Building the B-29: Designations and Serial Numbers

    By
    Javier Guerrero
    -

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

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