Warbird Information Exchange

What, if any, service history did the enola gay & bockscar have after WW2? were they immediatly transferred over to their respective museums / mothballed, or did they see any other service? I'd especially like to know if either aircraft participated in any post-war nuclear testing or had Korean war service.

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Phil K.
Yankee Air Museum
Systems Admin / Ramp Crew / Professional Photo Ruiner

Good question! Wish I had an answer

They would not have been used in Korea as they were too modified, ie no turrets and bombracks changed to hold the A bombs. I believe they were used for other A bomb drop tests.

A chronology of the Enola Gay:

http://www.theenolagay.com/plane.html

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Bockscar apparently served with the 509th out at Roswell AAF until sent to Davis-Monthan in August, 1946.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

A very short service life for both aircraft. As a side note. The Great Artiste was set aside for a time as the Nagasaki strike aircraft before someone realized it was actually the wrong aircraft. Bockscar was mismarked for years with The Great Artiste's tail number while it sat at Davis-Monthan - it even went to Wright-Patterson with the wrong markings on it!
A good book to read with a history of all the A-bombers is Richard Campbell's The Silverplate Bombers. The book is a little pricey but gives a good history on evry aircraft that was in the 509th.

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Is that the actual "Great Artiste" sitting as a gateguard at Whiteman?

IIRC, yes.

From Aeroweb:
I hate to tell you but the aircraft you see at the gate of Whiteman AFB is not the real Great Artiste. The aircraft at Whiteman's serial number is #44-61671 and was produced by the Boeing Renton plant, while the actual Artiste's number was 44-27353 and was produced by Martin Omaha with all the other Silverplate Atomic Bombers. All Silverplates were B-29's not B-29A's.

The original The Great Artiste was lost on September 3 1948 in Goose Bay Alaska. During a training mission there was an engine problem on takeoff. The pilot aborted the mission then circled around to land. He made a lengthy approach and touched down halfway down the runway. The AC couldnt stop and ran off onto an unfinished runway extension. There the pilot ground looped the B-29 to avoid a tractor. The Great Artiste was damaged so badly that it was never repaired and never flew again. It was dropped from the 509th CG and was scrapped in Goose Bay a year later in September of 1949.

Any pictures of that airplane?
I havent seen it since it left New Hampshire!

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"Hindsight is usually 20% off!"

Sorry for the big picture. This is courtesy of the Whiteman AFB website.

I first saw this aircraft when it was on display near base housing at Pease AFB, NH in the late 1980's. It was in horrible condition then. It looks a lot better now. Without checking my notes, I believe this is one of the B-29's that had been converted to search and rescue (SB-29) configuration before ending up in the Aberdeen Proving Grounds....

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."