Boeing B-29 Pre-Projects and Development

That's the way I like it ! Thanks Hesham. And to all of you : please notice that Flight has finished to put its entire archive online (only very recent years lack). So, go and hunt down projects !
 
Some 3-views of the Boeing paper designs that eventually evolved into the B-29; apologies for the terrible quality, but these were from a mid-1940s printing, each about the size of a postage stamp and rendered in white on black. I've reversed them and tried cleaning them up a little:

boeing316.jpg

Boeing 316; a pressurized XB-15 offshoot

boeing322.jpg

Boeing 322, a pressurized B-17C

boeing333.jpg

Boeing 333, with tandem Allisons

boeing333a.jpg

Boeing 333A, with submerged Allisons

boeing333b.jpg

Boeing 333B, with Wrights



Chris
-----------------------------------
http://aviationheritage.blogspot.com
 
Hi,

here is a drawings to Boeing Model 333,333A,344 & 334,also a single drawing to Model-341
projects.
 

Attachments

  • 8-1.jpg
    8-1.jpg
    48.8 KB · Views: 292
  • 341.jpg
    341.jpg
    43.8 KB · Views: 331
Have split and merged the posts about the B-29 with this old thread. Unfortunately,
the pictures posted by Chris707 seem to be lost in the meantime, so again the appeal,
to upload pictures and not just to link them. ;)

And yes, the question by ACResearcher should be taken seriously ! :mad:
 

Attachments

  • B-322.gif
    B-322.gif
    216.5 KB · Views: 418
  • B-333.gif
    B-333.gif
    159.3 KB · Views: 454
My dear Alan,

the source is; http://coollib.com/b/110201/read
 
Jens super, da hast du dich wieder selbst übertroffen. Danke für die 3-Seiten-Ansichten.
 
The drawings by Jens Baganz of the Boeing Model 322, 333 and 333A, while nice, are incorrect in a number areas. Also, unless Jens has some drawings I have yet to receive, details such as panel lines, landing gear, bomb bay doors and position, cowl flaps, etc. appear to be products of his artistic touch vs known reality.

All my observations are based upon original drawings and documentation in my possession.

Model 322
The two areas where the drawings are most immediately and clearly incorrect are the shapes of the nose - which should be longer and slightly more "pointy", and the tail which is too large and should more closely reflect that of the shark-tail B-17s.

With regard to the wings, the engine nacelles on Jens' drawings appear to be too long as do the wings themselves. I've not yet done an overlay, so this is based on the Mk 1 Eyeball treatment.

Model 333 Series
All of the 333 series were equipped with tricycle landing gear, not tail-sitters as shown. The 333 series consisted of the 333, 333A and 333B. The Allison V-1710 equipped all versions, differing in engine placement including both tractor and pusher configurations on the 333 and the length of the wings. According to the original drawings the fuselage was 80'-8" in all cases. The series all appear to have had 54" diameter main wheels and twin 30" diameter nose wheels. The documents covering the A and B both list those, but the 333's show nothing for some reason. Still, given the duplication in most of the layout I feel this to be a relatively safe supposition.

I hope the above is informative and of value.

AlanG

PS Hesham, thank you for posting the link to your source.
 
I have had some fun using the information in the first and fifth posts of this thread to illustrate the genealogy of the B-29. I added some text to the illustrations to show the contributions of the earlier configurations to the final product. Obviously, one can read Taylor's original article for a more complete story. I have used the original data which claims that the Model 333B was designed to use a Wright 1800 cubic inch engine (flat, 180-degree V?), and the Model 334 a similar P&W engine. Feel free to improve the illustration.
 

Attachments

  • Boeing B-29 Genealogy.JPG
    Boeing B-29 Genealogy.JPG
    421.9 KB · Views: 418
I stand appropriately corrected!

I must have had too many documents on my screen at once and read the same one twice.

The 333B was indeed supposed to be powered by the "Flat" Wright 1800 as it is referred to in the specs. Yet another project designed for an engine that never went anywhere.

Thank you for bringing this out.

AlanG
 
From the book, The Superfortress is born the story of the Boeing B-29

the all data to every Model is mentioned in it.
 

Attachments

  • 1.png
    1.png
    253 KB · Views: 246
  • 2.png
    2.png
    269.4 KB · Views: 210
  • 3.png
    3.png
    270.1 KB · Views: 192
  • 4.png
    4.png
    256.5 KB · Views: 176
  • 5.png
    5.png
    256.1 KB · Views: 168
  • 6.png
    6.png
    224.7 KB · Views: 178
  • 7.png
    7.png
    275.9 KB · Views: 181
  • 8.png
    8.png
    265.2 KB · Views: 191
  • 9.png
    9.png
    265.1 KB · Views: 213
Actually, there is a fair amount of information and documentation on the Boeing pre-B-29 projects, but you have to do some serious digging and research to find it. I can't say by any means I've found it all, but I've found quite a bit for a future book title I've researched and continue to research. So, Hesham, don't EVER label something as "all available Info." Because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Attached are a couple of pages of data on the Boeing 316. What apparently very, very few people know is that there were four suggested variants of the Model 316. One of these became the XB-20 project. Boeing and/or the AAF identified the Model 316 as an outgrowth/variant of the XB-15. Based on the drawings and data I suspect this was just a way to get funding for an "existing project" as there was little or no money for anything truly new. Boeing had put its own money into the Model 299 project and was rewarded with a paltry contract for 13 aircraft for further tests - typical of the times.

I hope you enjoy the attached.

AlanG
 

Attachments

  • Boeing 316 Specifications - 1.jpg
    Boeing 316 Specifications - 1.jpg
    329.3 KB · Views: 130
  • Boeing 316 Specifications - 2.jpg
    Boeing 316 Specifications - 2.jpg
    306.1 KB · Views: 155
Last edited:

Similar threads

Please donate to support the forum.

Back
Top Bottom