B-29B didn't get a large number of individual orders, and it was usually produced in small batches or even in a single frame from Bell's B-29 production line. The appearance of the B-29B is almost the same as that of the B-29 modified and disassembled by General Li Mei 1945 when attacking Japan. It can only be identified by the tail radar antenna and serial number.
From 10 to September, Bell manufactured 3 1 1 B-29B, most of which entered the 3 15 bomber wing in Mariana that year.
After the war, Susan Love (44-8406 1) of B-29B was modified for long-range flight. Equipped with B-29A "Andy Gump" engine compartment, R-3350-CA-2 fuel injection engine and specially designed three-blade wide chord propeller. "PasSusan Lover" has set a number of long-distance flight records, including1945165438+10/0/2737km direct flight from Guam to Washington. During World War II, there was an increasing demand for ultra-long-range reconnaissance aircraft. Both B- 17 and B-24 have improved reconnaissance planes to perform such tasks, but their range is not enough to meet the requirements of fighting in the Pacific battlefield. The United States Army Aviation believes that the B-29 is the only model suitable for ultra-long-range reconnaissance, and a B-29-BW(42-64 12) has been modified by special photographic equipment. After the test was successful, 1 18 aircraft were taken out from the production lines of B-29 and B-29A, and photographic reconnaissance equipment jointly developed by Fairchild Optical Equipment Company and Aviation Technical Service Command was installed. The improved reconnaissance planes of B-29 and B-29A are collectively called F- 13A(F stands for photo). All F- 13A are modified at Continental Airlines Denver Modification Center. Basically, each plane is equipped with a set of six cameras in the rear lower part of the rear cabin, including three K- 17B, two K-22s and one K- 18 camera. The camera takes pictures through the observation windows at the bottom and side of the rear fuselage, and the navigator, as a cameraman, takes pictures through an improved B-3 deflector in the bomber cabin.
The F- 13A later installed a semi-permanent fuel tank in the rear bomb bay. The front bomb bay can be used to mount photographic flash bombs or to accommodate additional films or cameras. Keep all defensive weapons. The standard crew size is 1 1, including a camera mechanic who is responsible for maintaining and operating the camera system in flight. 1944 10 10/3, the first F- 13A "Tokyo Rose" arrived in Saipan and carried out a reconnaissance mission to Tokyo on the same day. This reconnaissance provided valuable image data for future air strikes on the Japanese capital. Photo reconnaissance squadrons F-1 3A and 3 were deployed in China and Mariana Islands until the end of the war. After the war, many F- 13A have dismantled their self-defense weapons except the tail machine guns. 1948, the newly established US Air Force changed the model of F- 13A to Rb-29 (improved b-29) and Rb-29A (improved b-29A). During the Korean War, the 9 1 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron RB-29 (and a part of RB-50) deployed at Yokota Airport once again carried out the ultra-long-range reconnaissance mission. The last mission of the US Air Force in the Korean War was the reconnaissance of the Korean Air Force Base by RB-29A of 9 1 Squadron. During World War II, the British were studying aerial refueling technology. By 1945, a company named aerial refueling co., ltd. obtained the patent of their aerial refueling system, which marked the initial formation of the technology. The US Air Force is very interested in this technology, which can greatly increase the range of bombers and fighters. 1948 92 sets of aerial refueling/receiving equipment were purchased from England, and the B-29 was modified in Boeing Wichita factory. KB-29M tanker is equipped with jettisonable fuel tanks in the front and rear bomb bays, and hoses, reels, winches and fuel pumps are installed at the tail of each capacity. Each bomb bay is equipped with a jettisonable fuel tank with a capacity of 8700 liters. The fuel tank is connected with the on-board refueling system, and the fuel in it can be transported to the receiver. The tail of B-29MR oil receiver is equipped with oil receiver and hose winch.
1On March 28th, 948, two modified B-29 refueling/receiving machines demonstrated the feasibility of the system. For safety reasons, water was transported instead of fuel in the test, and the fuel transportation test was successfully carried out in May. Encouraged by the success of the demonstration, the US Air Force decided to convert 92 B-29s into KB-29M tankers. For this modification, Boeing reopened the closed Wichita 2 factory at 1948. In addition, 74 B-29s were converted into oil receivers. The original model was set as B-29L, and later it was changed to B-29MR. In view of the shortcomings of hose refueling system, Boeing has developed a hard tube refueling system that is still widely used today. Basically, hoses and cables, winches and hose system reels have been deleted. The modified B-29 tail turret is changed into a bubble observation window, and two telescopic refueling rods are installed below it. There are two V-wings under the refueling rod, which can transport the refueling rod within a certain range. There is an oil receiver above the head of the oil receiver. When refueling in the air, the oiler of KB-29P flying rod tanker controls the length and orientation of the refueling rod, inserts it into the receiver accurately, and starts refueling after the connection is completed. When not in use, the fuel rod is put away and fixed on the bracket at the tail of the tanker.
After using the flying rod system, the oil receiver only needs simple transformation. However, when refueling in the air, the pilot of the receiver must strictly keep the aircraft within a certain range behind the tanker to ensure contact with the hard pipe. A series of indicator lights on the belly of the tanker will help the tanker pilot control the aircraft.
In order to refit KB-29P, the remaining parts of Boeing Langton factory were reopened (the rest were refitted into C-97 transport planes), and 1950-5 1 year was used to refit16b-29s into KB-29P. 1March, 950, the first KB-29P was delivered to the Strategic Air Command.
The flying rod aerial refueling system is mainly used for refueling large aircraft such as bombers, but it can also be used for small fighters. The improved hose floating anchor refueling system of air refueling company is more suitable for small aircraft. In this system, the refueling hose is pulled out from the tail of the tanker, and the top of the hose is equipped with a floating anchor, which is connected with the refueling probe of the fighter nose to complete refueling. Some KB-29P flying rod tankers have also been modified, and short hoses and floating anchors have been installed at the end of the fuel rods. A KB-29M(45-2 1734) is equipped with three sets of hoses-the floating anchor refueling system can refuel three fighters at the same time. One system is installed at the tail, and the other two systems are installed in the pod under the wing tip. The aircraft model was renamed YKB-29T, which was the first three-point tanker of Tactical Air Force Command.
However, the speed of the B-29 is not as fast as that of the new jet fighter, so only one is modified, and the three-point refueling system is applied to the future KB-50 tanker. The weather reconnaissance plane modified by B-29 often flies into the eye of hurricanes and typhoons to collect meteorological data. Some WB-29s are equipped with air sampling devices to collect air samples after nuclear tests.