On August 6, 1945, the B-29 Enola Gay dropped the first nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The war, for all intents and purposes, was over. The Little Boy, for all its significance as spectacular fact and its threats and promises for the future -was without a doubt, the greatest technological achievement of the war. It was by no means, however, the only one. In fact, the bomb would have never reached its target if it were not for another engineering marvel: the B-29 Superfortress. It is only fitting that the ‘flagship of the Air Corps’ drop this awesome weapon of the future. For like its payload, the B-29 was a gleaming representation of the fantastic technological advancements made in the science and engineering sector of industry during the war years.

Through the Herculean efforts of the aviation industry and The Army Air Corps, the U.S. was able to to recover from the post WWI ‘lean years’, and establish itself as superior in the skies. The war's "trial by fire" pressures also served to harden and mature the young aircraft industry, forcing them to examine and improve their development procedures in order to expedite production of the best plane possible at the least cost in time and money.

The war's end aircraft performance data alone provides testament to the advancements made. Maximum bomber speed capabilities of 1945 (~350 mph) were nearly double that of those in 1941. Effective operational ceiling topped 35,000 ft, an increase of over 15,000 ft, and combat radius was increased from 900 to 1600 miles. By war's end, bombers were carrying bomb-loads of 10 tons instead of 2 1/2, and were dropping these bombs with a precision unheard of in 1940.

In all, the Second World War packed about 40 years of aviation progress into 40 months.

Today, at museums and Air Shows, a precious few of our WWII Warbirds remain available to the public for study, and sadly, more and more of the brave and talented men who designed, flew, and maintained them are lost to history each day.

Warbird Webquest
In the Airshow and Museum circles, the classic debate rages: which aircraft was ‘the best’? For many, this is simply a matter of aesthetic taste or an allegiance to a particular manufacturer, branch of service, or certain squadron: “my dad (or grandad) flew in a such-and-such, so they were the best.” If you ask the question of any WWII warbird enthusiast, you will surely get an impassioned response, but one that may not be based on any specific data.

The goal for this webquest is for the student to use objective, scientific and statistical means to develop a methodology and logical rating system, and create a defensible opinion on 'the best' of two different classes of WWII aircraft.

To begin your Webquest, Click on the Objective Link above.