Udvar-Hazy CenterĮnola Gay has been on display at the Steven F. Stiborik (1914–1984) - operator of the on-board radar device Captain Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk (1921-2014) - navigator.Shumard (1920–1967) - assistant flight engineer First Lieutenant Jacob Beser (1921–1992) - Electronic Countermeasures / Radar Defense.Major Thomas Ferebee (1918-2000) - bomb shooter.Jeppson (1922-2010) - Assistant to the Arms Officer "Deak" Parsons (1901–1953) - weapons officer Colonel Paul Tibbets (1915-2007) - pilot and commander.→ Main article: Atomic bombing of HiroshimaĪ total of 12 people were on board, Jacob Beser was the only one who was also involved in the second atomic bomb drop on Nagasaki: Marquardt as pilot and commander.Ĭrew of the Enola Gay during the attack on Hiroshima When the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, the Enola Gay took over the weather investigation with Captain George W. In addition to the Enola Gay, there were 14 other B-29 bombers that had been converted for the use of atomic bombs, including the Bockscar, which dropped the second atomic bomb " Fat Man " three days later on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The Boeing B-29 belonged to the 509th Composite Group (313th Bomb Wing) of the USAAF and flew the operation against Hiroshima from Tinian, a small island of the Mariana Islands, therefore this aircraft was the first strategic atomic bomber in the world. Compared to a "normal" B-29, the machine was equipped without weapons, with the exception of the tail stand, which led to a significant reduction in weight and thus a higher attainable altitude. Martin Company's plant on Offutt Field near Bellevue (Nebraska) and equipped there with a special suspension for the comparatively high weight (around 4.5 t) of the atomic bomb.
The machine with the serial number 44-86292 was built in May 1945 in the Glenn L. After the armistice, the actually assigned marking (a spearhead) was applied again. The machine helps to disguise the actual unit markings of the 6th Bomb Group (R in a circle).