Bockscar, Military aircraft at National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
Bockscar is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. The heavy bomber features four radial engines, a wingspan of roughly 141 feet (43 meters), and remote-controlled defensive turrets.
The plane was delivered to the military in March 1945 and flew the second atomic mission over Japan on August 9 later that year. It returned to the United States for training duties afterward and was eventually donated to the museum.
The plane took its name from Captain Frederick Bock, who originally flew the aircraft, though Major Charles Sweeney piloted it during the mission. Visitors see the pressurized crew sections and enlarged compartments that made it capable of carrying the bomb.
The preserved aircraft stands in the museum exhibition hall and can be viewed from the outside. Information panels explain its technical features and wartime role during the conflict.
Weather conditions over the original target of Kokura forced the crew to divert to Nagasaki, even though fuel was running low. The drop altitude was around 29,000 feet (9,000 meters), lower than originally planned.
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