Great Artiste

Great Artiste. A Boeing B-29 Superfortress assigned to the 509th Composite Group during World War II, it served as an instrument aircraft during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Flown by the crew of Major Charles Sweeney, it is historically significant for its role in gathering scientific data from both nuclear explosions. Following the war, the aircraft saw further service with the United States Air Force before being scrapped.

History and development

The aircraft was constructed at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington as part of a large production order for the B-29 Superfortress. It was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces in March 1945 and assigned to the 393d Bombardment Squadron, which was the operational squadron of the secretive 509th Composite Group based at Wendover Air Force Base in Utah. The 509th Composite Group, under the command of Colonel Paul Tibbets, was created specifically to deliver atomic bombs and trained extensively in high-altitude precision bombing techniques. The aircraft was one of 15 Silverplate B-29s, a designation for bombers specially modified to carry atomic weapons, though it was primarily configured as an observation and instrumentation plane.

Role in the atomic bombings

On the mission to bomb Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the Great Artiste was flown by Major Charles Sweeney, with the weaponeer Captain William Parsons aboard the lead aircraft, Enola Gay. The Great Artiste carried scientific equipment and personnel from the Manhattan Project's Project Alberta, including physicists such as Luis Alvarez and Harold Agnew, to record blast data and atmospheric conditions from the detonation of Little Boy. For the Nagasaki mission on August 9, the aircraft assignments shifted; the Great Artiste carried the Fat Man plutonium bomb, with Sweeney in command of the mission aboard Bockscar, while the Great Artiste was piloted by Captain Frederick Bock. Again serving as the instrumentation aircraft, it measured the yield and effects of the second nuclear explosion.

Specifications and modifications

As a Silverplate B-29, the Great Artiste underwent extensive modifications for its specialized role. These included the removal of all defensive armament except the tail guns to reduce weight, the installation of fuel-injected engines and reversible-pitch propellers for improved performance, and the addition of a modified bomb bay to accommodate the shape of atomic weapons. For its instrumentation duties, it was outfitted with oscilloscopes, radio telemetry gear, and specialized ports to drop weather sondes and pressure gauges into the mushroom cloud. Its airframe, like all B-29s, was constructed primarily of aluminum alloy and was powered by four Wright R-3350 radial engines.

Crew and notable missions

The plane's primary crew was that of Major Charles Sweeney, which included Captain Charles Albury as the co-pilot and Captain James Van Pelt as the navigator. Key personnel from the Manhattan Project, including scientists like Luis Alvarez and Lawrence Johnston, flew aboard the aircraft during the atomic missions. Beyond its historic nuclear roles, the Great Artiste participated in Operation Crossroads in 1946, the first postwar nuclear test series at Bikini Atoll, where it again performed atmospheric sampling and data collection missions to study the effects of atomic explosions on naval vessels.

Post-war service and legacy

After Operation Crossroads, the Great Artiste returned to the United States and was redesignated as a TB-29 training aircraft. It served with various units, including the 97th Bombardment Wing at Biggs Air Force Base in Texas, before being transferred to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona for storage in 1948. Like many wartime B-29s made obsolete by the new Boeing B-50 Superfortress and Convair B-36 Peacemaker, it was scrapped on site in 1949. While the Enola Gay and Bockscar were preserved in museums, the Great Artiste was not saved, though its name and mission are commemorated at institutions like the National Museum of the United States Air Force and in historical accounts of the Pacific War.

Category:Individual aircraft Category:Boeing aircraft Category:World War II American bombers