View Full Version : RAF B-29 Washingtons
tiny fireburn
20th Mar 2021, 09:47
Seeking photos of RAF Washingtons (other than familiar on-line images) that served with 15, 35, 44, 57, 90, 115 149, 207 and 192 Sqns, plus Washington Conversion Unit
to illustrate a magazine article. Also keen to locate photos of the two Washingtons that were ferried to Australia in 1952 for Vickers weapons trials. The website ADF-Serials has relevant pics but do not respond to messaging. All assistance appreciated and acknowledged.
chevvron
21st Mar 2021, 08:23
Seeking photos of RAF Washingtons (other than familiar on-line images) that served with 15, 35, 44, 57, 90, 115 149, 207 and 192 Sqns, plus Washington Conversion Unit
to illustrate a magazine article. Also keen to locate photos of the two Washingtons that were ferried to Australia in 1952 for Vickers weapons trials. The website ADF-Serials has relevant pics but do not respond to messaging. All assistance appreciated and acknowledged.
Aeroplane Monthly did an extensive article about 25/30 years ago concerning the use of Washingtons in RAF Service.
When I was a high school student I had a mate who’s Dad worked at WRE / Weapons Research Establishment north of Adelaide. The good old days of A bomb tests and lots of interesting aircraft visiting.
WRE must have been near where RAAF base Edinburgh is today, not as far north as the old RAAF base at Mallala. There I saw my one and only B 29, wasn’t aware then a RAF “Washington”.
I used to get aircraft photo prints from the Adelaide “Advertiser”. May be a line of enquiry via Dr Google, one would assume they haven’t destroyed their historic photographic archives?. They might have something
Timing.. about mid ‘50s..?
Or as Fireburn says ‘52. 53.? I was at High School then, and always getting into trouble looking out the
window at the passing parade of aircraft on final approach to Adelaide Airport.
Did have its advantages ... I got kicked out of class one day when trying to spot the Vulcan.
It flew a figure of eight low level over Adelaide and out on the oval I had the best view in town.!
What a science fiction shape that was in the day. Sadly, crashed back at Heathrow.
Noyade
22nd Mar 2021, 07:55
The website ADF-Serials has relevant pics but do not respond to messaging. All assistance appreciated and acknowledged.
All the images of A76 I've seen in Australian publications, are always attributed to the various RAAF Media/Public Relations/Historical section/departments. Worth contacting them?
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/700x292/scan0494_a87b05ef6d35f7fc3f1ff5cb2c5d311bba3ad633.jpg
chevvron
22nd Mar 2021, 11:09
The Soviet Union seemed to like the design:
Tupolev Tu 4; 847 built (some of which were sold to China) by 'reverse engineering' (ie copying) a B29 which had force landed on ther territory; in service until 1988 in China.
Less Hair
22nd Mar 2021, 11:31
Some metric conversion rebuilt by the way!
Truly almost everybody's first nuclear bomber.
MReyn24050
22nd Mar 2021, 11:40
Aeroplane Monthly did an extensive article about 25/30 years ago concerning the use of Washington's in RAF Service.
There was an article entitled "Washington diary" published in Aeroplane Monthly Vol 2 No5 (May 1974) the article was written by Jeffery Brown and outlined the introduction of the B-29 into RAF service.
donthaveone
26th Mar 2021, 13:24
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/820x440/9f5233f0_ec3a_4937_8ed8_6464a14edc28_32f9c442c8f4ecd63dbba4c a139e55ec1bfea044.jpeg
57 squadron 1951
Hope this helps
tiny fireburn
27th Mar 2021, 09:45
donthaveone.
TYVM - that's exactly the sort of thing I'm after, and not one I've seen before . But do you by any chance have a higher res version? As it stands its very small!
Old Photo.Fanatic
27th Mar 2021, 11:44
Excuse thread drift.
I remember seeing three Washingtons at the BOB airshow at RAF Colerne in 1953 .
They displayed if I remember correctly, one Formation fly-by !
Further drift! Same display the Brabazon did 2 fly-bys and a touch and go, this was after the cancellation!
OPF
donthaveone
27th Mar 2021, 13:18
The picture is only 191kb from an old black& white print. Maybe it would be better if I sent it to you as an attachment?
ex82watcher
28th Mar 2021, 11:31
Over 40 years ago,I had a girlfriend whose father,'Todd Sweeny',had flown Washingtons,and had a very nice b&w photo of the one he was flying in formation at the coronation review at Odiham.Think I only met him once,and he had rececently retired as a W.Cdr,though I did subsequently see him once more on the prom at Bognor Regis,where he was working as a deck-chair attendant.When I was at Eastern Radar in the early 80s,in conversation with one of the RAF controllers,Paddy Mallooly if anyone remembers him,he said that he had flown as Todds Nav' when on comets at Watton.
There is an E Mail for you
ex82watcher
28th Mar 2021, 17:45
SPIT,if that message was for me, I have looked at my PMs,and it's not there,Can you try again ?
tiny fireburn
30th Mar 2021, 14:10
TYVM - I'd be grateful if you would
Hi
Does anyone know what happened to the magazine called WASHINGTON TIMES ??? (not the American one)
tiny fireburn
2nd Apr 2021, 15:12
It was produced by Chris Howlett and I believe the last Issue was #9 in Spring 2006
donthaveone
2nd Apr 2021, 18:37
On the RAF Watton site there is a list of Washington Times newsletters to read, the last is Issue 20 Autumn 2010
https://www.rafwatton.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wash19.pdf
ex82watcher
3rd Apr 2021, 14:49
donthaveone - thanks for that,I wasn't aware of the RAF Watton site.I worked at Eastern Radar(civil),which was at Watton in the 1980s,one of our controllers,Percy Dorman had flown as A/G or Siggie on Washingtons.
Having just read the 'Washington Times' article above,thought I'd mention that the grave of Group Captain Donaldson mentioned therein,is in the churchyard at Tangmere,Sussex,close to that of Sqn Ldr Neville Duke,quite appropriate really.
Davef68
6th Apr 2021, 11:13
Air Britain did a book on it (The Washington File), albeit only 36 pages - like most AB type books it's a history of the service of each individual airframe, with a selection of photos. It's been OOP since the 80s, but you can pick them up second hand
There's 3 copies listed on AbeBooks.com
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=&tn=The+Washington+File&kn=Air+Britain&isbn=
NickB
12th Apr 2021, 17:41
I'm pretty sure BoB fighter pilot Geoff Wellum of 'First Light' fame flew RAF B-29s after WW2 - possibly on 192 Sqn...
Stan Evil
5th May 2021, 16:55
An AEO I flew with on the Vulcan had flown on Washingtons. He said that coming back to base with all 4 engines still working was so rare that they made a certain number of 4-engine landings a BTR (monthly requirement)!
No B-29 story would be complete without mentioning Neil Armstrongs single engine landing. he was co-pilot on a trip to drop the D-558-2 research aircraft. Approaching 30,000' the #4 had a prop runaway which came off and sliced through #3, which lost throttle control and instrumentation so was shut down, #2 was also hit. #1 was shut down because of torque, even with just #2 running it required both pilots on the rudder, even at low power. The D-558 pilot asked not to be dropped because of fuel pressure control problems, but was dropped in any event, which was fortunate as the prop on its path to hitting #2 passed through the bomb bay where the 558 had been slung, also severing the command pilots pitch and roll controls. Neil was the only one with a full set of functioning aerodynamic controls.
ancientaviator62
6th May 2021, 07:02
megan,
I seem to recall the pilot who requested not to be dropped was Bill Bridgeman who route to test flying was rather unusual.
aa62, Jack McKay was the D-558 pilot on the occasion.
ancientaviator62
6th May 2021, 13:00
Megan,
thanks for the correction. My recall from Bridgeman's book was at fault although he did have a 'don't drop' drop ! Can anyone confirm or otherwise that the B29 engines as reverse engineered by the USSR were more reliable than the originals when fitted to the TU4 ?
ancientaviator62
6th May 2021, 13:04
Megan,
thanks for the correction. My recall from Bridgeman's book was at fault although he did have a 'don't drop' drop ! Can anyone confirm or otherwise that the B29 engines as reverse engineered by the USSR were more reliable than the originals when fitted to the TU4 ?
Fitter2
6th May 2021, 16:01
Einar Enevoldson (Nasa test pilot who held various time-to-height records in the rocket assisted F-104 that Yeager wrote off) told me he was once scheduled as the second 'warm body' to occupy the right hand seat of the B-52 dropping a lifting body as he was on that program, on the run -in for the drop the 'real pilot' was operating a variety on switches when a voice said 'OK then, goodbye' - their attached vehicle was no longer attached. Einar still holds the World glider gain-of-height record with Steve Fossett , his passing away last month is a great loss to aviation.
(Apologies for the thread creep).
Can anyone confirm or otherwise that the B29 engines as reverse engineered by the USSRThe engines were a local Russian development, though the turbochargers were reverse engineered from the R-3350.
esa-aardvark
8th May 2021, 13:18
My father told me - wastegate sticks shut, engine overspeeds,
prop departs upward. Engine overspeeds some more. Engine departs.
My father told me - wastegate sticks shut, engine overspeeds,
prop departs upward. Engine overspeeds some more. Engine departs.
Props will be constant speed surely? Only overspeed if the CSU fails.
esa-aardvark
8th May 2021, 19:00
DH - I have no idea, but he was a crew chief.
Sleeve Wing
14th May 2021, 13:52
Bit late into this thread but was a bit confused by the title.
Surely the Washington was the B-50 and the B-29, the Superfortress. It certainly was when I was spotter in the middle 50s.
The main differences were increased fuselage length, of course bigger engines and a substantial increase to the size of the rudder.
I instructed with a chap who had flown them in the late 50s, who later converted on to Valiants at Gaydon.
Can somebody confirm or disprove ?
Thanks.
DH106
14th May 2021, 16:05
Bit late into this thread but was a bit confused by the title.
Surely the Washington was the B-50 and the B-29, the Superfortress. It certainly was when I was spotter in the middle 50s.
The main differences were increased fuselage length, of course bigger engines and a substantial increase to the size of the rudder.
I instructed with a chap who had flown them in the late 50s, who later converted on to Valiants at Gaydon.
Can somebody confirm or disprove ?
Thanks.
Did the RAF have B-50s?
I thought they just had the B-29s as Washingtons.
cavuman1
14th May 2021, 22:11
Sleeve Wing, here's a photograph of the B-50D Washington, a follow-on to the B-29 Superfortress. Note the nacelle modifications, underwing tanks, and vertical stabilizer height increase:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1008x548/boeing_b_50_usaf_4174d3b290da72530fe0fec6cda404fbe718d5b5.jp g
- Ed
megan
15th May 2021, 04:04
Sleeve Wing, the USA was the only operator of the B-50, they did deploy to the UK though. The Washington was the name given to the B-29 when in service with the RAF. Both the B-29 and B-50 were called the Superfortress by the USA.
chevvron
15th May 2021, 09:01
Sleeve Wing, the USA was the only operator of the B-50, they did deploy to the UK though. The Washington was the name given to the B-29 when in service with the RAF. Both the B-29 and B-50 were called the Superfortress by the USA.
Every flying display in which the USAF participated in the UK up to the early '60s would include a KB50J towing an F100, F101 and RB66.