Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Three Feathers / 4MARDIV"

The March Field Air Museum is located just outside Riverside, California and is a major national repository of historic Air Force airplanes.

The collection features more than 70 famous airplanes such as the B-52 Stratofortress, B-47 Stratojet, B-17 Flying Fortress, F-86 Sabre, F-84F Thunderstreak, C-135, F-101 Voodoo, F-105 Thunderchief, SR-71 Blackbird and many others.

B-29 Superfortress at the March Field Air Museum

B-29 Superfortress "Three Feathers", S/N 44-61669

"Three Feathers" nose art on the B-29 Superfortress

Also on display at the March Field Museum is B-29A Superfortress, Serial Number 44-61669. The bomber was manufactured at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force on May 5, 1945.

The aircraft was then flown to the Pacific Theater to join the 20th Air Force, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bomb Group, 833rd Bomb Squadron on Saipan in the Marianas. Flying 11 combat missions against Japan, the B-29 carried the name “Flagship 500” in the ball and spear insignia of the 500th Bomb Group.

The bomber's last active duty assignment was with the 581st Air Resupply Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1956 for use as a test target, and was recovered from the Naval Test Center at China Lake, California and flown to March Air Field in January of 1981.

Nose Art on the B-29

Today, the B-29 Superfortress is painted with nose art on the left side as "Three Feathers", with the wording "Pilot Captain Edward Feathers".

Nose art on the right side of the bomber is painted for the 4th Marine Division (4MARDIV), which made significant and important contributions to the successful conclusion of the Pacific War. In particular, the capture of the islands of Saipan and Tinian during Operation Forager in 1944 provided forward airbases for B-29 bombers to attack and destroy Japan's war industries.

"4MARDIV" nose art on the B-29 Superfortress

While elements of three different US Divisions participated in amphibious assault and invasion of Saipan (2MARDIV, 4MARDIV, and US Army 27th Division), the amphibious assault on Tinian was largely carried out by 4th Marine Division (4MARDIV), with the 2nd Marine Division following in trace. Historians often refer to the amphibious assault on Tinian as "the perfect amphibious operation" of WW2. Despite this fact, the 4th Marine Division would accumulate one of the highest casualty rates of ALL infantry units (Army and Marine) during World War 2.

List of Other Surviving B-29 Superfortress Aircraft

A total of 3,970 B-29s were built during production. The B-29 at the March Air Museum is one of only 22 complete B-29 airframes currently on display or airworthy in the United States.

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

More About the Museum

This fine facility features a series of indoor exhibits and displays, and an outdoor airpark of more than twenty restored, historic aircraft and related equipment.

Most of the aircraft are located outdoors, and are accessible via flat, paved sidewalks or hard level desert sand. Other aircraft are located inside the two main display hangars.

Access is easy from the Van Buren Boulevard exit from Interstate I-215. A small entrance fee is required, and amble free parking is available on site. An excellent gift shop is located inside the main hangar space.

The museum is located at 22550 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, CA 92518. Phone 951.902.5949

For more information, we highly recommend a visit to the website of the March Field Air Museum

Three Feathers Update - 2021

In 2021, Three Feathers is being polished and cleaned ... updates will be provided on this website when available. In a combined effort by the staff of the March Field Air Museum and the group of volunteer automotive and aircraft detailers known as Team Shine, a cosmetic restoration was begun in early 2019. The bare aluminum skins of the aircraft were recently polished.