The B-29 Superfortress

An overview of the B-29 Superfortress featuring several places it shows up in pop-culture.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
Second Channel: / @johnnyjohnsonhistory
Movies Featured:
The Wind Rises 2013
Barefoot Gen 1983
The Right Stuff 1983
The Wild Blue Yonder 1951
The Simpsons S22 Ep 08
Civilization IV (Video Game)
Victory Through Air Power 1943
Empire of the Sun 1987
Flags of Our Fathers 2006
Grave of the Fireflies 1988
In This Corner of the World 2016
Unbroken 2014
Radioactive 2019
#aircraft #ww2 #plane

[@arnbo88]

It should also be pointed out that the engines on this monster used 140 octane gasoline. One of the highest octane piston driven engines ever produced.

[@caylumhenderson9396]

Higher octane because of higher compression? If so I’m wondering what that ratio was for them

[@johndoe70770]

Upto this point I thought 100 was somehow max value. 140. Wtf.

[@MM22966]

Is that good or bad?

[@arthurneddysmith]

@@MM22966 The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand without pre-ignition. Higher compression engines often have better performance, but the octane rating doesn't automatically mean more power. In short, it's complex and there are trade-offs but state-of-the-art engines of the past often *required* high octane fuel.

[@kellychuang8373]

That is really good to know on that and a beast considering the time it was flown in.

[@LeverActionBoi]

The Superfortress, perfect for when anyone gets within 10 cheeseburgers of our boats

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

10 cheeseburgers in length, 2 Ar-15’s, 420 .50 Caliber rounds, 5 2L Cokes. 4 Corporate slogans, 16 packs of Newports, or 1 Dragon Dildo.

[@TheAtomicSpoon]

People just haven't learned not to mess with America's boats.

[@Underb00t]

Measuring in american is very interesting

[@LeverActionBoi]

@@OLDMANWAFFLES ah yes, the AR-15, one of the most accurate forms of measurement

[@FirstDagger]

Unless they are Israeli (look up the USS Liberty).

[@mshotz1]

My Dad was a gunner on a B-29. The B-29 flew so high and so fast, the Japanese military only had a few planes that could reach it. And at that altitude, the closing speed was only 50-80 knots. The preferred attack was to get above and dive down on the formations for one pass. After the dive, the Japanese pilots would linger as long as they could to attack again on the return, or to pick off the "wounded" planes. The Japanese 105mm flak cannon was very effective against the B-29. Not by shooting them down, but by knocking out one or two engines making the B-29 fly low and slow on the way back and be easy pickings. To reach Tokyo, they installed an auxiliary fuel tank in the rear bomb bay. This, of course, cut the bomb load in half. The reason they stopped the "precision" bombing and went to firebombing was 1) They ran out of 500 Pound bombs. 2) low accuracy. The B-29 used the same Nordon bombsight as the B-17. While the B-17 did a decent job with accuracy, it was only flying at 20,000 feet and moving at 200 to 210 knots. The B-29 would fly from 26,000 to 32,000 feet and scoot along at 350 knots. And the fact that Japan was a narrow island with large bodies of warm water on both sides, made for extreme winds at high altitudes. The upper winds could be east at 80 knots, but the bombs would be dropped through a layer of wind doing 150 knots at a south deration. These two combined made it so the B-29 couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Any attempt to bomb at lower altitudes faced better flak accuracy and increased performance by the fighters. The night firebomb raids were the start of the real losses due to combat. The bright aluminum skin of the bombers would reflect the searchlight beams and make easy aiming points for AA gunners. This is why you see B-29's later in the war with their bellies painted black. And there are technically Three flyable B-29's. Fifi from the Commentative Air Force, Doc, restored and based at the old Wichita plant where it was built. The last is Enola Gay. She is technically flyable, just locked away.

[@lalhriatpuiahauchhum3286]

Cool

[@fred-a-stair]

Fantastic reply. Thankfully, someone who understands the importance of paragraphs. You wouldn't believe how much information is lost because it can't be read.

[@mshotz1]

@@fred-a-stair I got fired last year because the project engineer didn't like my writing.

[@fred-a-stair]

@@mshotz1 really...! I thought, when I wrote my reply, that I was being a bit patronising, but I can honestly tell you that your style of writing is enjoyable, readable, direct, eloquent and it is the only remark of that length that I have fully read...ever, resulting in me making that comment. If you were fired over a writing style, it was because your boss felt threatened or was envious.

[@user-un4uy7hr6c]

B29の搭乗員は捕まると報復の対象になって、被災した市民から凄惨な私刑でなぶり殺しにあったり、軍からは、問答無用で死刑になった。 当然の行為だけどね。

[@WAL_DC-6B]

My "old man" was a sailor on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV10) during WWII. He talked about how at times (summer 1945) the sky above his ship was just filled with hundreds of contrails from the mass of B-29s heading to bomb Japan.

[@flabiger]

My grandfather was also on CV-10 from '43-'46! Was part of E-Div.

[@AdmiralDevil]

​@@flabiger Yorktown jr!

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@flabiger Hey that's great. My dad was on the Yorktown from 1945 to '46 as an EM2 (electrician's mate).

[@flabiger]

@@WAL_DC-6B Weird, my grandfather also was an EM. Was discharged at Bremerton as an EM1. He was responsible for the internal comms electronics.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@flabiger Wow, a small world! I bet there's a good chance that your grandfather and my dad worked together on the Yorktown. Here's a video I shot of him (and later put on KZbin) when we visited the USS Yorktown at "Patriot's Point" in Charleston, South Carolina in July 1991. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGrGpJafqa2nZsk

[@MrArgus11111]

It's trendy on KZbin now to trash the B-29 as a failed program because of the cost and engine fires. It's ridiculous but for whatever reason that line of thinking has gained a little bit of traction. Nice to see something that isn't ludicrously revisionist that still mentions the shortcomings that were bound to be present in such a complex aircraft in the 1940s that was so hastily developed.

[@vlexonkol8466]

Usually this opinion came from Soviet and Chinese fanboi. Do you know whats even funny? They also use this plane, which mean they probably has same engine failure!

[@tunichtgut02]

Yet everybody trashes german projects that where equally hastily developed with even fewer ressources but arguably worked equally well under the given circumstances

[@randomuser5443]

@@vlexonkol8466there is this one guy in the laserpig section of youtube who refers to the American bombings as terror bombings because he’s a simple minded dunce

[@WonkiWeaboo]

I’ve never seen that once

[@vlexonkol8466]

@@randomuser5443Yeah, either they use those arguments for Dresden or Tokyo, and forgot what cause American to do all of that. Shame, bomber Harris do it again!

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

The B-29 being more expensive than the nuke sets a funny precedent to me: the reason why nuke missile systems are expensive not because of the nuke (already a major investment for any country) but because of the rockets all otger support system needed to keep that rocket in operation...

[@MM22966]

Truth. You can go on DOD budget documents and see how much they pay each FY year just for new/refurbished rockets.

[@thekhoifish0146]

Never realised just how gargantuan the Pacific Ocean is until your comparison in the video, good work as always! Nice to see a Grave of the Fireflies, but hope the heaviness of this video didn't get to you too much

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

yah it's a heavy topic... I almost left out my pun at the end as I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to be jokey on such subjects. But I gotta lighten my mood after these videos somehow right?

[@marpintado]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq No need Johnny, we make jokes of sad things to make tem bearable.

[@Warmaker01]

When Boeing was awesome. There is another important campaign that is often forgotten about that B-29s were central in. In the late stages of WWII, Admiral Nimitz was trying to get the US Army to help. The US Navy's submarine campaign was working well, but the waters between Japan and Korea were still far too dangerous for American submarines. So a full blockade of Japan wasn't completed by subs alone. Nimitz wanted the Army to use their bombers for a massive aerial mining campaign of Japanese waters. The Army didn't really pay much heed to Nimitz's request. But the bombing command's contribution in the Pacific wasn't doing as well so the commanding officer was relieved and Curtis LeMay was put in charge. LeMay shook things up. Daytime bombing wasn't working, so he had his B-29s do night, low altitude, high speed bombing runs. In addition, unlike his predecessor, he did carry out Nimitz's requests for aerial mining. The B-29s conducted "Operation Starvation" dropping mines that finally, fully blockaded Japan from the Asian continent. The Emperor was told that Japan had a few months before all industry would grind to a halt. In addition, Japan relied extensively on food imports. For example, Japan could no longer grow enough food on her own. Part of the reason for their invasion of Korea was farmland. But now with the submarine and mine blockade, that was cut off. Famine would set in. When the war was over and Japanese military and government officials were questioned, the US finds out that if they had done that aerial mining campaign earlier, the war would have been over sooner. Japan had no answer. The use of B-29s for Operation Starvation was one of the most impactful single bomber campaign of the entire war with true strategic benefit.

[@Ultrad321]

This would make an excellent video topic.

[@gypsydildopunks7083]

I would not set foot on a Boeing now. The mysterious deaths of Whistleblowers for use of parts not designated for the aircraft brings shame on greedy CEOs, but they have no shame.

[@user-un4uy7hr6c]

朝鮮侵略は当時、南下をしていたロシアの脅威のため。 朝鮮半島がロシアに落ちれば、日本の首に刃物を突き付けられるようなもので、自存自衛の為だった。 アメリカが日本に戦争をするように仕掛けたのも、中国の利権を得る為。 少しは地政学を学んで勉強しろ。

[@heath_deadgerpvp1161]

And to think, now the saying is: "If it's a Boeing, I ain't going!"

[@MM22966]

Boeing made their bed by cost-cutting and prioritizing DEI hires over competence on the manufacturing floor. Now they can lie in it.

[@foresta-2684]

@@MM22966 Not to mention them “forcibly retiring” whistleblowers and the 737 max and other mechanical failures. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

[@MM22966]

@@foresta-2684 I don't know about the whistleblowers. Maybe if we were some 3rd world country it would make sense, bur America has rule of law. I can see arguments for it happening the way some people think it did, but the FBI/DOJ/etc would be up Boeing's butt with a colon-scope if there was any truth to it, and if any joe-schmuck could connect the dots that easy, so could law enforcement. Plus, many other big companies have suffered whistleblowing, and how much worse would the downside be if it could be proven you did much WORSE than cut some corners where you shouldn't have. It just doesn't make much sense from a risk-analysis.

[@heath_deadgerpvp1161]

@@MM22966 Disney is on the same trajectory; but it seems they are held aloft by that sweet DEI investment money. They clearly deserve no soft landing. Vote with your wallet.

[@DavidCowie2022]

I saw the original Godzilla film a few years ago. When Tokyo burned, I thought about the fire raid, not Hiroshima, and I suspect that the original Japanese audience were thinking the same way.

[@MM22966]

I have lost track of the number of Japanese films/animes that allude to the firebombings/nukes in one way, shape, or form.

[@aaronpaul9188]

I had three points i assumed you wouldnt mention and would add. The cost being larger than the Manhattan project, the magnesium in the engines, and the soviet tu-4. And you nailed all three. I dont know why i ever doubted you. Also my great uncle was involved in modifying the enola gay to carry the nuclear bombs.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Haha glad I didn't disappoint! But I do always appreciate when people add things I missed. My videos are pretty brief so it's always helpful.

[@natejones902]

Ive been very fortunate to climb in both flying B29s, Fifi and Doc. This past May 4th, I took my girls to watch Doc land and fly around in Newport News. My dad and I got to climb inside the next day. I took 2 of my girls on a grocery run the day after that and watched Doc fly around, land and take off. Wish I could share pictures here sometime. PS on the B50, 20 years ago I found a B50 nose, the very front nose in a wooded area in my dads front yard. I traded it for an M1 rifle.

[@malachimorehouse7161]

I went to see FIFI In Brunswick GA, airport, got several photos and pics. Got to climb in and see the cockpit and all, she was Gorgeous loved every minute of it.

[@Obsol33te]

the gunner station looks cozy AF. Long flights and good book, maybe some shootin... sign me up

[@MrBejkovec]

...aaaaand a lot of planes exploding out on nowhere. Almost 1/3rd of the losses were inflicted because of the pressurization system malfunctioning and detonating the payload. Crews were always thinking about it because it was keen to happen especially after taking off. B-29 vs. Ki-44, Donald Nijboer is the source for this.

[@Tien-Chi]

Gunners had the highest casualty rate out of all the flight crews during the war

[@HandyMan657]

You have fun with that.

[@Everest3000]

Ignorance is bliss

[@russby3554]

It's been my honor to see the B-29 FIFI flying on 5-6 separate occasions. No matter where you are on the airfield, you can feel her take off and land. About 10ish years ago, she was grounded due to engine issues and each had to be replaced at 1 million a piece! God bless the crews that keep her and the other warbirds flying!

[@Rky-pr7zh]

I met a man in church and noticed half his hand was missing. As I became to know him better I asked one day…if you don’t mind telling,how did you lose your hand? He said”I flew on B29s in the pacific during the war. I was a radio operator and one of my duties was to stand up and look thru a little window into the bomb bay and confirm all bombs were away. As I did one day a piece of flak came up thru my seat and cut my hand. But would have killed me if I hadn’t gotten up at that moment “…. I have so much respect and thank all who serve. Rest in peace Herb

[@crazycarnut1313]

It’s interesting to note that the B-29, along with the B-26 Invaders, destroyed over 85% of North Koreas buildings during the Korean War and completely leveled 2 cities with about 15-20 more cities being above 50% destroyed.

[@7chq]

It is said that after the Korean War ended, there were only two duplex buildings left in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

[@MM22966]

B-26 Marauder.

[@crazycarnut1313]

@@MM22966 it wasn’t the marauder. After World War Two the US reclassified the A-26 Intruder as the B-26 and kept it as a light bomber because of how advanced it was compared to other things they had. It’s really confusing.

[@MM22966]

@@crazycarnut1313 INVADER. We were both wrong. (I forgot about the name change and I think you mixed it up with the A-6)

[@crazycarnut1313]

@@MM22966 I did. That’s my mistake. The names are just so similar. Thanks for catching the mistake.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

lt was an amazing plane for it's time......Thanks my friend Johnny Johnson..... Old F-4 II Shoe🇺🇸

[@kellychuang8373]

Also can thank about that and also speaking of planes that seem similar to that look up Tupolev TU-95 and who knows maybe tell Johnny all about it anyway give it a Google and KZbin.

[@madghost4286]

The message written on that bomb was cold AF!

[@bigbrowntau]

Johnny, I think this is the best video you've ever made. Balanced, fair, detailed, and visually striking. Thanks for all the hard work you put in on these videos.

[@Ultrad321]

My grandfather was a crew sgt. In the army air corps servicing the B-29s on saipan. Heard lots of stories from my father about what it was like for him during the war. We found his original notebook from his time at the Boeing school for the maintenance techs that the army sent them to before going overseas. He also brought back many photos taken by surveillance planes during the bombing raids that showed the effectiveness of these planes on Japanese cities. Anyone who has read the stories of the firebombing of tokyo by the b-29s can argue its morality, but not its effectiveness. Thank you for covering this often overlooked aspect of the Pacific war.

[@ghoulboy2544]

Ah the Superfortress, it overall isnt one of my favorite looking planes, But honestly i really love its unique cockpit design with the massive windows.

[@kellychuang8373]

Really don't make it like that anymore and also speaking of planes that look like it and still flying try the Tupolev TU-95 otherwise known as the Bear as well and recommend it for a future video.

[@anguswagstaff6437]

Thanks Johnny, some of your best work yet! Please keep it up!

[@longrider42]

From what I have studied. Said Fire Bombing raid on Tokyo burned out 17 square miles of Tokyo. The first Atomic bomb, only burned out 4 square miles. Of course there was the fire storm and blast wave.

[@oddballsok]

how many b29 in the firebombing ? how many b29 for one atomic bomb ?

[@Trampwithabbq]

They only bombed near the coast, and the winds carried the fire inland.

[@silverfang1648]

Whether its 1945 or 1951 the B-29 is still the Goat! Thats just me! 0:33 Hadashi no Gen,god what a nightmarish sequence!

[@danielthompson6207]

She was an absolute unit, and a very close second to my favorite propeller-driven military aircraft. I haven't been able to comment lately because my phone's keyboard keeps freezing when I'm on KZbin, but thanks a ton for all the excellent videos!

[@monkieie]

What a nice surprise to wake up to a new video from you, Johnny. Many thanks! I had no idea that the B29 was so advanced for it's time. Especially the remote controls for the guns... talk about innovative!

[@thebritishgamerandstuff8328]

I’ve been waiting for this video for ages

[@fortis3686]

You should definitely cover the Handley Page Halifax. In opinion it’s one of the more underrated British Bombers of ww2, despite flying before and later on alongside the Lancaster during night bombing raids over Germany. It was also utilized as a tow plane for gliders.

[@jamesturner9651]

Amazing video. As always!

[@gypsydildopunks7083]

Thanks again, Johnny

[@DerRoteBaron1918]

One of my favorite planes of all time!

[@Shoelessjoe78]

Another great video. Just finished up your work on the Trebuchet

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much! I like to mix up the content around here.

[@larrybrown1824]

I think this was your best video yet!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much. These longer videos are a struggle to organize for me!

[@user-jb7wd7nx5y]

I feel he should talk about the M14 rifle in Vietnam

[@omni379]

Great video! I had the chance to fly in Doc, one of those two airworthy B-29s that you mentioned. One of the greatest experiences of my life, and I highly recommend anyone who’s interested in warbirds to take a flight in one. It changes your perspective in a good way.

[@thetinkeringold-timer6934]

Awesome. Much I didn't know. Another great video. Thaks.

[@maxwellharris507]

I know of a B-50 Superfortress that’s currently disassembled but it’s the very first plane to ever fly around the world nonstop, did so in 1949

[@garybecker4091]

Great video, I really enjoyed it. War birds are my favorite subjects and I have been lucky enough to fly in several. A fun side note, I just happened to be wearing my "DOC" B29 tee-shirt when I saw this video.

[@Spartan640]

great video!

[@isaacrodriguez4773]

In Girls und panzer Saunders University does have a B-29.

[@BROTHERHOOD_OF_NOD1995]

Ah another person of culture

[@UrbanTomfoolery]

Hello my brothers, I see you are also men of culture

[@andrewmontgomery5621]

Logan:"That was a B-29, bub. Cannot outrun what's coming."

[@HandyMan657]

Well, that was a super episode, Johnny. Catch ya on the next one, take care.

[@alexroselle]

My grandfather was an instructor pilot for the Army Air Force during the war and was stationed in Marfa, Texas where part of his service included teaching new aircrews to fly the B-29. He kept some of his training manuals after the war, and they made for some fascinating reading when I was a kid hanging out in his study. Another interesting pop-culture tie-in for the B-29 which not everyone knows was that the B-29's cockpit was the model for that part of the "Millennium Falcon" in "STAR WARS", fun fact!

[@battlerifleproductions7840]

Absolutely love your videos. Can you do one of the B-52 Stratofortress aka the BUFF?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Will do just need some time on that big project

[@michaelfalcione6772]

Excellent work 👏 Can you please do a special on WW2 gliders? The types and countries that used them.

[@kellychuang8373]

Thanks JJ and as the character Pops from Regular Show would saw, "Good Show." Also speaking of other topics may want to do one on P-51 Mustang, Tupolev TU-95 Bear, ME 262, MI-24 Hind, MIGs and many others including Stinger and SA-7 Missiles or the AK-47 and RPG-7 are also good as well anyway really have a look among who knows what others.

[@billykorando6820]

There’s a well noted obsession with German “wunderwaffe”, no doubt largely the result of 90s and early-00s History Channel programming… It however ignores how in many many areas the Allies, and in-particular the US, were very far ahead of the Axis technologically. The B-29 probably best represents how far ahead the US was. The engineering involved in building such an aircraft, the advanced electronics and avionics, and the sheer industrial capabilities to then mass produce them. It’s a stark reminder that even if the Germans were able to properly mass produce their “wunderwaffe” it would only be a matter of time before there’d be a devastating response from the Allies/US.

[@MyBlueZed]

I’d only finished a book about the B-29 at war nine days ago. Nothing in your video contradicts the book and vice versa. Another quality presentation. Zeno Warbirds channel has a great video about the Bell plant (and factory town) in Georgia. Recommended!

[@callsigntonks4029]

Japan gonna get flashbacks with this one

[@michaelandreipalon359]

That's nothing compared to the North Koreans.

[@user-do5zk6jh1k]

They never forget. That's why they make so much anime featuring the B-29

[@hijiriyukari]

a 10+ minutes Johnny vid? WE ARE EATING GOOD!

[@eamonnclabby7067]

An excellent choice, an iconic aircraft, enjoy the rest of the weekend, cheers, Johnny...E...😊

[@youngchaosfernandes]

Johnny upload, day gets better, knowledge increase, good day.

[@robmclaughjr]

These docs are so well done. I appreciate you Johnny Johnson.

[@davidprice7162]

Whenever there was flak or fighters, the B29 was depressurized to prevent a catastrophic depressurization. So the gunners had to engage in combat with oxygen

[@stephenroberts4895]

The B-29 unfortunately killed more of its aircrew in non-combat incidients.

[@TheKsalad]

So you're telling me the enemies of the B-29 were so bad they couldn't shoot down crews faster than the plane killed them?

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

Boeing has quite the history of killing Americans.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Not that the flaw mattered too much. Remember, the P-51 Mustang was once deemed a terrible fighter in its first stages.

[@MrCadet08]

Good to see that 80 years later, Boeing is upkeeping that tradition

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

Boeing continues its legacy of killing Americans.

[@MrNortonNut]

Always a great day when you post something johnny..mark Felton more regular..but still second to johnny in delivery

[@PW.6060]

I got to be inside of one of those airworthy B29s last year. Fifi was at an air show near me. I've also seen Bockscar at Wright Patterson AFB. Very famous B29 there. The B24 will always be my favorite American bomber of WW2, but the B29 is a real marvel of aviation.

[@KatrinaRussell]

Raised by my grandfather, who was flight engineer aboard B-17 and B-29 bombers, this video resonated with me, big time. This is a most excellent production, with rarely included facts and statistics that I've not heard since my grandfather told his stories about the experience of WW2. Tinian and Solomon islands earlier in the war were pivotal moments according to him. Especially riveting was how early in the war, they had no bases in the South Pacific to fly from, because the Japanese had pushed us all the way to Australia. We feared losing Australia, and that's the beginning of the turn-around, with just raw grit and effort in terrible conditions, and little in the way of these magnificent bombers that came later on. Had we lost Australia, the war would have been vastly different. They used crappy transport planes called LB-30, repurposed as bombers, cutting the tail cones off and mounting two 50 caliber machine guns on the floorboard, and holding the gunner inside plane with only seat belts and a bicycle seat. I salute our veterans, of any theater of operations, for their sacrifices.

[@carmenpuddinpop8642]

Thanks Johnny, you listed some good anime movies in there as well!

[@MM22966]

Shout-out to the WOLVERINE movie and its oddly picturesque opening scene of a B29 dropping the Nagasaki bomb as Logan watches (and then gets french-fried) on the opposite side of the harbor.

[@spectrumstudios4848]

I still find it funny that the entire B-29 project was way more expensive than the entire monetary history of the Manhattan Project.

[@matydrum]

Didn't learn anything cause I'm too much of a ww2 aviation nerd but your videos ate akways enjoyable to watch!

[@traumgeist]

I am SHOCKED that Boeing built an aeroplane that was prone to catching fire and crashing.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

It was Wright Aeronautical who designed and built the initially trouble prone R-3350 engines for Boeing's B-29.

[@FirstDagger]

Boeing before the merger with McDonnell Douglas was a different company.

[@starchief59flores81]

thank you !!!

[@Godzilla00X]

That cockpit window had such a unique look

[@TotallyNotAFox]

Quite similiar to the Heinkel He 111 designs though

[@ryancassidy6548]

Awe my favorite plan from New Vegas

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Easily worth giving the NCR air support, in my eyes. Down with House and Caesar!

[@sid2112]

Good video.

[@ragjr992]

I would also like to mention because I don't think i heard it mentioned in the video but the overheating of the engines was a significant problem but also the cowl flaps when fully opened caused excessive drag further exasperating the situation.

[@shaider1982]

Curious Droid has a video on the problems of the B29. NACA (NASA’s predecessor) did studies to help solve this problem. Modifications to both plane (better cooling to the engine) and engine (enlarging the heat sinks on the plane) mitigated the problem. The fire control system was impressive for the time. The gunners only had to track the target and input the target’s wingspan for the gun to compute a firing solution (explained through a cartoon available in You tube).

[@marcr9541]

My late dad and my now 86 year old aunt were at the receiving end of a B-29 bombing run in Kuala Lumpur, in present day Malaysia, i assume in late 1944 or early 1945. At the time their parents lived near the main railway yards of the city. They had to run to a local park away from the mayhem. Both of them remember seeing a huge piece of cast iron, probably from a dismembered train flying thru the air and land not far from where they were taking shelter. Malaya and Singapore were under Japanese control at the time.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Awesome video!! B-29s were also built at the Boeing plants in Wichita, KS. B-29 training was also conducted out of Great Bend Army Air Base in Great Bend, KS. There is a nice memorial dedicated to the bombers/crews that trained at Great Bend, KS. Also, the ENOLA GAY and BOCKS CAR and crews trained out of Great Bend, and they are a prominent part of the memorial. The B-29, THE GREAT ARTISTE (the bomber that flew both nuke missions with recording instruments) is on static display at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, MO - home of the 509th Bomb Group. ENOLA GAY is at the Smithsonian and BOCKS CAR is at the Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. Have seen BOCKS CAR & THE GREAT ARTISTE in person. Believe I have seen ENOLA GAY as a kid in the 1970s. Also, if I remember correctly, I believe something like 3 (could be wrong about the number) B-29s were flown to England. They were later flown to India, then China. However. they were supposedly deliberately flown over Germany with the full intent of the Germans seeing the new aircraft flying at an altitude where their fighters and AAA cannot get to them. Supposedly the Germans developed the TA-152 fighter by Focke-Wulf in response to the B-29 in order to have a fighter capable of flying high enough to combat the B-29. Since the B-29 threat never materialized, the TA-152s were used for other purposes. Have seen the B-29s FIFI & DOC in person as well at various air shows. Also got to watch them turn on those powerful engines, zoom down a runway, lift off and fly around and land - just awesome site to see (as long as not on the receiving end). Last time I saw FIFI was at an air show in the Indianapolis, IN, area about 10-years ago and last time I saw DOC was at an air show in the Topeka, KS, area about 6-years ago.

[@teto85]

Interesting to see a clip from Grave of the Fireflies. and other anime, Watching that again this upcoming August 9 after In this corner of the World on the 6th. B-29 production used a very rudimentary MRP, mostly due to inventory storage space limitations at the production sites. It had over 1,000,000 parts.

[@Irondrone4]

My grandpa worked on these planes during the Korean War. I don’t know much more than that, but I think his airbase getting shelled at some point in the war really rattled him into not saying much about it.

[@polinalazareva5115]

I love your videos. Can you do one for Owen gun

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I did such a video! Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqSso4esg65ngpY

[@el.archangelfnzz]

Babe wake up , Johnny posted again

[@raulduke6105]

Cost More than the Manhattan project engine fires never completely solved and had a very short service life

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

They did solve that issue with a new engine BUT it's called the B-50 Superfortress from that point onwards...

[@TrickiVicBB71]

Hopefully, I get to see one, one day. United States has so many cool military museums. Also, I am surprised you didn't talk about its mine laying role and Operation Starvation in 1945

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

Fun facts: 80's new wave band made a song about the Enola Gay that dropped the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Actor Charles Bronson served as a tail gunner in one of the B-29 super fortress.

[@johnnyflores5954]

Great content as always Johnny. You should look into the Mexican Mondragon semi-automatic rifle 1908. Never imagined Mexicans, had a rifle like that, 7 years before WW1, and 30 years, before WW2.

[@johnmuir8515]

Ive seen the Enola Gay and Boxcar in museums. Now i want to see Fifi.

[@oliveradams1270]

This video was great. And thanks for talking about the fire bombings, they are among the top 3 worst things we have ever done. My teacher showed us a licture of a japenese city, he said it was fire bombed, not hirishima or nagasaki, it looked the same.

[@meatballproductions8501]

I went inside of the B-29 FiFi and it was awesome!!!

[@ThommyofThenn]

Cant watch now but i'm leaving a comment while I get it in my watch history 👀 and very cool to hear of "space planes" a little. I bet that is a topic you have considered covering too. If you need film examples, I rememebr there is a Twilight Zone episode where some "space plane" pilots return to earth only to have freakish horror

[@rolfagten857]

I missed some WW2 movie B-29 bits.

[@Spagettiisbetterthenpizza]

i love ur vidoes pls dont die

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was just about to eat a kitkat but I guess I can have some carrot sticks and hummus instead =/

[@patriotenfield3276]

Hello Johnny Johnson . A Rare Fact . The Chinese PLAAF designed their first indigenious AWACS / EWS system nicknamed KJ-1 which was based on a Heavily modified Tupolev Tu-4 with Turboprop Engines.

[@hydra7427]

Pressurized cabin and computer controlled guns is like sci fi technology back then.

[@fernandzinkoff6075]

What are the movie scenes that are featured on this video?

[@user-wj7yu6ly5u]

This is what my great-grandfather saw on August 6, 1945.

[@chardaskie]

Heck yeah. Always sobering to imagine being inside one of these beast while in combat

[@MilkyTheRaccoon]

YES THE SUPERFORTRESS!!!

[@carlemmanuelespada324]

We also can't forget the Korean war movie operation chromite (2016) when the b-29 was featured in the movie

[@Paul-of2yq]

Wow $3 Billion that is staggering for that era

[@darkninjacorporation]

You should do a video on just Pratt & Whitney because it seems to me that every time a western aircraft received some sort of major upgrade in terms of performance, the primary difference is just “they swapped the engine with a Pratt & Whitney model”. Am I off the mark? Am I missing something? Or was Pratt & Whitney just the masters of aerial horsepower?

[@dmoney8602]

Holy shite you are at 200k now?

[@user-lo4bk2hf9z]

It the first step of the kind of bomber we know today as “long range strategic bomber” like B-52 Stratofortress, B1 Lancer and B2 Spirit

[@ke4dy]

What joke will Johnny use in his upcoming video, "The Atomic Bomb" because he already used this one 😂

[@iowa_lot_to_travel9471]

Johnny going nuclear with the Dad jokes. 😅😊

[@Jin-Ro]

I had no idea that we, the UK, operated so many B-29's, or operated them at all.

[@user-vv2dx5yi5t]

罪のない子供やお母さんが焼夷弾にて苦しみ焼かれました、私の家も焼かれました、隣の家は防空壕に焼夷弾が直撃したため家族全員死亡しました。 戦後８０年たった今でも、私は冥福をお祈りします。

[@BarryAllen__1A23]

Shouldnt have started the war then