This was completed in-house over ten years as resources were made available. Therefore, a decision was made to restore it as fully as possible. Although this artifact is 99 percent original, it had to be disassembled and was in very poor condition after being stored outdoors for several years. The primary responsibility of a museum is to care for its collection. Why did the National Air and Space Museum restore the Enola Gay?Ī. Of the 15 B-29s built for atomic bombing missions, only two still exist-Enola Gay and Bockscar, which is displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio. Only 30 B-29s still exist and 25 of those are in museums. The Enola Gay has been in the Smithsonian collection since 1949. There is no story about the B-29 or World War II that you cannot tell with this particular airplane. The B-29 is an extraordinarily important aircraft from a design and manufacturing point of view, and from a general combat operational perspective in World War II. The Enola Gay was used to carry out the first atomic bomb mission and is perhaps the best-known aircraft from World War II. Our goal is to collect artifacts that have maximum exhibition potential by virtue of their rich histories. Why is this particular aircraft representing B-29s in the national collection?Ī. Throughout its existence, the museum has carefully followed an approach that offers accurate descriptive data, allowing visitors to evaluate what they encounter in the context of their own points of view. Its intent is to tell visitors what the object is and the basic facts concerning its history. This type of label is precisely the same kind used for the other aircraft and large space artifacts in the Udvar-Hazy Center.
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Manufacturer: Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr., 1945 A third B-29, The Great Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.Įngines: 4 Wright R-3350-57 Cyclone turbo-supercharged radials, 2,200 hp
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Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Three days later, Bockscar (on display at the U.S. On August 6, 1945, this Martin-built B-29-45-MO dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons. The text of the label describing the B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" is as follows:īoeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments.
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The Enola Gay rests on three eight-foot-high stands to enable viewing from various levels and for the display of smaller aircraft below the airplane's wings. Each aircraft or large space artifact is displayed with an individual label and grouped into sections providing historical context. The design for exhibitry at the Udvar-Hazy Center is unique, best described as enhanced open storage. How is the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay exhibited?Ī. The National Air and Space Museum tells the story of the development of flight and chronicles the history of the technologies that have made flight possible. "The National Air and Space Museum shall memorialize the national development of aviation and space flight collect, preserve, and display aeronautical and space flight equipment of historical interest and significance serve as a repository for scientific equipment and data pertaining to the development of aviation and space flight and provide educational material for the historical study of aviation and space flight." Preserving and displaying the Enola Gay fits within the mission of the National Air and Space Museum, given to it by Congress in its founding legislation: The hangar will ultimately be home to some 200 aircraft. The Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that in 1945 was used to drop the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan, is currently one among 104 aircraft exhibited in the center's aviation hangar. Why is the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay among the artifacts displayed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Tuesday, | 12:00am Media Inquiries Claire Brown 20 Public Inquiries