If there was an aircraft that changed the outcome of a conflict in the world, Enola Gay is one of them.

This B29 Super-Fortress dropped "the bomb" in Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945, just before the end of World War II.

Whilst some debate everything around her - the crew and the aircraft played an important part in WWII.

Enola Gay now resides at NASM: The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enola_Gay

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Boeing B-29-45-MO “Enola Gay” call sign “Dimples-Eight-Two (built by the Glenn Martin Company at it Bellevue, Nebraska plant (taken on charge by the USAAF as serial number 44-86292 , victor number 82, was one of 15 B-29s with the "Silverplate" modifications necessary to deliver atomic weapons) of the 393rd Bomber Squadron of the 509th Composite Group, US 20th Air Force, commanded by Col. P.Tibbits took off at 0245hrs from Tinian in the Marinas accompanied by two other B-29s, (“Necessary Evil” (B-29-45-MO 44-86291, victor number 91) which was used as a camera plane to photograph the explosion and effects of the bomb and carry scientific observers, and “The Great Artiste” (B-29-40-MO 44-27353, victor number 89) which was the blast measurement instrumentation aircraft) to drop a 15-kilotonne enriched uranium atomic device “Little Boy” (formally known as “Thin Man”, weighing 9,700lbs, 10 ft long diameter 28ins) triggered by an a gun type fuse from an altitude of 9,449m (31,000ft), the device explodes 18 seconds later at 0816hrs (local time), 564m (1850ft) above the city; with a force equal to 13,000 tons of TNT. Col. Tibbets returned to Tinian at about 1500hrs. 7.4 Sq. Miles of built up area of Hiroshima are obliterated, 71,379 people were killed or missing and 68,023 wounded. (revised figures in 1979 state that casualties were 80,000 dead and missing including 6,769 military personnel; circa 80,000 injured with radiation sickness, burns etc.) news of the explosion was relayed to the Potsdam conference by President Truman. Dad · 2009-03-31: 15:37

great plane, great shots onlymehdi · 2009-03-31: 18:57

Tagged: enola gay udvarhazy center dc washington wwii bomb b29