For one whole year, up to the middle of 1944, the bomber's performance was hampered by a high accident rate. Its large bomb capacity, powerful and effective defensive armament, and state-of-the-art equipment would have turned the Superfortress into the best heavy bomber of World War II if not for engine breakdowns that continually plagued the aircraft. ![]() The B-29 was equipped with a large amount of radio equipment for various purposes. Three armament options were available for the rear mount, controlled by an independent air gunner: a 20 mm Hispano-Bendix AN-M2 cannon and two 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2.5 machine guns, three 12.7 mm machine guns, or two 12.7 mm machine guns.Ī bomb load of up to 9,000 kg was housed in two bomb bays, where cluster racks were mounted. All weapons were aimed at the target from three sighting stations located in blisters and from the bombardier's station. Some aircraft had an upper front turret equipped with four machine guns. Each turret housed two 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2.5 machine guns with 500-1,000 rounds each. The defensive armament of the Superfortress included four remotely controlled turrets: two below the fuselage and two above. В-29s had Wright R-3350-23 eighteen-cylinder, radial air-cooled engines producing a maximum power of 2,200 hp, with four-bladed automatic propellers. Full-scale production of the aircraft was started in June 1943. The XB-29 prototype model performed its maiden flight on September 21, 1942. The B-29 (Model 345) was developed by the Boeing Aircraft design department in early 1940. Distinctive features of the Superfortress included a pressurized cockpit for the crew and a Central Fire Control system for the defensive armament. An all-metal monoplane with a retractable landing gear system including a nosewheel.
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