Evening star., 1944-11-13

a quarter OF a mile, tne waist
gunner grinned.
Inside the soundproof frame all
is quiet and serene. It's more like
travelling on a de luxe transport.
Circling through the thick soup
of cloudy day, the B-29 climbs
to about 10000 feet.
Automatically the air pressure in
the cabin had been applied at 5000
feet, the supercharges maintaining
the pressure at very high attitudes.
At 10000 feet there was no need
for the emergency oxygen supply
kept available We explore the ship.
Our pilot, 1t. Col. Ralph Vaughn.
directed attention to the tiny half
wheel by which he steers. He held
up thumb and forefinger It's
hard work flying a B-29," he re-
marked "All it takes is the mus
cles of two fingers" Before him on
the dash panel are gadgets galore.
Beside him at his right are more
gadgets. He keeps Tipping one and
then another with the greatest of
ease. To a layman it is bewildering,
as everything is about this me-
chanical ship.
/ A unique addition to the crew is
the flight engineer Although he
rides backwards behind the copilot,
/ he's little concerned with where he S
going. He is busy watching his awe
inspiring instrument panel-the
pulse of the roaring air battleship
The dials indicate altitude and
temperatures, airspeed, engine oil
pressure. fuel pressure, de-icing, the
condition of the electrical system
and what not. He operates some
As switches, 5 control knobs and
IA control switches.
Put Through Its PAGES.
Meanwhile, the ship has been put
/ through its PAGES. Engine motors
were turned on and off. The gun
nerS. technicians and radio opera
tors made their reports. The radio,
like everything else on the B-29. is
probably the most elaborate aircraft
inStallment of its kind.
An example of its range occurred
recently when pilot who was
ferrying Super overseas, found his
landing gear was stuck as he ap-
preached the field at Presque Isle
Me. He radioed his predicament to
the Presque Isle operator Unable
to get technical advice from the
men on the field, the operator tele-
phoned Boeings engineering de-
partment at Wichita. He ther
connected the phone call into the
B-29's radio circuit and Boeing en-.
gineers told the circling pilot how
to free the jammed gear.
The gunners on B-29 are keer
eyed robots. Waist t-gunners sit in
comfortable seats beside bullet
proof glass blisters. Armor protect.
them. They sight through small
instruments, press switch anC
batteries of unseen .50-caliber ma.
chineguns. movable in any direc.
ton, bring tremendous frepower or
approaching targets. The 2O-mm
turret guns operate the same way
Enemy pilots usually prefer to keer
a safe distance away.
Bomb Bays Empty.
The only thing We didn't see func-
ton on the big ship were the bomb
bays, for they were empty, or al
least we hoped so.
The B-29 was gradually descend
ing, lowering altitude at a rate Of
about $50 feet a minute. In the
bombardier's seat one is more con-
sclous of the descent then back with
the gunners. Only when the $500
mechanical horses began to break
power did the ship tremble. For q
few seconds the tremendous weight
rushed a foot or so above the run
way. Then it landed on the con-
crete, as light as a feather. like any
well-mannered transport plane. We
were two hours and five minutes
in the air.
l. AS Col. Vaughn climbed down the
ladder. Boeing official rushed up to
him. Did it meet all the tests?" he
asked the pilot.
Well say it met the tests-and
how!