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B-29 exterior lighting help.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:33 pm

Does anyone have a diagram/pic for the exterior lighting for the B-29. I'm starting a build on the 1/48 monogram superfort now. I'm having problems actually finding pics, I'm mainly looking for the nav, recognition and especially the formation lights.

B-17's have a single white light on each side of the vertical tail, does the 29 have the same?

I know the 29 has the blue formation lights, should be 3 on the fuselage spine, the kit only has one, are there 3?

The ones on the wing are supposed to be a foot aft of the rear spar, and outboard of engines 1 and 4, but I cant find pics so I know where to put them.

Fifi was in town over the summer and I took a good bit of pics but there is only so much I can do from the ground. I stupidly didnt take any pics of the wingtip nav lights either.

I went through both Fifi's and Doc's restoration thread's couldnt find what I needed either, I've been doing the research, just coming up empty....
Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Oh, and engines! The kit has what look's to the older 3350's, not like the new hybrids, and good straight on pics of fifi's old engines? Showing any oil lines to/from the crankcase housing? I'm confused on this part.

Re: B-29 exterior lighting help.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:41 pm

If you have access to "Boeing B-29 Superfortress: The Ultimate Look: From Drawing Board to VJ-Day by William Wolf, there is information and a couple of small diagrams showing the exterior light configuration on pages 205-206. If you can't get access, drop me a PM with your email and I'll see if I can't scan the info and send it to you.

I'm sure that similar info and diagrams are contained in some USAAF or USAF publications but that was what came to hand first.

Randy

Re: B-29 exterior lighting help.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 5:21 pm

This is from an early B-29, Boeing produced Familiarization manual. I would think that most of the lighting would be the same for the later production aircraft but I do see that the recognition lights on the belly would have been moved because the APQ-13 radar was installed between the bomb bays. The formation lights should be the same. I would also add a red/white formation bombing light to the tail. I think it was above the tail gunners glass.

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I don't recall ever seeing white lights or any light on the side of the tail on the B-29 or the B-17. What reference do you have for this?

Re: B-29 exterior lighting help.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 8:13 pm

I have a couple of Bockscar engine pictures looking through the cowl but they aren't great.

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And here are a couple pics of the engine on a stand if they help.

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I was at the museum last year and took about 70 pictures of Bockscar alone because I'm building her in 1/72. Here's a link to where they start on my Photobucket account, they might be of help to you. Some turned out ok and some are blurry but I just uploaded them all. Pay no attention to the silver paint on the belly...

http://s807.photobucket.com/user/WIXerG ... =3&page=22

Re: B-29 exterior lighting help.

Sun Dec 29, 2013 1:29 am

Thank you gentlemen! I really appreciate your help!

Greg, the last 2 engine pics will help greatly!

Taigh Ramey, that diagram is exactly what I've been needing and cant find, thank you sir!

Also, the white lights I dont believe are on the B-29, but they are on the side of the B-17 vertical tail. Quickest pic I could find in my PB account, the light itself is not present but the whole for it is there, in the black square, under the J, above the first 9 in the serial number:

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These can be seen in the Mary Alice thread and the desert rat/tangerine thread as well.
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