It is one of only 65 B-29s built under the 'Silverplate' specifications, making them capable of carrying nuclear weapons. When the B-29 entered service in 1944, it was one of the largest aircraft in all of World War II.Įnola Gay left the assembly line on in Bellevue, Nebraska, and stayed in service until its retirement on 24 July 1946. The B-29 Superfortress was a 4-engine, propeller-driven bomber aircraft and was one of the most advanced aircraft in World War II. About the Enola GayĮnola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft manufactured in 1945. It stood for decades abandoned, left outside to the elements, souvenir hunters, and animals. However, Enola's road to the museum was long. Thanks to the effort of the Smithsonian staff members, Enola Gay is on public display today. Not only is it one of just 26 Boeing B-29 bombers still existing, but it is also the plane that dropped the nuclear bomb over Hiroshima in 1945. Out of the 3.970 Boeing B-29 bombers ever built, Enola Gay is perhaps the most well-known.
