Airplanes Online Home Page


B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62"

Of the 3,970 B-29s were built during production, only a few have been preserved, restored, and are on static display. A total of about 22 complete B-29 airframes are currently on display in the United States.

One B-29A survivor, "Miss America 62", S/N 42-65281, is on display at the Travis Air Force Base Aviation Museum in California

The aircraft was built at the Glenn L. Martin Company's Omaha, Nebraska assembly line in December of 1944. It was assigned to the 20th Air Force, 6th Bombardment Group, 24th Bombardment Squadron on Tinian Island. The pilot was Bruce R. Alger, who nicknamed his plane "Miss America 62" for his newborn daughter who he figured would be eligible to be the winner of the Miss America pageant in 1962.

The plane was marked with the "Circle R" on its tail, and flew combat missisons from Tinian to Japan and Japanese held islands, and credit with shooting down two enemy aircraft.

After World War II, she flew with the 301st Bomb Group of the Strategic Air Command. During the Korean War, she flew with the 373rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.

In October 1945 Miss America '62 returned to the United States and was assigned to the 4196th Base Unit (Air Technical Services Command) at Victorville Field, CA. She was modified for weather reconnaissance and flew with the 373rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Kindley Air Base, Bermuda during the Korean War. Finally, she served as a target tug, at Randolph AFB Texas when its service ended.

Afterwards, the B-29 was sent to NAS China Lake for use as a target and then stored at NAS China Lake from 1960 - 1985.

In late 1985, the B-29 was dismantled and loaded into a C-5 for the flight to the Travis Aviation Museum. After its arrival at the museum, work began to reassemble the B-29. As the layers of paint were removed, the last layer of paint yielded the her orginal nose art - Miss America '62. It and the Enola Gay (now in the USAF Museum) are the only two known restored "Circle R" aircraft.

Read more about Miss America 62 at the Travis AFB Aviation Museum website

 

Visit the 6th Bombardment Group website

Complete Listing of Surviving B-29 Superfortress Aircraft

click to see a complete list of surviving B-29s, their names, serial numbers, and locations

Photographs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62"

Left right fuselage view of Boeing B-29A Superfortress "Miss America 62" at Travis AFB, California
Left right fuselage view of Boeing B-29A Superfortress "Miss America 62" at Travis AFB, California

Nose view of the B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62" at the Doolittle Air Museum in California
Nose view of the B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62" at the Doolittle Air Museum in California
Nose art on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62"
Nose art on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Miss America 62"


More about the B-29 Superfortress