Building the B-29: Designations and Serial Numbers

Building the B-29: Designations and Serial Numbers

The following is the Boeing B-29 Superfortress production list:

  • Designation: Aircraft designation + production block + code for the manufacturing plant. The production blocks were typically incremented by 5. Manufacturing plant codes: BO (Boeing-Seattle), BN (Boeing-Renton), BW (Boeing-Wichita), MO (Martin-Omaha), BA (Bell-Atlanta)
  • Manufacturer: one of the four B-29 manufacturers plants: Boeing in Wichita, Kansas and in Renton, Washington; Bell at Marietta, Georgia; Glenn L. Martin Co. at Fort Crook (Omaha), Nebraska
  • Number Built: number of aircraft produced
  • Serial Number(s): Identifier for each individual aircraft. The first part consists of the last two digits of the year the aircraft was ordered. The second part is a five-digit number that will start with 00001 at the beginning of each fiscal year for each activity assigned a unit account number and will continue consecutively to the end of the fiscal year.

DesignationManufacturerNumber BuiltSerial Number(s)Remarks
XB-29-BOBoeing Seattle241-002/-003Prototype
XB-29-BOBoeing Seattle141-18335Prototype
YB-29-BWBoeing Wichita1441-36954/-36967Service test ships; 41-36954 to XB-39
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita1742-6205/-6221Frst production B-29s
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta142-6222 First Bell-built B-29
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita142-6223
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta142-6224Pilot ship
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita442-6225/-6228
B-29-1-MOMartin Omaha442-6229/-6232First Martin-built B-29s
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta142-6233Pilot ship
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita142-6234
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta142-6235Pilot ship
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita142-6236
B-29-1-MOMartin Omaha142-6237Pilot ship
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita542-6238/-6242
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta142-6243Pilot ship
B-29-1-BWBoeing Wichita1142-6244/-6254
B-29-5-BWBoeing Wichita5042-6255/-6304
B-29-10-BWBoeing Wichita5042-6305/-6354
B-29-15-BWBoeing Wichita5042-6355/-6404
B-29-20-BWBoeing Wichita5042-6405/-6454
B-29-25-BWBoeing Wichita5042-24420/-24469
B-29-30-BWBoeing Wichita5042-24470/-24519
B-29-35-BWBoeing Wichita5042-24520/-24569
B-29-40-BWBoeing Wichita10042-24570/-24669
B-29-45-BWBoeing Wichita10042-24670/-24769
B-29-50-BWBoeing Wichita10042-24770/-24869
B-29-55-BWBoeing Wichita5042-24870/-24919
B-29-1-BABell Atlanta1442-63352/-63365
B-29-5-BABell Atlanta1642-63366/-63381
B-29-10-BABell Atlanta2042-63382/-63401
B-29-15-BABell Atlanta5042-63402/-63451
B-29-20-BABell Atlanta5042-63452/-63501
B-29-25-BABell Atlanta5042-63502/-63551
B-29-30-BABell Atlanta2942-63552/-63580
B-29B-30-BABell Atlanta4142-63581/-63621First B-29Bs
B-29B-35-BABell Atlanta7042-63622/-63691
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta4542-63692/-63736
B-29-40-BABell Atlanta142-63737
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta642-63738/-63743
B-29-40-BABell Atlanta142-63744
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta542-63745/-63749
B-29-40-BABell Atlanta142-63750
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta142-63751
B-29-1-MOMartin Omaha342-65202/-65204
B-29-5-MOMartin Omaha742-65205/-65211
B-29-10-MOMartin Omaha842-65212/-65219
B-29-15-MOMartin Omaha1642-65220/-65235
B-29-20-MOMartin Omaha2842-65236/-65263
B-29-25-MOMartin Omaha5042-65264/-6531342-65314 was cancelled; no other information
B-29-30-MOMartin Omaha6942-65315/-65383
B-29-35-MOMartin Omaha1842-65384/-65401
B-29A-1-BNBoeing Renton2042-93824/-93843First B-29As built and the first B-29s to be built at Boeing's Renton Washington plant
B-29A-5-BNBoeing Renton3042-93844/-9387342-93845 to XB-44
B-29A-10-BNBoeing Renton5042-93874/-93923
B-29A-15-BNBoeing Renton5042-93924/-93973
B-29A-20-BNBoeing Renton5042-93974/-94023
B-29A-25-BNBoeing Renton5042-94024/-94073
B-29A-30-BNBoeing Renton5042-94074/-94123
B-29-35-MOMartin Omaha6744-27259/-27325
B-29-40-MOMartin Omaha3344-27326/-27358
B-29-35-BNBoeing Renton10044-61510/-61609
B-29A-40-BNBoeing Renton10044-61610/-61709
B-29A-45-BNBoeing Renton10044-61710/-61809
B-29A-50-BNBoeing Renton10044-61810/-61909
B-29A-55-BNBoeing Renton10044-61910/-62009
B-29A-60-BNBoeing Renton10044-62010/-62109
B-29A-65-BNBoeing Renton10044-62110/-62209
B-29A-70-BNBoeing Renton10044-62210/-62309
B-29A-75-BNBoeing Renton1944-62310/-62328
B-29-55-BWBoeing Wichita5044-69655/-69704
B-29-60-BWBoeing Wichita10044-69705/-69804
B-29-65-BWBoeing Wichita10044-69805/-69904
B-29-70-BWBoeing Wichita10044-69905/-70004
B-29-75-BWBoeing Wichita10044-70005/-70104
B-29-80-BWBoeing Wichita5044-70105/-70154
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta444-83890/-83893
B-29-40-BABell Atlanta144-83894
B-29B-40-BABell Atlanta144-83895
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta444-83896/-83899
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta144-83900
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta344-83901/-83903
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta144-83904
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta344-83905/-83907
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta144-83908
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta244-83909/-83910
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta144-83911
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta244-83912/-83913
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta142-83914
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta242-83915/-83916
B-29-45-BABell Atlanta2044-83917, 44-83920, 44-83923, 44-83926, 44-83928, 44-83930, 44-83932, 44-83934, 44-83936, 44-83938, 44-83940, 44-83945, 44-83947, 44-83949, 44-83951, 44-83953, 44-83955, 44-83957, 44-83960 and 44-83962
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta244-83918/-83919
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta344-83920/-83922
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta344-83923/-83925
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta744-83927, 44-83929, 44-83931, 44-83933, 44-83935, 44-83937 and 44-83939
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta444-83941/-83944
B-29B-45-BABell Atlanta144-83961
B-29-50-BABell Atlanta2344-83964, 44-83966, 44-83968, 44-83970, 44-83972, 44-83974, 44-83976, 44-83978, 44-83980, 44-83982, 44-83984, 44-83986, 44-83988, 44-83990, 44-83992, 44-83994, 44-83996, 44-83998, 44-84000, 44-84002, 44-84004, 44-84006 and 44-84008
B-29B-50-BABell Atlanta2344-83963, 44-83965, 44-83967, 44-83969, 44-83971, 44-83973, 44-83975, 44-83977, 44-83979, 44-83981, 44-83983, 44-83985, 44-83987, 44-83989, 44-83991, 44-83993, 44-83995, 44-83997, 44-83999, 44-84001, 44-84003, 44-84005 and 44-84007
B-29-55-BABell Atlanta2444-84010, 44-84012, 44-84014, 44-84016, 44-84018, 44-84020, 44-84022, 44-84024, 44-84026, 44-84028, 44-84030, 44-84032, 44-84034, 44-84036, 44-84038, 44-84040, 44-84042, 44-84044, 44-84046, 44-84048, 44-84050, 44-84052. 44-84054 and 44-84056
B-29B-55-BABell Atlanta2444-84009, 44-84011, 44-84013, 44-84015, 44-84017, 44-84019, 44-84021, 44-84023, 44-84025, 44-84027, 44-84029, 44-84031, 44-84033, 44-84035, 44-84037, 44-84039, 44-84041, 44-84043, 44-84045, 44-84047, 44-84049, 44-84051, 44-84053 and 44-84055
B-29-60-BABell Atlanta2344-84058, 44-84060, 44-84062, 44-84064, 44-84066, 44-84068, 44-84070, 44-84072, 44-84074, 44-84076, 44-84078, 44-84080, 44-84082, 44-84084, 44-84086, 44-84088, 44-84090, 44-84092, 44-84094, 44-84096, 44-84098, 44-84100 and 44-84102
B-29B-60-BABell Atlanta2444-84057, 44-84059, 44-84061, 44-84063, 44-84065, 44-84067, 44-84069, 44-84071, 44-84073, 44-84075, 44-84077, 44-84079, 44-84081, 44-84083, 44-84085, 44-84087, 44-84089, 44-84091, 44-84093, 44-84095, 44-84097, 44-84099, 44-84101 and 44-84103
B-29-65-BABell Atlanta2444-84104, 44-84106, 44-84108, 44-84110, 44-84112, 44-84114, 44-84116, 44-84118, 44-84120, 44-84122, 44-84124, 44-84126, 44-84128, 44-84130, 44-84132, 44-84134, 44-84136, 44-84138, (44-84140 cancelled), 44-84142, 44-84144, 44-84146, 44-84148, (44-84150 cancelled), 44-84152, (44-84154 cancelled) and 44-84156
B-29B-65-BABell Atlanta2544-84105, 44-84107, 44-84109, 44-84111, 44-84113, 44-84115, 44-84117, 44-84119, 44-84121, 44-84123, 44-84125, 44-84127, 44-84129, 44-84131, 44-84133, 44-84135, 44-84137, 44-84139, 44-84141, 44-84143, 44-84145, 44-84147, 44-84149, 44-84151, (44-84153 cancelled) and 44-84155
B-29/-29B-BAsBell Atlanta23244-84157 to 44-84389Cancelled
B-29-40-MOMartin Omaha3544-86242/-86276
B-29-45-MOMartin Omaha3944-86277/-86315
B-29-50-MOMartin Omaha5544-86316/-86370
B-29-55-MOMartin Omaha5544-86371/-86425
B-29-60-MOMartin Omaha4844-86426/-86473
B-29-MOsMartin Omaha21744-86474 to 44-86691Cancelled
B-29-80-BWBoeing Wichita5044-87584/-87633
B-29-85-BWBoeing Wichita5044-87634/-87683
B-29-86-BWBoeing Wichita5044-87684/-87733
B-29-90-BWBoeing Wichita5044-87734/-87783
B-29-90-BWBoeing Wichita5045-21693/-21742
B-29-97-BWBoeing Wichita1545-21743/-21757
B-29-95-BWBoeing Wichita3545-21758/-21792
B-29-96-BWBoeing Wichita2045-21793/-21812
B-29-95-BWBoeing Wichita3045-21813/-21842
B-29-100-BWBoeing Wichita3045-21843/-21872
B-29-BWsBoeing Wichita91945-21873 to 45-22792Cancelled

Further reading

Bibliography

  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress: The Ultimate Look: From Drawing Board to VJ-Day by William Wolf
  1. My father was a radio operator on B29 #84035 and participated in the Hydrogen bomb project on Bikini Atol 1953. I would like to find out the final disposition of 84035 if such information is available

    • Thanks for sharing that, Rodney.
      As for B-29 #44-84035, the records I’ve found indicate that she was delivered to the 4112th Army Air Forces Base Unit on June 30, 1945. Indeed, she participated in Operation Ivy in November 1952, specifically supporting the Mike shot — the first successful test of a hydrogen bomb. During the detonation at Enewetak Atoll, 44-84035 deployed parachute-retarded, instrumented canisters near ground zero to collect crucial data on the blast and its effects.
      The aircraft was officially removed from the Air Force inventory on September 21, 1954. Her final disposition was listed as “reclaimed” at Laurinburg–Maxton Air Base, which generally means she was dismantled for parts or scrapped.
      Hope this helps — and again, thank you for adding your father’s story to the history of this remarkable aircraft.

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Javier Guerrero
Javier Guerrero
Javier is the editor @ Nuclear Companion and loves to investigate and write about the cold war.

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