This week’s Movie Monday takes you inside the development, deployment and evolution of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The film begins with the need for a strategic bomber after the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and the Renton-based development of the XB-29. The 55-min documentary also takes you inside the production process for this massive bomber. The documentary looks at this at the operational history in World War II, including its role in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945.
The B-29 was quite sought after as the aircraft was reverse engineered by the Soviets to create the Tupolev Tu-4 bomber, creating a Russian carbon copy of the bomber after three separate B-29s made emergency landings in Soviet territory following raids on Japan. Also explored is the B-29’s role as a mother ship for the Bell X-1 and other experimental aircraft in the skies over Edwards Air Force Base.
Later in its life the aircraft served as an US Air Force tanker, as well as the inspiration for the Model 377 Stratocruiser.
Parts two through five are after the jump.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.