Sixteen SB-29

In addition to my last thread 'EDO A-3 lifeboats and SB-29' I'm looking for the serials of the sixteen B-29 which were converted to SB-29. Already five I've found:
44-49957, 44-69982, 44-84084, 44-84124, 44-86308
Any hint to the remaining eleven?

Martin

Martin -
SB - 29 # 44 - 84112
SB - 29 # 44 - 84078
Mike

Steve Birdsall's Superfortress lists the following B-29s converted to SB-29s :

44-61671
44-69957
44-69971
44-70119
44-84030
44-84078
44-84084
44-84086
44-84088
44-84096
44-84112
44-86303
44-86308
44-87644
44-87665
44-87761

(Martin..Perhaps a check of your serial numbers is in order...your listing does not agree with Steve Birdsall.
(44-49957; 44-69982; 44-84124 are not listed in either Steve Birdsall's or Bob Mann's books.

Bob Mann's The B-29 Superfortress shows the following :

Listed on Aircraft Record Cards

44-61671
44-69957
44-69971
44-70119
44-84030
44-84078
44-84084
44-84086
44-84088 (Not converted per ARC)
44--84112
44-96303
44-86308
44-84112
44-86303
44-86308
44-87644
44-87665
44-97761 (Not converted per ARC)
44-47308
44-27312
44-62190
44-62194
44-62210
44-70089
44-70101
44-70117
44-70131
44-84034
44-84096
44-86259
44-86355


Jim :-)

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

Thanks Mike and Jim!

Where can I find a list to compare serials with recognition markings?
SB-29 AF6303 - ??? serial

Thanks
Martin

Jim,
just found three SB-29 serials here
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AFrptsMO.htm
44-86259 November 1950 USAF Accident Reports
44-84124 January 1951 USAF Accident Reports
44-84094 October 1951 USAF Accident Reports

Martin

Martin...It seems the SB-29 records are cloudy to say the least....I don't think any one source has all the answers.

The Aircraft Record Cards are supposedly the official records.  And there are aircraft appearing that are not reflected on the Aircraft Record Cards.

Apparently the B-17G Sentimental Journey 44-83514 had the fittings installled for the life boat, but there are no records, that have surfaced,  that show the aircraft was ever used as a life boat dropper. It was used in the Atomic Tests in Operation Greenhouse as a Director aircraft for the drone aircraft sent unmanned into the atomic clouds....that HAS been verified.

Jim :-)

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

Martin -
Recognition markings ?
Are you talking about Striping , Colors etc ?
Mike

Mike,
what I mean is this:
'f. Time and date of Initial Action by Air rescue Service: SB-29 AF6303 was airborne at 1144K, 26 February 1952.'
How do you call this? Or what is the exact naming?

Martin

Martin - Not sure what you mean ?
Rescue Mission - Korean War
SB - 29 # 44 - 86303
Took Off 1144 Hours
Mike
 

Sorry, Mike
what I mean is: AF6303
Thanks again for your efforts!
Martin

Robert Man on the loss of SB-29 44-61640 AF6303
 
http://home.att.net/~sallyann4/mann2-column.html
 
 
Terry T.

Surprisingly even jFbaugher didn't mention the SB-29 on his B-29 webpage!
If I add the SB-29 mentioned in the several USAF accident reports to the 16 of Steve Birdsall the total for today is 19 with 4 to clarify some times later.
Martin

After some search I've identified thirteen SB-29 via articles, photos, accident or conversion reports. Some new numbers appear...

42-63490 SB-29
44-61671 SB-29A
44-69957 SB-29
44-69982 SB-29
44-70101 SB-29
44-70119 SB-29
44-84054 SB-29
44-84078 SB-29
44-84084 SB-29B
44-84094 SB-29
44-84124 SB-29
44-86259 SB-29
44-86308 SB-29A

And one from the ARC 44-47308 I have identified as a Beech JRB-4 Expeditor

Martin

I took the sixteen SB-29's listed by A. Lloyd in B-29 Superfortress in Detail and Scale, Part 2, Derivatives, and the twenty - three SB-29's identified as such in my data base and cross-checked against the IARC's, obtaining a total of twenty-five SB-29's:
 
44-27308, converted Tinker 6/50
44-62190, converted Tinker 9/52
44-62194, converted Tinker 9/52
44-62210, converted Tinker 8/52
44-69957, converted Tinker 7/52
44-69971, converted Tinker 10/52
44-70089, converted Tinker 12/51
44-70101, converted Tinker 12/51
44-70117, converted Tinker 12/52
44-70119, converted Tinker 7/51
44-70131, converted Tinker 12/52
44-84030, converted Tinker 8/50
44-84034, converted Tinker 1/50
44-84078, converted Tinker 1/50
44-84084, concerted Tinker 1/50
44-84086, converted Tinker 3/50
44-84088, converted Tinker 2/50
44-84096, converted Tinker 1/50
44-84112, converted Tinker 3/50
44-86259, converted Tinker 1/50
44-86303, converted Tinker2/50
44-86308, converted Tinker5/50
44-86355, converted Yokota 11/50
44-87644, converted Tinker4/52
44-87665, converted Tinker 10/52
 
Bob Mann
 

Bob Mann

Bob,
thank you for listing the (25) SB-29!
Additionally...
Any idea - what should we do with
42-63490
http://home.att.net/~sallyann2/500-group.html
44-61671
Steve Birdsall
Alwyn T. Lloyd "B-29 Superfortress in Detail and Scale Part 2"
SB-29A-40-BN 44-61671 as shown in a photograph on page 77 of Volume 14 of the Warbird Tech Series by Peter M Bowers
44-69982
JoeFBaugher
http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20wrecks.htm#44-69982
44-84054
http://www.accident-report.com/Serials/1944n.htm
44-84094
http://aviationarchaeology.com/src/1950s/1951Oct.htm
44-84124
JoeFBaugher
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/pmkor/korwald_info_1458.htm

Every comment welcome.
Martin

My father was a radioman on an SB-29 out of Guam with the number '4088' on the tail.    I'm assuming that's the one listed in Bob Mann's book as '44-84088 (not converted per ARC).  I sure would love to find a picture of that plane for him.  Any ideas where to look?
 
Gary Van Kauwenbergh
 

John Campbell's B-29 book has a photo of an SB-29 which he identifys as S/N 44-62212.
 
Herb Harper

I have no record of 44-62212 being converted to a SB-29 configuration.
 
Bob Mann

Bob Mann

I have a photo of 44-70128 in SB-29 configuration



Martin / Swiss Mustangs

WIEESSO,  I have a question for those envolved in the B-29 rescue aircraft.  In looking thru our local newspapes I find that A bomber from the Pratt ArmyAirfield had a landing in a wheat field in l944. The story in the newspaper states the crew went down after the life raft was deployed by error and became tangled in the tail group and forced them to crash land .  Were the life rafts stowed in the wing of a B-17 or could this have been a B29 with the boat under it. The newspaper only mentions the live raft. I will have to research the report a little more. The son of the owner of the Wheat field that the airplane landed in is still farming the ground and will ask him if knows anthing about the incident.  Thanks  Phillip

Phillip,
that's an interesting story! Please, try to find out more details (location).
Both the SB-17 and the SB-29 had these airborne lifeboats (A-1 respectively A-3) under their bellys.
Maybe the parachute of the lifeboat opened too early...
1944 sounds more like a SB-17. Most of the SB-29 conversions took place 1/50 to 12/52.
On the other hand Pratt Army Airfield during World War II was used to train B-29 crews.
Looking forward
Martin

edit: just found this http://www.prattarmyairfield.com/page/Plane+Crashes+-+Introduction

'The Pratt Army Airfield was on the “leading edge” of the B-29 program.
During this period, there were eleven (11) major air crashes involving the following aircraft from this Air Field, while on training flights:
B-29 off the coast of Florida
B-29 in the Caribbean Sea
B-29 on an oil refinery near Dallas, Texas
B-26 in the Rocky Mountains above Aspen, Colorado
B-25 near the Hutchinson (KS) Naval Air Station
B-29 north of the Air Field near towns of Stafford and St. John
Five (5) in Pratt County, Kansas:
- B-29 on the Air Field
- B-26 near the Air Field
- B-17 near the town of Preston
- B-26 near the town of Cunningham
- B-26 near the city of Pratt'

Phillip:
   On all B-29's, the crew life rafts were stowed in two compartments on the upper part of the fuselage over the center wing section..  I have read of a number of accounts of one or both of these doors popping open on takeoff or in flight and the rafts ejecting into the slipstream - directly at the vertical stabilizer
   In two or three of the accounts, the raft somehow got tangled with the rudder or elevators and created a control problem. 
   I would venture to guess that this might have been the cause of the crash you were discussing
 
Bob Mann

Martin and Bob,  Good to get your infomation. I will visit the library next week and pin down the date , I copied the article from the paper but missed the date box on the copy, will look again. Looking at the accidents from  Pratt the most likely would have been the one Between St. John and Pratt. The airpane went down 17 miles  North Northeast of the Pratt AAF. It was south some 8 miles South East from St. John and 7 miles Southwest of  Stafford. The article called the plane a Fortress, but as you know local papers  it could have been the superfortress. The story said they landed wheels up and plowed a ditch thru the wheat field. They were salvaging the aircraft and hauling it back to Pratt. No injuries just their pride. Our group is trying to get moving on a museum  to be located on the Pratt AAF. The memorial group has a really fine All Veterans memorial at the Pratt AAf now.  We feel that we need to get our collection and history to a building on the airport. We have had several meetings and feel really good about this happening.  We still have the large Echelon B29 hangar in very good shape. The parachute loft is still standing and in good condition. Lost the battle to save one of the other single hangars. Those are beautiful old structures and we hate to lose it. Nothing quite like the atmosphere to walk into those old structures and think what was happening there 65 years ago.  Thanks for the help, I will post some more info when I get it.  Phillip

According to Bob's describtion and Phillip's last post I guess it was the incident of a 'B-29 north of the Air Field near towns of Stafford and St. John'.
Bob, thanks for clarifying!

I talked to my dad this weekend, and according to him he was stationed on Guam at Northfield with Flight D of the 11th Air Rescue Squadron from May 1949 through August of 1951.  There were four SB-29s in his flight.  Their tail numbers were 4088, 6308,m 6303 and 7308.
 
Great Picture!  Thank you Swissmustangs!
 
Gary Van Kauwenbergh

The first three serial #'s were fine but 44-87308 is not a valid B-29 derial number.  Transcription problem?
 
Bob Mann

Bob Mann

Wiesso - According to Davis's Book ,
the AAF converted 16 B - 29s to
Super Dumbos before end of WW II.
Mike

ORIGINAL: garyvank

I talked to my dad this weekend, and according to him he was stationed on Guam at Northfield with Flight D of the 11th Air Rescue Squadron from May 1949 through August of 1951.  There were four SB-29s in his flight.  Their tail numbers were 4088, 6308,m 6303 and 7308.

Great Picture!  Thank you Swissmustangs!

Gary Van Kauwenbergh

Guess the last is that mysterious 44-27308 sometimes mentioned (3ASR).

Martin

ORIGINAL: shooshoobaby

Wiesso - According to Davis's Book ,
the AAF converted 16 B - 29s to
Super Dumbos before end of WW II.
Mike

That's a question for Bob - see this thread post #14...

Martin

According to my records there was a 44-27308
 
Herb Harper

Okay - -
   I have a list of twenty-five conversions, including the nebulous 44-27308:
44-27308 - 
44-27312 * Not converted per IARC
44-61671 - Lloyd list but not in "Active in 1951 IARC m/f
44-62190
44-62194
44-62210
44-69957
44-69971
44-70089
44-70101
44-70117
44-40119
44-70131
44-84030
44-84034
44-84078
44-84084
44-84086
44-84088
44-84096
44-84112
44-86259
44-86303
44-86308
44-86355
44-87644
44-87665
44-87761 * not converted per IARC
 
Total of twenty five conversion confirmed by IARC
Bob Mann
 
 
 

Bob Mann

RE: the 7308 tail number for one of the four SB-29s in Flight D of the 11 Air Rescue Squadron on Guam.   That is the number I have on my note from my talk with dad last weekend.  He seemed pretty clear about it, but he only knew them by the last four digits.  - Gary

I talked to my dad a third time, and he repeated all for numbers again.  4088, 6308, 6303 and 7308.  His memory is pretty sharp.  I'd bet my next paycheck on 7308. - Gary

As per my last post, 44-27308 seems to fit the bill
 
Bob Mann

Bob Mann

Gentlemen
I am an aviation writer and historian from the UK. I am currently finishing a book on the history of aviation in BERMUDA. The SB-29 was based at Kindley Field (replacing the SB-17) with the RESCUE FLIGHT from early 1952. Four SB-29 were collected from Tinker AFB. The RESCUE FLIGHT was re-named the 29th ARS. I have found four serial numbers from Bermudian sources.
44-70104 was current January 1955. (not on your list)
44-70131 was current July 1954
44-70137 was current July 1954 and February 1956 (not on your list)
44-87644 was current July 1954

Of course, there were probably more SB-29s in Bermuda as aircraft were rotated for maintenance.
If anyone has more information about the 29th ARS then I would love to hear from you.
tom(at)singfield.freeserve.co.uk      .......replace the (at) with @
Tom Singfield

Hi Tom,
thank you for posting.
I'm very interested in your findings. Is it possible to get information about your 'Bermudian sources'? Especially I'm looking for photos.
Will look for docs concerning 29ARS.
Martin

I flew 5 different tail numbers from Okinawa during Korea.  Believe that there were only 16 total, for 2nd,3rd, and 5th Ars Groups.