POTD: 79 Years Ago Today a Superfortress Took Flight! – The B29 Bomber
Sam.S 09.21.21
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! I figured since today being September 21st I would commemorate the first flight of the famous B29 Superfortress Bomber that left the ground 79 years ago in 1942. The significance of these bombers is that it was the only bomber that could lift the 10,000-pound bomb and deliver them to Japan. The B29 was the brainchild of General Hap Arnold who was fearful of Axis forces gaining further ground in Europe let alone winning the war entirely. The decision was made that we needed the best possible aircraft that could fly farther at higher altitudes and at a faster pace. This bomber was unique in the sense that it was so large that the rear of the B29 contained a control console just in case something happened to the pilot or his controls at the front. The B29 was a four-engine bomber and it was not just the largest bomber of the war, but it also was the first to utilize radar in a US bomber.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
