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After the war, it was decided by the United States Army Air Force that the Enola Gay must be preserved. A site chosen after the crew of the Enola confirmed less than ideal cloud conditions at the primary target of Kokura. Enola Gay would then serve as a spotter plane for the second Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki. Otherwise, the crew was totally unharmed.
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A great thump hit the aircraft as the shockwave shot across the landscape in all directions. Some 75,000 people died as a direct result of Little Boy's explosion and subsequent radioactive fallout. Fifty-three seconds later, tens of thousands were vaporized by humanity's violent entry into the Atomic Age.
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on August 5th, 1945, Enola Gay's Crew released the bomb from its bay doors. Naming it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Just before the mission began, Colonel Tibbets christened his Superfortress. That being the utter demoralization of the Japanese homeland. In truth, it only needed a fraction of that to undergo nuclear fission for the bomb to have its intended effect. The "Little Boy" Uranium Bomb contained a little over 140 (60kg) pounds of radioactive material on board out of almost 10,000 (4,400 kg) pounds of other material. Meanwhile, the weapon Enola Gay was meant to carry was nearly ready for deployment. Landing first in Guam for checks to ensure the bomb bay was ready for its mission. After a brief pitstop at Wendover Field in Utah, Enola Gay made the voyage to the Pacific Theater. He then assigned it to the 383rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, 509th Composite Group. Tibbets, Commander of the 509th Composite Group, on May 9th, 1945, while it still hadn't touched its landing gears down on the factory floor. Ultimately, Enola Gay was selected personally by Colonel Paul W. Allied forces thought that the British Avro Lancaster could be suited for the role of nuclear payload delivery if production on the Superfortress ran into problems. Some of its modifications included new pneumatic bomb bay doors and clever British release mechanisms to keep nuclear bombs in place until ready to drop them on target. It rolled off the assembly lie in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 18th, 1945. L Martin company, the eventual second half of Lockheed Martin.
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Enola Gay was manufactured under license by Glenn. These modified bombers were upgraded over standard B-29s to carry nuclear ordinance as its primary mission. It was one of only 65 ever built to the Army Air Force's "Silverplate" designation. There's a heck of a lot more to the story than that.įirstly, Enola Gay was not just any Superfortress. On the outside, Enola Gay is a perfectly normal Boeing B-29 Superfortress Strategic Bomber. The most controversial single plane in the history of aviation, bar none. Not that it needs any introduction, say hello to Enola Gay. An aircraft that genuinely changed the course of history. Visit the National Park Service Travel American Aviation to learn more about Aviation related Historic Sites.Because on display at this official annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a plane that caused more profound amazement and abject horror all at the same time than any other in history. Fairmont Army Airfield still retains several WWII era structures and sites whereas the other remaining airfields in the state have lost the majority of their primary structures and buildings associated with Nebraska's WWII legacy.
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There is also a water tower surrounded by a 20-acre area containing numerous ruins and foundations. There are six surviving buildings which include a small oil storage building, a small pump house and four large bomber aircraft hangars. Presently there are three mostly extant runways which extend nearly 7,000 feet in length, alongside their related taxiways and aprons. Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Historical Societyĭuring the war, the Fairmont Army Airfield encompassed approximately 2,000 acres of converted farm land and consisted of 275 support buildings and structures, with the capacity to accommodate 3,700 military personnel.