TOUR
Don gave me a full tour of FIFI. First we
walked around the outside and looked
underneath into the open bomb bay. We
then climbed into the B-29 through the
right rear door; using a metal ladder.
Inside, I squeezed into the rear gunner’s
extremely cramped targeting position;
marvelling at how exposed and isolated
he was at the back of the aircraft. I then
crawled through the ‘tunnel’ to reach the
forward section and the cockpit. It was
akin to moving through a storm water
culvert on your stomach, and indeed not
much wider.
The B-29’s tunnel was necessary
because the aircraft was pressurised
fore and aft, but not in the middle. The
passageway is suspended above the bomb
bay, which has to open and close withouthttp://www.aviation-news.co.uk 33
Top left: Inside the bomb bay, looking
towards the cockpit and the pressurisation
hatch. James Careless
Top right: Looking down the B-29’s
pressurised tunnel from the aft
compartment, with the back door ladder
stowed. James Careless
Above: Boeing B-29 FIFI lifting off from Wiley
Post Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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