All About the B-29 Superfortress Quiz

Answer: 10

Pilot, Co-Pilot, Flight Engineer, Bombardier, Navigator, Radio Operator, two Side Gunners, Top Gunner, and a Tail Gunner.

Answer: 20,000 lbs.

This usually consisted of incendiaries because Japanese houses were traditionally made from wood with thatched roofs. This burned easily when hit by incendiary bombs. When striking factories, the B-29s would use large conventional bombs (such as 2,000 lb. bombs) to destroy the modern metal and concrete buildings.

Answer: Pressurized compartments

For the first time ever, bomber crews enjoyed the comfort of not having to wear oxygen masks or heavy jackets to combat the cold. The crew would crawl through tunnels to get to each compartment. The bomb bay and most of the tail (besides a small part for the tail gunner) were not pressurized.

Answer: 12 x .50-cal machine guns, 1 x 20mm cannon

The B-29 had four remote controlled turrets on the fuselage, and a tail turret that had two machine guns, and a 20mm cannon in the middle. The defensive armament (except for the tail guns) of the B-29 was removed for the atomic bomb missions to allow the plane to carry the oversized bombs.

Answer: 4 x Wright R-3350-23

The R-3350-23 had 2,200 hp each. These engines may have powered the B-29, but they were also a disadvantage for the bomber. The engines were prone to catch fire easily when they were being started. The only B-29 still flying has different engines than the ones used during WW2.

Answer: 1942

An unarmed prototype took off from Boeing Field, Seattle on Sep. 21, 1942. A second prototype, fitted with remote-controlled gun turrets, flew on Dec. 30, 1942.

Answer: 3,970

Only 3,970 were built. It was one of the shortest production runs of an Allied heavy-bomber during WW2.

Answer: Bock's Car

Bockscar was the second atomic bomber. On August 9, 1945, it went down in history for dropping "Fatman", the second atomic bomb (excluding the bomb used in the Trinity test). However, there is a reason you never see the name Bockscar in the high-school text books.

This is because the mission went wrong. First, the fuel transfer pump was broken on the 600 gallon "Tokyo" tank in the back bomb bay resulting in limited range. Second, Bockscar encountered a typhoon on the way to the primary target of Kokura.

This forced the bomber, another B-29 equipped with scientific instruments, and one more with photography equipment to met up at a different point near the Kokura. Bockscar and the plane with scientific monitoring met up quickly, but they didn't spot "Up and Atom" (B-29 fitted with cameras). Fortunately, "Up and Atom" meet up later over Kokura. Third, the primary target was obscured.

This forced the group to head to the secondary target of Nagasaki. Fourth, when the group reached Nagasaki, it was also obscured. Running low on fuel, the bombardier thought he had reached the target and released the nuclear weapon.

In reality he missed by miles. Fifth, with low fuel, the group decided to head to Okinawa instead of their home airbase of Tinian. On the approach, number 3 engine quit, and upon landing, also number 2 engine, both from fuel starvation. After landing, the grew of Bockscar determined they only had 33 gallons of fuel left onboard. After refueling, the group of planes headed back to Tinian.

Answer: X-1

On October 14, 1947, a B-29 dropped the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, which down in history as the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. The X-1 was dropped from a modified bomb bay, and when released, fired the rocket motors to achieve Mach 1.

Answer: FiFi

FiFi is operated by the Commemorative Air Force B-24/B-29 Wing in Texas. The only airworthy B-29 unti May 2016 it was often seen around the country at big airshows and when they occasionally have country-wide tours. Other museums and foundations made efforts to put another B-29 in the air and, in May 2016, Doc was issued its air-worthiness certificate and flew again in Wichita KS.

It took the non-profit foundation Doc's Friends almost 16 years to restore this plane.