in speed, bomb loads, and machine guns which is/was the better aircraft.
You are basically comparing apples and oranges. The B-29 was a prop and the B-52 is a jet. The B-52 could carry more higher, faster and farther than the B-29. B-29 could fly 358mph at 31,850ft with 20,000lbs of bombs. (All are max performance) B-52 can fly 450kts at 40,000+ft with 105,200lbs for about 4510nm. Plus the B-52 could be air refueled. So depending on the mission, each have their positives and negatives.
B-29
SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 141 ft. 3 in.
Length: 99 ft. 0 in.
Height: 27 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 133,500 lbs. max.
Armament: Eight .50-cal. machine guns in remote controlled turrets plus two .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon in tail; 20,000 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Four Wright R-3350s of 2,200 hp. ea.
Cost: $639,000
Serial Number: 44-27297
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 357 mph.
Cruising speed: 220 mph.
Range: 3,700 miles
Service Ceiling: 33,600 ft.
B-52
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions:
-Length: 49,05 m
-Height: 12,40 m
-Wing Span: 56,39 m
-Wing area: 371,6 m2
Weight:
-Empty operating weight: 78.355 kg
-Max. T/O-weight: 229.088 kg
Powered by: 8 Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofans developping 7.711 kg thrust each
Performance:
-Top speed: 957 km/h (516 kts)
-Optimum cruise speed: 820 km/h (442 kts)
-Max. Mach number: 0.90
-Service ceiling: +16.764 m (55.000 ft)
-Range: (without refuelling) +16.095 km (8685 nm)
-Take-off run: 2.896 m
Armament:
-Gun(s): Tail mounted 20 mm M61A1 cannon (no longer in use)
-Hardpoints: 1 bomb bay and 2 underwing stations able to carry conventional munitions including AGM-84 Harpoons, AGM-142A ASMs, AGM-86C cruise missiles or up to 51 x 340 kg class bombs or mines and nuclear munitions including AGM-86B or AGM-129 cruise missiles and free fall nuclear bombs
Cost: approx. 74 million $
Users: USA
Each aircraft fullfilled/fulfills the purposes in which it was built, for the time it was built/upgraded. Make your own determinations… [:)]
Take care,
Frank
In my past life I flew B-29s (shook hands with LeMay himself), and was fortunate enough to see the advent of the B-52. The B-29 was an absolute amazing innovation with a few minor design hiccups (e.g., non-intuitive design of having the flight engineer sitting backwards at his station, corrected in the B derivative, right?). All things considered, like design to production time, it was a great plane. However, the B-52 has stood the test of time, beating out all jet bombers in regards to longevity. Just my observations as a USAAF/USAF enthusiast here in my second (known) life… shrug… its a living. [:D]
In the immortal words of Master Yoda.
A judge of you own opinions, should you be.[:D]
The Flight Engineer sat facing aft on all B-29 derivatives and all B-50’s as well.
The B-29B was built only by Bell-Atlanta and had all turrets removed, an AN-APQ-7 Eagle bombing radar (It looked like a wing instead of the regular dome of the AN-APQ-13). B-29Bs also had a radar directed tail gunner station. The guns werent controlled by radar but the gunner sat watching a radar. The transmitter was a ball than hung out between the two 50’s where the 20mm used to be. Most B’s were consequently lighter and able to fly faster as well.
Like the first replier said, “you’re comparing apples and oranges.” Two different eras, two different bombers. Though they were probably the best bombers for their respective eras, the longevity of the B-52 is much greater than the B-29. I’m not sure how long the B-29 was in service, but the B-52 first came into use I believe in the early 60s, and upgraded versions are still used today.
Interestingly, they have at least one thing in common; they were/are both capable of carrying atomic/nuclear weapons, though he B-29 is the first and one of the only two military vehicles/instruments ever used to deliver an atomic/nuclear device in wartime.
What was the other one? The only ones I know of were both delivered by B-29’s Enola Gay and Bockscar.
That has me curious also. Could he mean two B-29s as opposed to two different weapon systems?
how many mph is a knot?
1knot = 1.151 miles (mph)