The outbreak of World War II made USAAF strategists realize that they should focus on long-range bomber projects identified as VHB (Very Heavy Bomber). When it turned out that such a plane could also be used over the Pacific, the designation VLR (Very Long Range) seemed more appropriate. Such a project was launched in early 1940 by General Henry Arnold. Study projects were presented by: Boeing, Consolidated, Douglas and Lockheed. The latter two companies withdrew from the competition fairly quickly, and on September 6, 1940, preliminary contracts were signed with Boeing and Consolidated (later Convair) for the construction and testing of first two and then three prototypes. The first one took off on September 7, 1942, the Convair XB-32 Dominator, but the enormity of amendments introduced delayed its entry into service. Boeing, through its forethought, was much more advanced in the design of the appropriate aircraft in 1940, and could have assured the USAAF that it would have series machines within two to three years. As a result, the company received an order for 1,500 machines before the prototype even took to the air! The reason for such advancement of works at Boeing was that already in 1938 the design of the improved B-17 with an pressurized cabin was presented. Although there was no need for such an aircraft at the time, the US Army encouraged Boeing to modernize the structure to have it pre-prepared in the face of changing operational circumstances. The first prototype of the XB-29 made its inaugural flight on September 21, 1942. a maximum speed of 644 km / h was required, therefore the plane had a medium-wing, crawler fuselage with a circular fuselage and a wing with a large extension. As such a wing required high speed on touchdown, it was equipped with large-span Fowler flaps which, when extended, increased the wing area by 20%. This, in turn, made it possible to reduce the landing approach speed. The plane was equipped with an electrically retractable landing gear with a front wheel and an airtight cockpit. Also behind the wing there was a second hermetic cabin, in which the crew members serving the shooting turrets found accommodation, while the observation of the surroundings was helped by the added bubble-shaped glazing of the cabin. The pilots compartment and the rear crew compartment were connected by a low tunnel, through which it was possible to crawl over the front and rear bomb bay. The tail gunner had its own sealed cabin, but without access to the rest of the crew. The powerplant consisted of four Wright R-3350 Cyclone engines with a power of 2200KM in a double star system. Each engine was supercharged by two General Electric turbochargers, individually installed on each side of the engine nacelle. After the production of prototype copies, 14 YB-29s were produced for operational tests. The inaugural flight of the first one took place in June 1943, and deliveries began almost immediately. The planes went to the newly established unit - 58 Very Heavy Bombardment Group. The production of the serial B-29 was the most dispersed aviation enterprise during World War II. Literally thousands of sub-suppliers manufactured parts and components that were later shipped to four major assembly plants: Boeing in Wichita and Renton, Bella in Marietta, and Martina in Omaha. Most of the machines were made in the B-29A variant - 1,122 units, while the production of B-29 of all types exceeded 4,000. It was the B-29 planes that were the first in the world to launch a nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Technical data: Maximum speed: 575 km / h, practical ceiling 9144 m, operational range: 5230 km, armament: fixed - most often 11 Browning 12.7mm machine guns. suspended - up to 9072 kg of bombs.
