Enola Gay photo(s) request

[b747cf]

Here is another one.



Mark Fidler

[Ken]

I know there have been some interior shots posted online, can anyone provide any that supersede these?

Here are a few:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/garber/enola/int.htm

http://www.airspacemag.com/multimedia/I ... ous#IMAGES


And don't give up ... follow the deep links on this page (which was previously posted by APG)

This link ROCKS!

http://aafradio.org/

And for the 360 cockpit panorama:

http://www.davidpalermo.com/data/slides ... index.html

[Mark Allen M]

A few random shots ... two days late.


August 6, 1945 log entry




A not so common photo of the aftermath of dropping the bomb.


Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay at North Field, Tinian 1945


Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay at North Field, Tinian 1945


Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay at North Field, Tinian 1945


Enola Gay stateside


Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum. Enola Gay was stored here in anticipation to be moved to the Smithsonian Museum


Enola Gay B-29 Taken At Pyote in September of 1953


Dutch Van Kirk, Morris Jeppson, and Paul Tibbets pose in their seats in 2005


Hopefully never again ...

[Adam Kline]

Fantastic. Keep it coming.

[Mark Allen M]

A few more random shots ...






















Enola Gay 1953

[Chris Brame]

Great stuff, Mark!
Earl Reinert once showed me a photo of Enola Gay at ORD, with him sitting in the cockpit, when it was stored there before going to the Smithsonian. Wish I had a copy!

[Pat Carry]

Thanks Markl. Great photos

[Taigh Ramey]

Incase you would like to see what the Enola Gay looks like 71 years later...

I was lucky enough to do some work on the Enola Gay in 2005 and later in 2006. Here are some photos of the forward pressure compartment. If there is interest I can post shots of other areas inside the fuselage.



The blue box is the special equipment box that controlled the bomb. This appears to be one that was used for operation Crossroads and is not the one used on the August 6 mission.



Control mounted on top of the radio ops table for various radios and AC including the ART-13 and SCR-522. The Silverplate aircraft used an extra ART-13 and SCR-522 radio for the mission. I believe that this panel is a part of the Silverplate mods.



This is the hydraulic tank mounted above the navigators cabinet. aft left corner of the forward pressure compartment just aft of the Navigator.



The area aft of the upper forward turret well. The handles are there to use while exiting the tunnel. Its a lot easier with these for sure


The main and standby inverters that make 115 volt 400 cycle power for instrumentation and radios. This is below the nav cabinet



An overall view of the radio operators station. No SCR-274N set here



The tunnel to the aft pressure compartment that runs over both bomb bays. The strap for the navigators back rest is in place as is the astrocompass in the astrodome



The back of the flight engineers panel with silverplate mod of an extra BC-1366 interphone jack box for the special equipment operator. There was another seat mounted here too.



An overview of the navigators cabinet area and aft pressure bulkhead. The APN-9 LORAN is visible in the cabinet



The handset for the Central Station Fire Control system. The navigator would input true air speed, true altitude and outside air temp so the computer for the gunnery system could compensate for these parameters. The Enola Gay just had the tail turret installed as the other four turrets were removed as a part of the Silverplate mods



The navigator's station. This shot cannot be taken with the upper forward turret installed as its pressure vessel would extend almost all the way to the floor. Note the radar scope for the APQ-13 radar set



The Navigator's instrument panel. The Air Position Indicator (API) is the instrument on the left. Quite the high tech instrument. Once set or zeroed and adjusted for variation it would give a digital readout of latitude and longitude



Below the nav table. On the left are tow of the turbo amplifiers for the engines turbo controls. The device behind the amps is the air mileage unit for the API and the four black boxes are for the Curtis Electric prop controls.



The main reason for my visit; the Norden Bombsight. Arguably the most famous of the Nordens, Victor 4120. The actual one that Tom Ferebee used to drop the bomb on Hiroshima on august 6th.

I noticed that it was missing the directional panel on the stabilizer and its control arm was bent. I offered the parts from my own bombsight to make it complete. I asked and was given permission to install the parts hence my reason for this trip. What a great honor to say the least.



With the sight head removed you can see the missing directional panel and its bent arm on the left side abeam the round clutch disc



The replacement arm and the original bent one



The directional panel and its arm installed where it belongs. The directional panel is an important part of the autopilot and it transmits information to the C-1 amplifier for yaw control



A better view of the directional panel and its cannon plugs hooked up. The cylindrical part of the right side of the panel is the dash pot. This is full of fluid and is adjustable to dampen the yaw input to the autopilot.



The bombardiers door controls which are mounted on the armor plate in front of the pilots instrument panel and rudder pedals.



The bombardiers control panel



I'm not one for photos of myself but I couldn't resist this one. Its not often that you get to hold the very bombsight that was used on the mission of August 6th. Bernie took the photo. Thanks Bernie ol' buddy ol' pal!

I noticed that the bombsight had some internal problems which I found quite odd. The rate control which was supposed to be connected to the rate indice was not moving it as it should. Bernie gave me permission to open it up and see what was going on.



Much to my amazement the rate motor and other components were missing inside of the sight. A long story made short when the sight was donated to the Smithsonian in 1946 the navy wanted certain classified parts removed for national security reasons. They did quite the hack job in doing so by cutting wires etc.



Lots missing here. I offered to replace the parts on my next visit.



The computer part of the sight. This is the brains made of hand fit gears



There she is all back together and more complete than before. More internal parts to go back in but that was for 2006



Copilots throttles and side panel



Copilots instrument panel



Pilots panel



More of the Curtis Electric prop controls under the nav table just aft of the pilots armor plate



One shelf above the Curtiss electric components is the blind landing equipment. Localizer and glideslope receivers. Nav instrument panel to the left



Pilots isle stand. Interesting that they used an ARC-3 VHF set in addition to the SCR-522. Curtiss Electric prop controls forward left side of the stand









The panel next to the flight engineer and his aft facing seat



Overall view of the Flight Engineer's station



The copilots armor plate which is also the headrest for the Flight Engineer and a good spot for placards and decals



FE controls







Interesting the instrument for Bomb Bay air upper and lower. It looks like a simple carb temp instrument set up for bomb bay temp/ It must have been hot in there in the South Pacific so maybe there was a critical temp for the bomb on the ground or at altitude. I assume that this is also a Silverplate mod





Dutch Vankirks nav table. I also donated a fan that was missing in the Enola Gay. It can be seen on the nav table before it was installed over the pilots.



Venturing into the forward bomb bay. This is the air compressor system for the forward bomb bay doors which were pneumatic and opened in a heart beat



That's all for now. I can post bombay and aft if desired.

[67N20]

Please keep the pictures coming.

[Rod Schneider]

Fantastic pictures Taigh!! Of course, we would love to see more!

[Taigh Ramey]

More photos. Bomb bay to tail turret.

Interesting antenna on the forward edge of the bomb bay. An antenna for the SCR-718 radar altimeter. I am guessing that it was set to receive the signals from the similar devices that were used in the triggering of the bomb. The APS-13 tail warning radar was used to trigger the bomb at a set altitude. They had four of these in the bomb. I think this antenna was used to be sure that the four sets were functioning. Just a guess.







Throughout the aircraft the restoration work is wonderful. Well done NASM! For me this is a true restoration. She cleaned up nicely.



I believe that the bomb rack for the Fat Man and Little Boy were fabricated by NASM as they were missing. In this shot you can see that the primer is likely new as is the cad II hardware. They stamped the parts that were fabricated with "NASM made" so future historians do not think that their parts were original





There is a lot of graffiti throughout the aircraft. Some from the crew that flew it to Andrews and other ones not so significant



The tunnel over the bomb bay had a section modified for Silverplate. They had a window and a fuel cap presumably so you could depressurize, open it up and adjust or connect the bomb in some way.



looking over the wing center section toward the aft bomb bay. The emergency flap and gear motor is mounted in its flap position. Also interesting is the wood storage bins near the tunnel



Aft spar box carry through. The C-1 autopilot aileron servo complete with its heated cover



The wood storage containers. I wonder what they used them for. I understand they were used for transporting spare parts and tools out to the theatre of operations but I thought they would have been removed.







The tunnel is in great shape. Not many B-29's left with their original insulation in place



I wondered why they blanked off the scanners domes for Silverplate. Was it to reduce drag? Pretty small port hole to look out of. More graffiti on the plugs





Aft compartment forward pressure bulkhead showing the cabin pressure regulator. Without all of the normal CFC gunnery equipment this compartment is relatively roomy











The battery is even installed!





Looking aft toward the tail gunners compartment. Blanked off lower aft turret well







Tail turret gun. Too tight to get wide shots back there



Tail pedestal gun sight











Radar operators station. Pitch black in here with a small Sony pocket camera



APQ-13 radar equipment rack







Cabin pressure outflow valve









Bernie tells the story of giving a tour to Bob Caron the tail turret gunner on the Enola Gay. When he walked by this he said 'do you know what we called that? The Tokyo Bombsight!'





The right side of the fuselage across from the radar operator

[Mark Allen M]

Wonderful photos Taigh, thank you

[StangStung]

Truly amazing photos Taigh. Thanks so much for posting them.

One day, you're going to have to put all this in a book you know.

[AG pilot]

Truly amazing photos Taigh. Thanks so much for posting them.

One day, you're going to have to put all this in a book you know.

I second this!!!

[CoastieJohn]

Wow! A historic set of photo's. Mucho Gracias for posting those!!!!

General curiosity question that may have been addressed before. Is (or could it be) the EG in some sort of semi-airworthy condition?