BOEING SUPERFORTRESS THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA JUMP SEARCH USAAF ROLE STRATEGIC BOMBER MANUFACTURER FIRST FLIGHT 21 SEPTEMBER INTRODUCTION MAY 1944 JUNE 1960 STATUS UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ROYAL AIR FORCE NUMBER COST DEVELOPED BOEING 377 STRATOCRUISER ASSEMBLY LINE KANSAS HEAVY BOMBER FLOWN THE UNITED STATES WORLD WAR II THE KOREAN WAR LARGEST AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL STATE OF THE ART WEAPONS PROJECT THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR THE COST THE MANHATTAN PROJECT BILLION INNOVATIONS PRESSURIZED TRICYCLE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM MACHINE GUN TURRETS GUNNER MANNED TAIL GUN INSTALLATION NAME THE PATTERN PREDECESSOR FLYING FORTRESS NIGHTTIME INCENDIARY BOMBING ROLES CARRYING ATOMIC BOMB ATTACKS HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI ADVANCED DESIGN WORLD WAR IN SERVICE AFTER THE WAR EMPLOYED FLYING TELEVISION TRANSMITTERS STRATOVISION THE ROYAL AIR FORCE WASHINGTON PHASING TYPE IN THE SOVIET UNION PROGENITOR RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT TRAINERS TO FLY AROUND THE WORLD TYPE THE EARLY PRODUCTION TOTAL DOZENS STATIC DISPLAYS FIFI RESTORED FLYING AGAIN THE FIRST TIME MCCONNELL AFB TRANSPORT STRATOFREIGHTER COMMERCIAL AIRLINER BOEING MODEL 377 STRATOCRUISER DERIVATION SIMILAR TANKER VARIANT THE MODEL STRATOCRUISER MINI GUPPY SUPER GUPPY TODAY OPERATORS DESIGN DEVELOPMENT GUN TURRET FULLY BOMBER FORWARD BASE CHINA MARIANA ISLANDS BASES ATOMIC BOMBS EUROPE AUSTRALIA SOVIET USAF KOREAN WAR POSTWAR SERVICE SURVIVING ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS SPECIFICATIONS REFERENCES NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY EXTERNAL LINKS LENGTH WING SPAN FIELD ILLUSTRATED HERE SANTA CATALINA MOUNTAINS SUPERFORTRESSES RETURNS TRAINING MISSION TRAINING COMMAND TRANSITION SCHOOL DELIVERY CEREMONY BOEING WICHITA PLANT FEBRUARY 1945 WORK BOMBERS IN RESPONSE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS DESIGN STUDY DERIVATIVE AIR CORPS MONEY FUNDS PRIVATE CHARLES LINDBERGH GENERAL HENRY ARNOLD PRODUCE LARGE NUMBERS COUNTER NAZI FORMAL SPECIFICATION BOMBS TARGET AWAY SPEED OF 40 PREVIOUS VENTURE STARTING POINT RESPONSE SUBMITTED MODEL COMPETITION DESIGNS CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT LOCKHEED DOUGLAS SOON ABANDONED ORDER DESIGNATION AIRFRAME STATIC TESTING 24 AUGUST THE ORDER AS IT SEEN BACKUP CASE PROBLEMS INITIAL PRODUCTION ORDER JANUARY 1942 FUSELAGE THE NEED PRESSURIZATION THE COCKPIT AREA AMERICAN COMBAT AIRCRAFT OF WORLD WAR COCKPIT MANUFACTURING COMPLEX INVOLVED PAIR PLANTS SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS GEORGIA MARTIN NEBRASKA OFFUTT FIELD THOUSANDS SUBCONTRACTORS PROTOTYPE MAIDEN FLIGHT BOEING FIELD SEATTLE THE COMBINED PRESSURE CAUSED ARMAMENT GUN ON 30 DECEMBER 1942 FLIGHT TERMINATED SERIOUS ENGINE 18 FEBRUARY FLYING OUT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE CRASH TEST PILOT EDMUND ALLEN WORKERS MEAT PACKING PLANT CHANGES CRAFT FAST LINES MODIFICATION DEPOTS THE LATEST CENTERS DEPOT HANDLE THE SCOPE HANGARS HOUSING THE GIANT OUTDOOR WORK IN FREEZING COLD NECESSARY THE END ALMOST AIRWORTHY INTERVENTION HAP ARNOLD RESOLVE PERSONNEL SENT FACTORIES THE MODIFICATION AVAILABILITY SUFFICIENT EQUIP BOMB THE BATTLE SIX WEEKS 10 MARCH APRIL 1944 COMMON CAUSE MAINTENANCE HEADACHES WRIGHT RADIAL ENGINES WORKHORSE BESET DANGEROUS PROBLEM THE MORE POWERFUL WHITNEY WASP MAJOR TOO LATE INTERIM CUFFS PROPELLER BLADES GREATER FLOW COOLING BAFFLES DIRECT STREAM ONTO OIL THE VALVES ASBESTOS RUBBER PUSH ROD PREVENT THOROUGH INSPECTIONS DETECT UPPERMOST HOURS ENTIRE ENGINES THE PRESENT AIR FORCES THE LAST DESCRIBE TAKEOFF URGENT AIRSPEED SHOULD CONSIST NEED AIRFLOW KEEP FAILURE GET UP POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RISK USEFUL TECHNIQUE WAS TO CHECK MAGNETOS ALREADY ROLL RATHER CONVENTIONAL INTERIOR PHOTO REAR CABIN JUNE 1944 ALTITUDES UP TO FEET SPEEDS THIS WAS BEST DEFENSE JAPANESE BARELY REACH CATCH THE AXIS PROXIMITY FUZES THE GROUND PROVED TAIL HILL AEROSPACE MUSEUM THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CENTRAL FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM REMOTELY CONTROLLED ARMED BROWNING M2 MACHINE GUNS PATENTS TUCKER TARGETING ANALOG ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTED SIGHTING STATIONS THE NOSE POSITIONS PLEXIGLAS BLISTERS THE CENTRAL GENERAL ELECTRIC ANALOG COMPUTERS DEDICATED TO ACCURACY FACTORS TEMPERATURE THE COMPUTERS OPERATE SIMULTANEOUSLY UPPER POSITION ACTED FIRE CONTROL THE OTHER BROWNING MACHINE GUNS 20 MM CANNON CANNON SOMETIMES MACHINE MAJOR GENERAL CURTIS LEMAY COMMANDER XXI BOMBER COMMAND THE MARIANAS FORCE EQUIPMENT REDUCED FIREPOWER ATOMIC SILVERPLATE CARRY FUEL LIGHTER MADE POSSIBLE CHANGE DAYLIGHT HIGH EXPLOSIVE NIGHT RAIDS INCENDIARY BOMBS CONSEQUENCE ATLANTA EXCEPT FIRE CONTROL RADAR VERSION EAGLE RADAR AIRFOIL RADOME NORTHWEST FIELD THE CREW CABIN PRESSURE ALLIED GARRETT AIRESEARCH DESIGNERS WHETHER BAYS FORE AND AFT DROP THE SOLUTION TUNNEL INTERRUPT CREWS CRAWL BACK AND FORTH AREAS THE TUNNEL THE BOMB AIR RAIDS ON JAPAN ENOLA GAY LANDING LITTLE BOY HIROSHIMA CREW MEMBERS STANDING FRONT NOSE ART COMMON IN SEPTEMBER ARMY AIR FORCES PLANS WAR AGAINST GERMANY JAPAN EGYPT OPERATIONS AGAINST BRITISH PLANNING THE PACIFIC AFTER THE END THE WAR PLAN DIRECTION PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT PROMISE OPERATION MATTERHORN UNITS ATTACK FORWARD SOUTHERN TARGETS THE REGION CH