[Pecos]

I’m thinking that simply finding spare parts would be the problem. Wright R-3350-23 18 cylinder supercharged radial engines gotta be tough to keep up with, not to mention a quartet of 16 ft diameter four-bladed props. Probably not too many people still qualified to do an annual inspction on the B-29.

Enola Gay is at the Dulles location of the Smithsonian. I give a very solemn silent “thank you” every time I see her. My children are aware that the reason they got to know their grandfather was likely because we dropped the bomb on Japan. No moral confusion here.

[tanknetter]

I’m thinking that simply finding spare parts would be the problem. Wright R-3350-23 18 cylinder supercharged radial engines gotta be tough to keep up with, not to mention a quartet of 16 ft diameter four-bladed props. Probably not too many people still qualified to do an annual inspction on the B-29.

FiFi, the CAF's B-29, spent over five years grounded due to engine problems. It wasn't so much availability of parts (there are a LOT of -3350s out there still) as it was the original B-29 -3350 subtype had all sorts of mechanical issues.

The "fix" was to develop a brand new, hybrid variant of the R-3350 using the best parts from the different -3350 subtypes, that not only isn't nearly as maintenance-intensive but as a side benefit performs MUCH better (more available power, better fuel efficiency, etc) than the old engines did.