boeingb29

I have been looking at this photo for a while and come to the conclusion it must be 42-65341 'big Z 25' from 500BG. This photo was taken later than the one I have, showing 44 bombing missions instead of 43 (the one I have) plus 10 other missions (those male(?) figures at the bottom), vs seven on mine. The final four bombing mission symbols are placed differently but it must be the same aircraft in spite of that..... The number of Japanese fighter claims (seven) are the same. Stig

PS: Photo taken ca Aug 1945 Stig

Two aircraft are recorded with this name 44-61562 and 44-62196, and no I don't know which this one is. Both names, interestingly enough, are recorded as 'Never Hoppen'. Perhaps this is a combination Hope and Happen? Also confess I feel a bit of sympathy with the "decorator" who obviously knew the difference between dream and reallity :-) Stig

Boeing RB-29A Superfortress (modified B-29A-50-BN), USAF Ser. No. 44-61815 (c/n 1192), "Daijobu." As per the Joe Baugher site: www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_4.html

44-61815 Delivered to USAAF 15 Jun 45. Modified to F-13A; re-designated 1948 as RB-29A Assigned to 331st Bomb Group, 315th Bomb Wing. Named ‘Moonshine Raiders’. Named ‘Gay Times’ Assigned to 98th Bomb Group, Spokane AFB, WA. Named ‘Diajobu’ Assigned to 30th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group, Andersen AFB, Guam. Named ‘Beat Up Bastard’ Assigned to 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Yokota AB, Japan Named ‘Moon’s Moonbeam’. Named ‘Sunbonnet King’. Accident 25 Mar 52 taxiing at Yokota AB, Japan Shot down by two Soviet LA-11 Oct 7, 1952 near Yuri Islands, Kuriles, USSR. Eight crew members killed.

Another photo of 44-61815 in the SDASM Flickr Commons collection: