Some cool manufacturer of precision machined elements images:
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay” panorama
Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay":
Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II and the 1st bomber to residence its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 identified its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a assortment of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.
On August six, 1945, this Martin-constructed B-29-45-MO dropped the first atomic weapon utilised in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, Bockscar (on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Great Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions.
Transferred from the United States Air Force.
Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.
Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.
Date:
1945
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Dimensions:
All round: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft six five/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)
Components:
Polished general aluminum finish
Physical Description:
Four-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and higher-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish all round, standard late-Planet War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial number on vertical fin 509th Composite Group markings painted in black "Enola Gay" in black, block letters on lower left nose.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" panorama
Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay":
Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of Globe War II and the very first bomber to home its crew in pressurized compartments. Even though created to fight in the European theater, the B-29 identified its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a selection of aerial weapons: standard bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons.
On August 6, 1945, this Martin-built B-29-45-MO dropped the very first atomic weapon utilized in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, Bockscar (on show at the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio) dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B-29, The Fantastic Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on each missions.
Transferred from the United States Air Force.
Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.
Martin Co., Omaha, Nebr.
Date:
1945
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Dimensions:
All round: 900 x 3020cm, 32580kg, 4300cm (29ft six five/16in. x 99ft 1in., 71825.9lb., 141ft 15/16in.)
Supplies:
Polished general aluminum finish
Physical Description:
4-engine heavy bomber with semi-monoqoque fuselage and higher-aspect ratio wings. Polished aluminum finish all round, normal late-Planet War II Army Air Forces insignia on wings and aft fuselage and serial number on vertical fin 509th Composite Group markings painted in black "Enola Gay" in black, block letters on reduce left nose.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai “George”
Image by Chris Devers
See a lot more images of this, and the Wikipedia write-up.
Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy | Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden (Violet Lightning) Kai (Modified) "GEORGE":
GEORGE is the unlikely Allied nickname for the greatest Japanese naval fighter made in quantity during Globe War II. The official Japanese name and designation was Kawanishi N1K2 Shiden (Violet Lightning). This outstanding land-based fighter sprang straight from a floatplane fighter design and style, the N1K1 REX (see NASM collection).
A lot of countries utilized floatplanes for scouting and reconnaissance duties, and to hunt submarines and surface ships, but only Japan built and fielded fighters on floats. The Japanese Imperial Navy intended to use these specialized aircraft to achieve air superiority above a beachhead to support amphibious landing operations where carrier or land-based fighters have been unavailable. The Kawanishi N1K1 (Allied codename REX) was the only airplane designed particularly for this purpose to fly throughout World War II.
In September 1940, the Japanese Navy issued a specification for floatplane fighters capable of supporting offensive naval operations. A group of engineers like Toshihara Baba, Shizuo Kikuhara, Hiroyuki Inoue, and Elizaburo Adachi had readied the very first prototype by May possibly 1942, and it flew on May possibly 6. Tests showed that the speed of new airplane was only slightly less than the Mitsubishi A6M Zero (see NASM collection) and the amphibious fighter was practically as maneuverable as its land-based cousin. This was exceptional performance for an aircraft that could not retract or jettison its enormous landing gear.
Long just before the initial Kyofu flew, Kawanishi engineers believed that the standard design and style would also make an excellent land-primarily based fighter. The conversion appeared to entail just replacing the primary and wingtip floats with a conventional landing gear. The organization decided to develop this variant as a private venture. As the project unfolded, the engineers decided to replace the 14-cylinder engine with a new 18-cylinder model expected to create about 2,000 horsepower. The new engine required a bigger propeller and this element, in turn, needed abnormally extended landing gear struts to stop the blade suggestions from contacting the ground. Kawanishi flew the initial N1K1-J land-based fighter on December 27, 1942. The new engine failed to deliver the anticipated energy and the landing gear functioned poorly. The airplane also fell brief of projected speed (649 kph – 403 mph) by 74 kph (46 mph) and could handle only 575 kph (357 mph). This was more quickly than the Mitsubishi A6M Zero ZEKE, nonetheless, and the Japanese Navy badly required an efficient counter to new American naval fighter aircraft such as the Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair (see NASM collection). The Japanese Navy ordered Kawanishi to abandon two other fighter projects and begin developing Shidens.
By the end of 1943, Kawanishi delivered about 70 of the new fighters and the Navy employed these airplanes for pilot familiarization and instruction. Expecting Allied amphibious landings in the Philippines, the Navy sent the very first Shiden unit to Cebu in time to challenge Allied air power supporting the invasion of that island in October 1944. Engine, landing gear, logistics, and maintenance difficulties plagued the Shiden units but Allied pilots realized they faced a excellent new Japanese fighter.
With N1K1-J production underway and Shidens flying combat missions, Kawanishi set about refining the style. They lowered the wings from mid-fuselage and the further ground clearance permitted the engineers to install a shorter, a lot more traditional and significantly less-troublesome landing gear, simplified the fuselage structure, and redesigned the empennage. Only the wings and armament remained from the initial style. The engine continued to give problems, but the Navy was impressed with these improvements and ordered the new version into production as the N1K2-J Shiden Kai (modified). In air-to-air combat, seasoned Japanese pilots flying Shiden Kais could far more than hold their own against most American pilots flying F6F Hellcats. In February 1945, a brave pilot, Warrant Officer Muto, single-handedly engaged 12 Hellcats and shot down four of them just before the remainder disengaged. Flying intercept missions against Boeing B-29 Superfortresses above the residence islands, the Shiden Kai was much less effective since of inadequate climb speed and power loss at higher altitudes.
Kawanishi created several other variants and planned much more when the war ended. About 1,500 of the different models have been developed. In battle more than Formosa (Taiwan), the Philippines, Okinawa, and the home islands, Shiden pilots acquitted themselves well but this outstanding airplane was another good design and style that appeared also late and in also couple of numbers to reverse Japan’s fortunes in the air war.
NASM’s Shiden Kai is 1 of three remaining right now. The other two are displayed at the U. S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. American intelligence units collected 4 GEORGE fighters from a variety of Japanese airfields and delivered them to Yokosuka Naval Shipyard for shipment to the United States. The NASM GEORGE came from Omura or Oppama Naval Air Station, Japan, and the fighter arrived stateside aboard the escort carrier "USS Barnes." It was almost certainly evaluated at the Naval Aircraft Factory at Philadelphia, and then moved to Willow Grove Naval Air Station. The GEORGE remained outdoors on show and steadily deteriorated along with a group of German and Japanese airplanes until 1983 when the Smithsonian Institution acquired it. The airplane was stored at the Paul Garber Facility till NASM loaned it to the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona, for restoration in December 1991 and the project was completed in November 1994. The restored Shiden Kai wears the colors and markings of the 343rd Kokutai, a unit stationed at Omura Naval Air Station in 1945.
Transferred from the United States Navy.
Manufacturer:
Kawanishi Kokuki K. K.
Date:
1942
Nation of Origin:
Japan
Dimensions:
General: 400 x 930cm, 2675kg, 1200cm (13ft 1 1/2in. x 30ft 6 1/8in., 5897.3lb., 39ft 4 7/16in.)
Supplies:
All-metal monocoque building
Physical Description:
Single-engine, low-wing monoplane, conventional layout with tailwheel landing gear.
