Postwar B-29 Altitude and Distance Records

[Conslaw]

I have read several books sbout the Zb-29, but I had never heard of the record-breaking flights in this web article at B-29s over Korea. B-29 flying from Honolulu to Cairo, Egypt nonstop? Check. 46,000 ft altitude with a load? Check. I get the impression that they were in such a hurry to get the B-29 into service, they never got a chance to really test the plane's limits until the war was over. Does anyone have any ither interesting information about these flights?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I have read several books sbout the Zb-29, but I had never heard of the record-breaking flights in this web article at B-29s over Korea. B-29 flying from Honolulu to Cairo, Egypt nonstop? Check. 46,000 ft altitude with a load? Check. I get the impression that they were in such a hurry to get the B-29 into service, they never got a chance to really test the plane's limits until the war was over. Does anyone have any ither interesting information about these flights?

I don't think this was a matter of testing the aircraft "because they never got a chance" but rather a test to show the aircraft's ability and to project power. Several flights like this were completed in the postwar years. In September 1946 a P2V Neptune flew nonstop from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio. B-29s flew around the world in 1948 (one crashed) and a B-50 flew around the world in 1949.

 

[SaparotRob]

In that '48 world flight crash, did the B-29 crew get out safely?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

In that '48 world flight crash, did the B-29 crew get out safely?

I don't think so - crashed into the ocean IIRC

 

[FLYBOYJ]

1 Survivor

Accident Boeing B-29A Superfortress 44-62309, 27 Jul 1948

Boeing B-29A-70-BN Superfortress 44-62309: Delivered to the USAAF 20 May 1946. Assigned to 248th Army Air Force Base Unit, Walker AAF, Kansas. Re-Assigned to 63rd Bomb Squadron, 43rd Bomb...

aviation-safety.net

 

[special ed]

Modeller alert: The around the world B-29s used different cowlings seen only on those special birds.

 

[Conslaw]

I'm most interested in learning more about these high altitude tests. In the bombing missions against Japan, the missions flown in the low 30,000s altitudes were found to add extra stress on the engines, leading to some engine failures. Therefore, I was really surprised to see they were taking the plane to 46,000-47,000 feet with much lighter loads.

Back on Guam, Irvine directed ground operations for the "Marathon Project" during May 1946, and the following records were achieved: THE CHALLENGER was flown to 41,561 feet true altitude with a 10,000kg load, and to 39,500 feet with 15,000kg. A B-29 named QUEEN OF THE NECHES, 44-84065, carried 2,000kg to 46,522 feet on May 13, then on the following day took 5,000kg to 45,252 feet. FLUFFY FUZ IV made 47,910 feet carrying 1,000kg. In October Irvine was breaking records again. With modified PACUSAN DREAMBOAT, grossing 149,000 pounds and carrying 13,400 gallons of fuel, Irvine took off from Honolulu and flew 10,000 over the Arctic to Cairo, Egypt in 39 hours and 36 minutes.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I'm most interested in learning more about these high altitude tests. In the bombing missions against Japan, the missions flown in the low 30,000s altitudes were found to add extra stress on the engines, leading to some engine failures. Therefore, I was really surprised to see they were taking the plane to 46,000-47,000 feet with much lighter loads.

Again, I think it was a matter of showing what the aircraft can do during a time when the AAF was about to break off into the USAF and defense dollars were being squeezed, let alone battling the Navy for their share of the defense budget. Also keep in mind that the Strategic Air Command was formed 2 months earlier, so the AAF had something to prove.