B 29 enola gay crew
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Made in the Philippines, the model is a 1:72 reproduction of the famous plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Shown below are a few of the photos we shot during a recent visit to Wendover.B29 Superfortress "ENOLA GAY" Desk Model Signed By Tibbets & Van KirkĪ beautiful wooden model, with a 24" wingspan, measuring 17" x 3.5". The airport is also the site of the annual Historic Wendover Air Show.
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The foundation has installed a series of informative historic markers throughout the area (see photos of some signage below). We encourage those with an interest in preserving the field to visit the website of the Historic Wendover Air Field Foundation to learn about restoration efforts now underway, and how you can help this volunteer organization. Part of the original bombing range is now the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) which is used extensively by the Air Force with live fire targets on the range. Some acres, including the radar site, were retained by the military. In 1977 the federal government deeded much of the airfield to the City of Wendover, including the runways, taxiways, flight line, former hospital complex and hangars. It was closed by the Air Force in 1969, and in July 1975 the base was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Air Force as an independent service, the installation was renamed Wendover Air Force Base in 1947. The base was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1947, and was used by bombardment groups deploying on maneuvers.
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The B-29 "Bockscar" in Dayton, Ohio (Airplanes Online Staff Photo) Some crew training continued, but at a reduced level, and some B-29s were stored at the base. Wendover Air Base Role in the Post-World War II EraĪfter the war, Wendover was used for training exercises, gunnery range and as a research facility. Bockscar is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Three days later the "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki by the B-29 " Bockscar".Īfter the war, the Enola Gay was stored at the Pyote Army Air Field in Texas, and later transferred to the Smithsonian Institution for display at the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport. Colonel Paul Tibbets piloted the " Enola Gay" (Serial Number 44-86292) on August 6, 1945, and dropped "Little Boy" over Hiroshima, Japan. The Silverplate B-29s had modifications necessary to deliver atomic weapons, which included an extensively modified bomb bay with pneumatic doors, special propellors, modified engines and the deletion of protective armor and gun turrets. Tibbets brought his wife and family along with him to Wendover. The 509th settled on Wendover as their base due to its remote location. Tibbets' force, the 509th Composite Group, included 15 B-29's with special "Silverplate" modifications, and 1,800 men. An experienced pilot in World War II, he reported to Colorado Springs in Septebmer, 1944, for a top secret assignment - to organize a bombardment group to deliver the atomic bomb. Paul Tibbets was born February 23, 1915, son of Enola Gay and Paul Warfield Tibbets. The B-29 "Enola Gay" at the Udvar-Hazy Center A successful test of the "Fat Man" took place on Jsouth of Wendover at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico.
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The base was given the code name "Kingman" and the assignment to assemble, modify and flight test prototype bombs was named "Project W-47".Īs the design progressed, Project W-47 personnel assembled more and more complex versions of the "Little Boy" and the "Fat Man" bombs.
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Wendover's Role in the Manhattan Project, the Development of the Atomic Bomb, and B-29 Trainingīy 1944 development of the atomic bomb was under way as part of the Manhattan Project, and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress was selected to deliver the weapon. Wendover Army Air Base was activated in 1942 as a B-17 and B-24 heavy bomber training base. The crew of B-29 "Enola Gay" at Wendover FieldĬongress appropriated funds for Wendover Field in 1940 for the acquisition of land for bombing and gunnery ranges, and the Army Air Corp started construction of buildings on the site.