How long was the B-29 in service?
1942 - 1960.
Just to clarify: The first flight of a B-29 was September 1942. The last squadron B-29 was retired from service in September of 1960.
I thought the B-52 replaced it sometine in the 50’s.
I’m a little surprised at a 1960 date (figuring that by 1960, most of them would have been B-50s), but many WWII era planes were still in service in the 1960s–just not in their original roles.
Although the B-29 was used extensively (although with little fanfare) during the Korean war and although it was certainly replaced as a front line bomber by the B-36, B-47, and B-52 through the 1950s, training squadrons continued to fly older planes and many planes were converted to other uses (search and rescue, meteorological exploration, test beds, target tows, etc.)
Only one real B-29 still flies, ‘Fifi’ is he last of her breed and is operated by the Confederate Air Force. A B-29 seems to be the outer limit of what volunteers can keep flying.
Of course the Soviets made copies of the B-29, using examples that came down in Soviet territory during The War. Copies down to the last cup holder. They had the NATO designation ‘Bull.’
At least two Chinese-made Bulls are (allegedly) still in service supporting their space effort.
No cite. Trust me.
FIFI, along with many other B-29 carcasses, was destined to be a warhead damage assessment test bed at the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, CA. Thousands of volunteer hours and a lot of ingenious scrounging among the other B-29’s at the site plus some newly manufactured parts finally got the thing off the ground.
[ nitpick ]
The Confederate Air Force is now the Commemorative Air Force
[ /nitpick ]