Boeing Washington Bombers

Hey folks,

I have an Airfix 1/72 B-29 Superfortress unbuilt and for the past couple of years I’ve been toying with the idea of making it into a post war Washington variant used by the RAF.

The problem seems to be that information about the Washington variant is rather scant and hard to come by, the most I’ve been able to find is that they were all leased aircraft, left in bare metal finish and 15 Squadron used them.

Were the Washingtons stock B-29s with no changes outside of the insignias? What were some of the other units that operated them?

Does (did) anybody make aftermarket decals for them or am I going to have to rumage from spare and generic sheets for markings.

It was surprizing to me that Airfix of all companies wouldn’t think to include a Washington decal option in their kit.

Any info would be greatly appreciated here.

Hope you’re not too cold up there in Canada, it’s currently 34 degree’s C in Riyadh! I have an idea that some years ago the British magazine Aeroplane monthly did an article on the B50’s. we have some back copies here, I’ll have a search and see what I can find. They may have an archive system on line, try
www.aeroplanemonthly.com. I would imagine that the guns were changed, probably radio’s too,(so different aerial’s?) Try finding pictures of the Queens coronation? review of the RAF at RAF Odiham in the mid fifties, I’ve seen pic’s of B50’s there. I hope you find more from others here.

Thanks for the info.

So, you’re saying that the Washingtons were B-50s, not B-29s as I’d always heard that they were?

Would there have been any engine change or different props as well?

I hope I’ll find more from others here too. Just because the Washington was a post war variant and didn’t serve under the “Stars and Stripes” doesn’t mean it should be a forgotten chapter in the B-29 story.

P.S. I’m not terribly cold here. We got snow yesterday here in Edmonton, now the temperatures are up around 10C and the streets are like rivers in some spots.

Gotta go, have my canoe in a no parking zone[;)]

Hey Upnorth,

Here’s some links to sites about the B-29/Washington. Washingtons were, indeed, ex-USAAF B-29’s loaned to the RAF (Almost 90 aircraft, Including at least four RB-29 recce/ELINT birds) and the RAAF (2 aircraft).

Most of these have no photo reference, and those that do are mostly poor shots, but I hope this helps some.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/b029i.html

http://www.raf-waddington.com/specials/museum/b29/b29.htm

http://users.chariot.net.au/~theburfs/washingtonMAIN.html

http://www.raafmuseum.com.au/research/aircraft/a2series/wash.htm

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/RB29.HTM

http://www.rafwatton.info/subjs/wash/wash1.html

http://www.uswarplanes.net/b29.htm

Fade to Black…

Well, you learn something new every day! after going to the waddington site, I now know the difference between a B 29 & a B50. Great links blackwolf. Did I mention that RAF Waddington is about 15 miles from my home near Lincoln?
I’m off home in nine weeks! it can’t go quickly enough!
good Luck with the model upnorth.

Thanks guys.

With the sparseness of info on the Washington and an impending (hopefully short) hiatus from modeling for me in the near future, the Washington is a long term project to say the least.