page_title: Boeing B-29 Superfortress variants
section_title: SB-29
hierarchical_section_title: Boeing B-29 Superfortress variants / SB-29
caption_attribution_description: English: Fifteen B-29s and one B-29A were adapted for air rescue duty after World War II. Nicknamed "Super Dumbo" and designated SB-29. These aircraft were modified to carry an air-droppable A-3 Edo lifeboat. The primary mission of the SB-29 was rescue support for units flying long distances over water. The "Super Dumbo" retained all the defensive armament of the production bomber with the exception of the forward lower gun turret which was removed to make room for the AN/APQ-13 radome just behind the nose landing gear. When a downed aircrew was spotted in the water, the lifeboat was released from the aircraft. The lifeboat, which descended by parachute, was equipped with watertight compartments, self-righting floatation bladders, an inboard engine, food and water. The SB-29 remained in service throughout the Korean Conflict and into the mid-1950s.
context_page_description: The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was an aircraft produced in many experimental and production models.
context_section_description: The SB-29 'Super Dumbo' was a version of the B-29 adapted for air-sea rescue duty after World War II. Sixteen B-29s were modified to carry a droppable A-3 lifeboat under the fuselage; redesignated SB-29, they were used mainly as rescue support for air units that flew long distances over water. The first SB-29s were received by the Air Rescue Service in February 1947. With the exception of the forward lower gun turret, all defensive armament was retained; the aircraft additionally carried a variety of radio equipment, provisions, survival kits, and extra crew. The SB-29 was used operationally throughout the Korean War into the mid-1950s. It received its nickname from Dumbo, the Disney character, whose name was given to the aircraft used in previous missions to pick airmen up when they crashed at sea.
caption: SB-29
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