Boeing B
The Enola Gay (/ əˈnoʊlə /) is a Boeing B Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August , during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in warfare. Hitting the skies in mid, the bomber gave the Allies the ability to launch more effective air raids against the Japanese, giving them a leg up in the Pacific Theater. One such B, Enola Gay , went down in history on August 6, , when it dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy over Hiroshima, marking the first time an atomic munition had been deployed in warfare. The B
The Enola Gay is the B heavy bomber that was used by the United States on August 6, , to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. It was the first time the explosive device had been used on an enemy target, and it destroyed most of the city. The aircraft was named after the mother of pilot Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. Tibbets Jr. Built by the Glenn L. 
Enola Gay
Enola Gay flew as the advance weather reconnaissance aircraft that day. A third B, The Great Artiste, flew as an observation aircraft on both missions. Boeing's B Superfortress was the most sophisticated, propeller-driven, bomber to fly during World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC. Discover our exhibitions and participate in programs both in person or virtually.
Enola Gay
The B Superfortress Enola Gay ‘s later history was fraught with controversy. In the s, veterans’ groups began lobbying for the aircraft to be restored and exhibited, leading to a debate regarding how to present the bomber, given its involvement in the atomic bombings of Japan. After dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in , the Enola Gay underwent decades of relocation and restoration. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington, D. 
Displaying Controversy
On the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Adam Estes examines the complex history and enduring controversy surrounding the display of the B Enola Gay, exploring how this iconic aircraft continues to spark debate over memory, history, and interpretation. In the early hours of 6 August , three aeroplanes took off from the Mariana Islands in the Pacific. For hours they charted a course towards the Japanese coast, with Paul Tibbets piloting one of the planes.
Enola Gay
The B bomber also took part in the preparations for the bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August Enola was performing weather reconnaissance over the Japanese town of Kokura, which was supposed to be the primary target of the second atomic bomb ‘Fat Man’. . Enola Gay
Whatever Happened to the Enola Gay? After dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in , the Enola Gay underwent decades of relocation and restoration. You’ll find this historic B Superfortress bomber at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington, D.C., where it rests as a fully restored centerpiece. . 
What Happened to the Enola Gay After Hiroshima?
The Enola Gay was a B named after the commander’s mother, Paul Tibbets, and was one of the Bs specifically altered under the “Silverplate” program to carry out atomic missions. Its bomb bays were strengthened, engines upgraded, and defensive weapons lightened for the purpose of accommodating greater speed and range. .