The following parts are needed to restore this turret:
Elevation Drive Motor, Azimuth Drive Assembly, Feed Rollers, Movable Chute for spent ammunition, Stationary Chute for
spent ammunition, (2) Azimuth Limit Switches, (2) Elevation Limit Switches, (2) Ammunition Booster Motors with Feed Track,
Turret Cover, Tail Sighting Station Type 2CSR3B3, (2) Walter Kidde Company Gun Chargers and two ANM2 .50 caliber
machine guns.
United States
Boeing B-29 "Super Fortress" Bomber Aircraft
A.A.F. Serial Number 44-70XXX
History of B-29 44-70XXX:
"Body, Installation - Tail" ASSY 3-14335-13 UNIT 998.
During World War Two the B-29 Super Fortress bombers were built by three different companies:
The Boeing Aircraft Company, Bell Aviation Company and Glenn L. Martin.
The aircraft that this tail section came from is believed to have been built by Boeing under contract
W33-038-19673-32-48. These aircraft were produced in blocks of production and assigned the following
Army Air Force Serial Numbers:
Contract AC-19673-32-48
B-29-60-BW 44-69655 – 44-69704 (50)
                 44-69705 – 44-69804 (100)
B-29-65-BW 44-69805 – 44-69904 (100)
B-29-70-BW 44-69905 – 44-70004 (100)
B-29-75-BW 44-70005 – 44-70104 (100)
B-29-80-BW 44-70105 – 44-70154 (50)
B-29-85-BW 44-87584 – 44-87633 (50)
                44-87634 – 44-87683 (50)
B-29-86-BW 44-87684 – 44-87733 (50)
B-29-90-BW 44-87734 – 44-87783 (50)
Each aircraft under this contract cost $618,045.00 to include the engines, propellers and radio equipment.

In the 1950s, this B-29 was reconfigured to a TB-29 Trainer by the Oklahoma City Material Area at Tinker Air
Force Base. This TB-29 would be later taken to China Lake Naval Weapons Station, California and used as a
ground target for decades. This TB-29 would eventually be cut apart for her precious scrap metal.
This TB-29 tail section would be saved from the scrapper in the 1980s. QuestMasters acquired this tail in
April of 2010.
The exact history of the B-29 that this tail section is from is not currently known.

Known TB-29 converted aircraft that were used at China Lake Naval Weapons Station:

Glenn L. Martin manufactured B-29s converted to TB-29:
B-29-25-MO 42-65281 "Miss America". Currently at the Travis Air Museum, California.
B-29-36-MO 44-27298 "Full House" Silverplate Aircraft. Unknown disposition.
B-29-36-MO 44-27304 "Up 'An Atom" Silverplate Aircraft. Unknown disposition.
B-29-45-MO 44-86291 "Necessary Evil" Silverplate Aircraft. Unknown disposition.

Boeing manufactured B-29s converted to TB-29:
B-29A-45-BN 44-61748 "It's Hawg Wild". Currently at the American Air Museum, England.
B-29-70-BW 44-69972 "Doc". Currently at the Kansas Air Museum, Kansas.
B-29-80-BW 44-70140. Unknown disposition.
B-29 Gunner Compartment, Starboard Side, left photo. Port Side, right photo.
This tail section was painted black prior to being modified as a TB-29, as indicated by the black paint between the tow target
chutes that have been added to the bottom of the tail. The tail turret was removed during the modification to a TB-29 Trainer.
"Body, Installation - Tail", left photo.
This tail section has ASSY 3-14335-13 UNIT 998 stamped above the pressurized hatch opening on the frame, above right
photo.
B-29 Gunner Compartment, view looking forward, above left photo.
Modifications when converted to a TB-29 were the removal of the tail turret, the adding of aluminum plate to the bottom of the
compartment and the addition of two grab handles on each side of the inside tail. The two grab handles have been removed
from this tail section.
The inside of this tail has been painted with the serial number 4462208. Boeing B-29A-65-BN 44-62208 is not known to have
been disposed of at China Lake Naval Weapons Station.
Tail turret top mounting bracket area, left photo.
The tail turret mounting bracket has been covered with a section of aluminum skin when converted to a TB-29.
Inside gunner's compartment, right photo.
Gunner's compartment floor, above left and right photo.
"Body, Installation - Tail" nomenclature plate, above photo.
This nomenclature plate is constructed from phenolic material with a paper label attached to the face. The markings and
serial number are no longer visible. It is mounted on the center frame just before the pressurized hatch for the gunner's
compartment.
Gunsight mount, above left and right photo.
Inside of gunner's compartment, above left and right photo.
B-29 Super Fortress Tail Mount, Tail Turret or "Stinger"
The Tail Mount or "Stinger" used on the B-29 Super Fortress was furnished by Boeing Aircraft, Seattle Washington. One
20mm Cannon and two ANM2 .50 caliber machine guns were supplied as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).
The turret used a 2CSR3B3 Tail Sighting Station that remotely controlled the elevation, transverse and firing of the weapons.
During World War Two, it was very common for the 20mm cannon to be removed during combat flights as the trio of weapons
were difficult to fire.
The illustrations shown above were taken from Technical Order T.O. 11-70A-1 "EQUIPMENT USED IN THE TYPE 2CFR55B1
CENTRAL-STATION FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM ON THE B-29 AIRPLANE", section 1, paragraph 4.
B-29 Tail Mount or "Stinger", above two photos.
The B-29 Turret shown above was acquired by QuestMasters for the restoration of this Super Fortress tail section. The turret
was recovered from a post-war scrapping operation in Macon, Georgia. The steel ring support on both sides have been cut
with an oxygen/acetylene torch for demilitarization and reclamation of the aluminum, magnesium and steel.
The aluminum/magnesium Saddle is marked: BOEING-F 15-8457-2 9S29H. The steel Ring Support is marked: ASSEM 15-10248
SC-FD-2.
Note that both mounts for the ANM2 .50 caliber machine guns are present, but the mount and saddle for the 20mm cannon
has been removed.
B-29 Tail Mount Dome Support, above left photo. Elevation Drive Assembly, above right photo.
The Dome Support is marked: FLY LITE, 4422 1?NAD8H, BOEING-F 15-10191-2, 15-10191-5 and is mounted to the rear of the
Ring Support. The Dome Support was used to support the Elevation and Azimuth Drive Assemblies. Both of these assemblies
were remote controlled.
The Elevation Drive Assembly show above is marked: GENERAL ELECTRIC 8258807G1 SER 3326862 with GENERAL
ELECTRIC SELSYN CONTROL TRANSFORMER MODEL 211G1. It is missing the motor assembly used to elevate the saddle
that held the cannon and machine guns.
B-29 Tail Mount Parts, above photo.
The following parts have been obtained for the restoration of this B-29 Tail Mount: General Electric Clutch for Elevation Drive
Assembly, part number 5095817, left photo; Elevation Drive Assembly bearings, top left photo; Azimuth Gear Sector, part
number 3-19084-37, center top photo; 20mm Cannon Rear Mount, part number 3-14377-4, center photo; Azimuth Limit Switch
Stops, part number 3-28586-1, center bottom of photo; Azimuth Limit Cams, part number 3-28588-3 and 3-28589, center
bottom of photo and New Old Stock (NOS) Connector Assembly For Selsyn, part number 6994185 G1, left photo.
B-29 Tail Fire Control System, above photo.
This control box was mounted on the inside starboard side of the tail for the gunner to control all of the equipment to operate
the tail turret. This box is marked: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, CENTRAL STATION FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM, TYPE
2CFR55, ORDER NUMBER W535ac32077, SPEC NO GO-18393-B-1 with a cardstock tag marked BOX 300
7-12-45 "Darley".