The 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. 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. Whatever Happened to the 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. Just days before the final, unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan, the first and only atomic bombs were dropped on targets in combat missions. As terrifying as its payload was, the B was an equally giant leap forward in weapons technology. 
Boeing B
Watch U.S. B Superfortress Enola Gay decimate Hiroshima with a nuclear bomb in the Pacific War The B Superfortress Enola Gay took off from the Mariana Islands on August 6, , bound for Hiroshima, Japan, where, by dropping an atomic bomb, it heralded a new and terrible concept of warfare. Of the 3, Bs built, few have been preserved, restored, and put on static display. A total of only about 22 complete B airframes are currently on display in the United States.
Enola Gay
Displaying Controversy: Exhibiting the B Superfortress Enola Gay 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. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC. Discover our exhibitions and participate in programs both in person or virtually.
80 Years On
The Boeing B Superfortress dubbed “Enola Gay” completed the first-ever nuclear weapons strike on August 6, As terrifying as its payload was, the B was an equally giant leap forward in weapons technology. 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. 
Boeing B
The B Superfortress 'Enola Gay' dropped the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima, signalling a shift in how warfare was conducted. .
Displaying Controversy
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. . Enola Gay
B Superfortress "Enola Gay" Of the 3, Bs built, few have been preserved, restored, and put on static display. A total of only about 22 complete B airframes are currently on display in the United States. .