Author Topic: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration  (Read 104574 times)

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #175 on: March 23, 2017, 03:43:45 AM »
None whatsoever, but it sounds fascinating!
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Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #176 on: March 23, 2017, 07:33:55 AM »
Maybe I've mentioned it before but in 1955 there were B-29s at Kadena that were totally black, all serial numbers of every single item removed, the pilots flew in civilian clothing with no ID and all tags removed from their clothes.     They were privately called ''The Bastard Squadron''. 

Anyone have any information on them?
Daryl,

This section from Wikipedia might be a good place to start as it gives you the squadron numbers and the official mission description for the mission performed by this unit during the Cold War era: Wikipedia > B-29 Superfortress > Air Resupply and Communications Service (ARCS)
« Last Edit: July 17, 2017, 02:07:34 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
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Offline Daryl J.

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #177 on: March 23, 2017, 11:38:48 PM »
I still want to wrap a 1/144 scale fuselage with a couple of tobacco leaves for a model of a Superfortress cigar.   
Maybe it would be the SuperStogie.   ;D
kwyxdxLg5T

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #178 on: April 11, 2017, 10:26:17 PM »
Gent's, Im putting out a profile request for a modified Boeing B-50 with Pratt & Whitney T34 turboprop (engine arrangement same as Boeing YC-97J) and fitted with the Grumman E-1B Tracer radome, containing its AN/APS-82 radar, over its forward fuselage, and in 1950's RAAF markings please.

Thanks for your consideration

M.A.D

Why not an evolved Centaurus powered GAF B-29 of the type built for the RAAF in the late 40s instead of the Lincoln?  ;)

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #179 on: April 12, 2017, 08:01:39 AM »
If I was to pose a RAAF Washington B.2/B-44C with bomb bays open, what weapons would you expect to find there for the RAAF's missions?

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #180 on: April 12, 2017, 10:50:00 AM »
If I was to pose a RAAF Washington B.2/B-44C with bomb bays open, what weapons would you expect to find there for the RAAF's missions?
500lb, 1000lb bombs, primarily.  Perhaps a 12,000lb "special purpose" Tallboy bomb was also a possibility but apart from that, not much else.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #181 on: April 12, 2017, 12:17:29 PM »
Thanks, I'll probably stick to the first two options.  I need to see what the Airfix B-29 comes with before seeing if I need to buy a suitable bomb load to show.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #182 on: April 12, 2017, 06:08:40 PM »
Thanks, I'll probably stick to the first two options.  I need to see what the Airfix B-29 comes with before seeing if I need to buy a suitable bomb load to show.

Having built a couple of the Airfix B-29s in the past (but none came with me to Canada), from what I can remember the bomb bay is quite detailed. It comes with a full load of USAAF GP 500 lb-ers, and the doors could be made to open and close

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #183 on: April 12, 2017, 07:54:45 PM »
Gent's, Im putting out a profile request for a modified Boeing B-50 with Pratt & Whitney T34 turboprop (engine arrangement same as Boeing YC-97J) and fitted with the Grumman E-1B Tracer radome, containing its AN/APS-82 radar, over its forward fuselage, and in 1950's RAAF markings please.

Thanks for your consideration

M.A.D

Why not an evolved Centaurus powered GAF B-29 of the type built for the RAAF in the late 40s instead of the Lincoln?  ;)

Paul, I hear you re the “Centaurus powered GAF B-29....”
But the turboprop retrofit works into my ‘Alternative ADF ORBAT' under Project Turbo!
I envisage the ADF taking close notice of the USAF and USN's trials of retrofitting trail Douglas C-124's (YC-124B) and Boeing C-97's (YC-97J) with Pratt and Whitney T34 turboprop.
The RAAF see the benefits of these trials, as a cost effective means of improving their small fleet of C-124's and KC-97's performances in terms of speed, payload and greater range, under the title of Project Turbo.
It is during the process of formulating Project Turbo, that the RAAF (with the sentiment of its civilian masters) elects to incorporate five additional  Boeing B-50 Superfortress', which are about to be replaced by modern state-of-the art Vickers Valiant B2's, and modified into B-50 AEW.1's airborne early warning platforms. The RAAF, with consultation with Boeing assertaing that the wing of the B-50 being no different to that of the YC-97J/T34 arrangement, would offer an increase in maximum altitude and time-to-altitude performance improvement over the piston engine powered B-50 – critically important for the AEW mission. Staying with the ADF's credo of standardisation, the RAAF ops to incorporate the RAN's Grumman E-1B Tracer radome, containing its AN/APS-82 radar, over the forward fuselage of these five B-50 AEW.1's, as a simple proven and risk reduced option of providing a long-range, long-endurance AEW platform.


M.A.D
« Last Edit: April 16, 2017, 12:30:28 PM by M.A.D »

Offline tankmodeler

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #184 on: April 12, 2017, 09:49:54 PM »
.50 cal. machine guns in all positions replaced by ADEN 30mm cannons, much as the TU-4 replaced them with 23mm cannons.
Interesting. If you do replace them with ADENs, you'd probably be down to one per turret (two in the fwd upper) because the feed mechanisms and breeches for the ADENs would be much bigger than the .50s they'd replace.

Would look super cool, though.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #185 on: April 12, 2017, 11:10:57 PM »
For modeling purposes, I'm using the Olimp armament coversion for the Tu-4 (I know, 23mm cannon aren't quite as large as 30mm, but 'twill look convincing enough).

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #186 on: April 12, 2017, 11:21:51 PM »
I suspect they'd put it over the center fuselage, above the wing, so it doesn't muck with c.g. too much and any aero loads from the radome would blend with those from the wing.  Additionally, putting the mounting structure for the radome in an unpressurized area simplifies the installation.  Then you only need to bring the necessary cabling through pressure bulkheads.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #187 on: April 13, 2017, 06:18:12 AM »
Thank's elmayerle for your insight and input!!
That makes sense!
I was just concerned the the forward fuselage creating a blind spot in terms of radar (and I had the WB-29 AEW configuration in mind)
But I guess that even the forward fuselage of the E-1 Tracer is in its radar zone!
So it is, that I revise my profile request, to incorporate the Grumman E-1B Tracer radome, containing its AN/APS-82 radar over the centre fuselage of the B-50!

M.A.D

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #188 on: April 13, 2017, 07:30:11 AM »
Note that the Chinese WJ-1 testbed, a turboprop-powered Tu-4, has it even farther aft like the E-3's antenna.  I could see that for a testbed, but I think my suggested location works better for a major retrofit since you won't violate pressure zones for most of your structural modifications, just small interface panels for the cabling, both signal and power.  I'm using the B-29 D&S book as a guide since it has excellent illustrations of the various fuselage sections.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #189 on: April 13, 2017, 08:26:31 AM »
Note that the Chinese WJ-1 testbed, a turboprop-powered Tu-4, has it even farther aft like the E-3's antenna.  I could see that for a testbed, but I think my suggested location works better for a major retrofit since you won't violate pressure zones for most of your structural modifications, just small interface panels for the cabling, both signal and power.  I'm using the B-29 D&S book as a guide since it has excellent illustrations of the various fuselage sections.

Well kick me in the arse and call me aunty mate...of course the KongJing-1 (KJ-1) is almost the depiction of what I want, except 5-10 years earlier!!

Will attempt to find KJ-1 profile(s) on webthe!
Thank's again elmayerle

M.A.D
« Last Edit: April 13, 2017, 11:21:31 AM by M.A.D »

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #190 on: April 13, 2017, 11:26:44 AM »
Just stumbled across this:
Tu-4P Giant Night Fighter

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/tu-4p.htm

The Continental aircommand early-warning radar aircraft combat airplane is the Tu-4, re-equipping as a giant night fighter aircraft, possibly the world the biggest air combat fighter. The Tu-4 was the American B-29 bomber aircraft which the Soviet Union imitates, and in March 1953 gave 10 to China. This batch of Tu-4 airplanes equipped the air force 4th Independent Groups, then stationed in the Hebei Shijiazhuang. Harassed by the Taiwan P2V-7U, the mainland air force, during re-equipping the Tu-2 night fighter, also proposed making modifications and re-equipping the Tu-4.
The Tu-4 night fighter re-equipping used a different plan. The airborne radar approach used was called "Cobalt" PSBN bombing aiming radar. This kind of radar's search range amounted to 100 kilometers, can be steered around 60 degrees, but can also make a 360-degree panoramic scan. This kind of radar was mainly used in the Il-28 bomber aircraft, where it was installed in the front of and underneath the the airplane. With the re-equipped Tu-4 night fighters, the "Cobalt" the radar was installed on the airplane's back turret, and the radar and optical sights needed to be cross-linked. To ensure night operation, the optical sight, searchlights and infrared sights were installed in the front cabin, and this kind of sight can discover the P2V-7U target within 3 kilometers. The Tu-4 spacious bomb bays were converted for use as an airbornecommand post, mounting in the cabin the radar external connection monitor, and placed the charttable and communications link in the cabin, for receiving ground air intelligence and coordinating Tu-4 airplanes on the emplacement of the operations.
After theconversion the Tu-4P giant night fighter was simply a giant airborne cruiser. Equipped with five pairs of body-mounted 23 millimeter aerial cannons in revolving turrets, even Taiwan's F-86 fighter aircraft were not the Tu-4P's match. At that time the four powerful engineswhich drove the giant invincible night fighter made a huge roar in the sky and raised dust everywhere to capture the mouse-like P2V. The pilot's hearts are always filled with invincible, indomitable pride and feeling of superiority. However, the Tu-4P record is not satisfactory.
On 19 December 1960 an attempt was made to intercept one P2V at night in Zhangjiakou by three batches of giant Tu-4P night fighters. The Tu-4P almost did not need the ground radar control, as they could use their own "Cobalt" radar to find the goal very quickly. The ground director guiding the Tu-4P to intercept at night was the opposite to guiding the Mig-17, the difference between "heaven on earth". The P2V was nearly unable to get rid of these giant fighter aircraft. But the equipment was really bad - the infrared sights' error amounted to nearly 2 degrees, and had a very heavy afterglow. In several raids the Tu-4P opened fire in pursuit, but did not cause P2V mortal harm. And when this P2V arrived in the Shandong Linyi sky, it encountered the third batch of Tu-4P in dogfight which lasted for 35 minutes, but the P2V finally escaped.
Although the modified Tu-4P was too unwieldy as a night fighter, there was already the early early-warning aircraft's embryonic form. During World War II the performance of the U.S. Navy's carrier-borne TBM-3W "Avenger" early warning aircraft was also mediocre. However, in the nine years from 1960-1969 the mainland air force di not make further effort in the development of airborne early warning aircraft. In 1966 the Great Cultural Revolution erupted, which had a large negative impact on technology advancement, and many very good projects and proposal were put aside.


Wow, that's one big and expensive night fighter!

M.A.D


Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #191 on: April 13, 2017, 12:04:03 PM »
I still think the antenna should be mounted further forward, at least on a B-29/B-50 fuselage, but that's me and I've given my reasons.

I have a question, if the B-29 was the Washington B.1, would the B-50 be the Washington B.2 and the turboprop-powered AEW version the Washington E.3 with any B-50's converted just to turboprop power being Washington B.3's?

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #192 on: April 13, 2017, 12:08:28 PM »
Shades of the XB-40/-41, but better thought out.  I can just imagine that aircraft barreling in on a comparatively much smaller P2V and the reaction of the P2V's crew.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #193 on: April 13, 2017, 05:08:04 PM »
Sorry elmayerle, your reiteration
Quote
I still think the antenna should be mounted further forward, at least on a B-29/B-50 fuselage, but that's me and I've given my reasons.
Is that in relation to my posting of the KongJing-1 picture? For I agree with your analogy - re 'antenna mounted further forward'!

I like your Washington analogy also (and it makes sense!), but wasn't the 'Washington' title specific to the British?
My 'Alternative ADF ORBAT' has the ADF far more independent from Britain.

Thank's again for your great input!!

M.A.D

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #194 on: April 13, 2017, 11:28:58 PM »
No, Washington wasn't exclusive to the RAF, there were two of them, WW353 and WW354, transferred to the RAAF, serialized as A76-001 and -002, because they were spending lots of time at Woomera for test and evaluation work.  The aircraft had RAAF serials assigned but were never repainted to have them added and the RAF serials removed.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #195 on: April 14, 2017, 02:16:10 AM »
Tupolev's own website states that the Tu-4P was a long-range photo reconnaissance planes that were converted from production Tu-4s.
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #196 on: April 14, 2017, 04:13:23 AM »

Will attempt to find KJ-1 profile(s) on web



These might help:




If you wanted something similar looking in RAAF service, why not 'swap' the AI-20K turboprop engines in the KJ-1 for something such as a developed RR Dart or even a RR Tyne engine - both are around the same power setting and similar look.  A RR Tyne powered RAAF EB-50 with either a AN/APS-20 or AN/APS-82 radar might be a very interesting addition to the OOB and could parallel developments in the US and UK to a certain extent.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #197 on: April 14, 2017, 07:31:36 PM »
From Facebook.

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Offline M.A.D

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #198 on: April 15, 2017, 08:17:03 AM »

Will attempt to find KJ-1 profile(s) on web



These might help:




If you wanted something similar looking in RAAF service, why not 'swap' the AI-20K turboprop engines in the KJ-1 for something such as a developed RR Dart or even a RR Tyne engine - both are around the same power setting and similar look.  A RR Tyne powered RAAF EB-50 with either a AN/APS-20 or AN/APS-82 radar might be a very interesting addition to the OOB and could parallel developments in the US and UK to a certain extent.


Nice profile drawing thinks Greg!
Gives a little more perspective of what I'm trying to obtain.
Also emphasis elmayerle concern about the random position nicely!
A down rated Tyne might be the way to go.

Thank's for your contribution Greg.

M.A.D

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Boeing B-29 Superfortress ideas and inspiration
« Reply #199 on: April 15, 2017, 01:18:21 PM »
Yeah, I notice that the back leg mounts straddle the joint frame between the unpressurized aft bomb bay and the aft pressurized bay; that has to complicate your structural mods.  For additional AEW operators, you could probably put pressurized capsules in the bomb bays, much like the ERB-47H did; you might even have to do a similar bulging of the doors under them.  I seriously doubt such capsules would be more crowded than an E-1 or E-2 operator area.