[Second Air Force]

may have as much trouble finding the last B-29 to fly in active duty

It may not be all that difficult, they were pretty thin pickin's by then. I was going to suggest 2AF ask "his friend"
if he knew the answer, but given your experience...

Yup, I'd forgotten that Smis had an issue with him. Sorry! That being said, I'm still surprised that searching the web hasn't come up with anything regarding a final mission ceremony or news article. The USAF must have just let the day pass when the last B-29 mission was over. I still bet we'll find the information sooner than later.

330th, I love your new avatar! That propeller is mounted to a 2AF trainer--the silver cuffs were a Tech Order installation that was done at the training stations and depots, but only on trainers and CONUS-assigned aircraft. I've never seen a WWII photo of a Hamilton prop with cuffs in the combat zones.

Happy hunting, and I'll keep looking!
Scott

[the330thbg]

yah, that is our MSGT Fred Steele (Crew Chief K-54). The photo is certainly Guam, as some of the men do not have shirts on.., sooo.., 'they ain't in Kansas anymore'?

That is about the only shot I have of a cuffed Hamilton. I know it is not K-54, because in the other shots I have of her.., she has the standard prop config.

I have his contact info.,. he is 91 and living in St. Joseph, MO.,. but the woman who answers the phone refuses to put him on and will not answer any questions I have for him.
I get that a lot.., I am the historian for the 330th BG and try and speak to them as gently as I can, but they treat me as if I am trying to steal the $$$ out from under their mattresses and hang up on me mostly.

Fun hobby I have!!!!

[Second Air Force]

Nope, that is likely NOT Guam. That propeller configuration never left the States from all information I have been able to find. Those cuffs were an attempt at improving cooling, but I have only seen them installed on aircraft that were kept in the CONUS. As with everything, I could be wrong, but the best information I have, and all the photos I've ever seen, show no cuffs on combat airplanes in the combat zone. Not all trainers got them either, but I have 2AF records that speak of installing the cuffs on a large number of training ships. It gets hot at Walker in the summer, too!

Scott

[the330thbg]

330th was not at walker in the summer.., they were there from Nov 44 through April 45.., maybe Cuba?

[airnutz]

I think I've got it....DOH! It was a one-liner in the Birdsall SSP (1980)..TB-29 with the 6023rd Radar Evauluation
Squadron(Revron), made the last USAF B-29 flight, in June 1960. Google 6023rd and a little more google and
TB-29, 42-65234 comes up...landed at Naha Air Base, Japan after a routine electronic countermeasure mission. (sometimes referred to as RB-29 on the webhits)

Anybody got a pic?

[Second Air Force]

330th was not at walker in the summer.., they were there from Nov 44 through April 45.., maybe Cuba?

Now you're talking, Smis. The Gypsy Task Force rotation looks like it was a lot of fun for most of the B-29 units that got to go down.

Scott

[the330thbg]

In regards to the small K#'s on the noses.., I have a CONUS photo of K-308 SN 42-28243?
and a K-40 42-26321 and a K-304 42-26323, both taken at Chengtu field, China.

So were the K's in the 58th BG?

[Second Air Force]

The hull letter/numbers are something of a puzzle that a few of us have been working on for some time now. They appear to be a kind of modification position number or mod status number, but there are duplicates of the same number on different ships. I'm heading to AFHRA in the very near future and hope to be able to unravel the mystery.

As to your original question, many 58th Wing airplanes have the "K" numbers as do some 73rd Wing machines. There are a smattering of them in the 313th Wing photos I've seen, but not too many. As far as we can tell the practice of painting on the hull numbers stopped altogether sometime in '44. I don't remember the approximate serial number break where they stop, if I find the info I'll post it.

Scott

[the330thbg]

I think I've got it....DOH! It was a one-liner in the Birdsall SSP (1980)..TB-29 with the 6023rd Radar Evauluation
Squadron(Revron), made the last USAF B-29 flight, in June 1960. Google 6023rd and a little more google and
TB-29, 42-65234 comes up...landed at Naha Air Base, Japan after a routine electronic countermeasure mission. (sometimes referred to as RB-29 on the webhits)

My sources indicate the same. The last B-29 (a TB-29 radar evaluation aircraft, serial number 42-65234) was retired from the USAF inventory on June 21, 1960.

[airnutz]

Thanks 330BG! I've been meaning to clear my notes of some trivia you may find interesting or useful...

A USAF milestone page, ...
www.af.mil/information/heritage/milesto ... 12/31/1969
"Jun 21, 1960 The last operational flight of a B-29 ended on June 21 when a 6023rd Radar Evaluation Squadron RB-29 landed at Naha AB, Japan, after a routine electronic countermeasure training mission.

On June 30, the unit's last four aircraft were salvaged.


In addition, Pacific Air Forces' last C-119 Flying Boxcars were transferred to India under the Military Assistance Program."

A Russian B-29 website referred to the last flight of 42-65234..
http://base13.glasnet.ru/text/ap/b29_1.htm
..reported in the last paragraph, the last flight occurred...
"at 20:10 that day with Major General Clarence K. Rerik flying the aircraft"
(I'm not sure if the spelling is correct due to the google translator.)

Of the last 4 aircraft which were scrapped on June 30th mention in the AF milestone entry. A little googling the 6023rd
yielded 2 Silverplate birds which had been converted to TB-29 were scrapped that day at Naha...
"Laggin Dragon", 44-86347 and "Luke the Spook", 44-86346..(note the sister serials)

Dunno what the ID of the 4th bird scrapped was.


EDIT for serial # error

Last edited by airnutz on Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:26 am, edited 2 times in total.

[the330thbg]

Very well done gentlemen.., some 'Closure' to a grand question at last.

CSI: Last B-29 flown

Have a great weekend all!

warmest regards,

S

[airnutz]

'Closure' to a grand question at last.
CSI: Last B-29 flown

330BG,
Closure with a photo of the bird(s) may be possible, as well as some verification of the info we're assuming to
be correct.

Also discovered in the web search...The 6023rd had a reunion in Huntsville, Alabama last October 16-18.
The contact man for the organization is, Phil R. Blaufuss of Shreveport, La., pblufuss(at)aol.com. Regardless if a
photo(s) are possible, I'm sure he'd enjoy chatting up B-29's with you!

[the330thbg]

closure of three different sources siting the same date is closure enough for me, barring a copy of the pilot's logbook or the log from the tower for that day.. I am sold...,

cut copy print.

True, there has to be a photo out there somewhere.,. you would think the Air Force would have some other documentation of the last flight of such a grand old bird!

[the330thbg]

Holy cow.., I was just promoted to 'Air Marshall, 1st Class'.., I have been called a 1st Class.., something or another before.., but never 'Air Marshall'.., let me go tell my kids!!!

Yeehaw!!!!!