82’ "Enola Gay" (44-86292)

Built during 1945 at the Martin factory in Omaha, Nebraska, with the US military serial 44-86292. She was allocated to become one of a squadron of ‘Silverplate’ aircraft, specifically converted for the carriage of atomic weapons. The conversions were carried out by Martin’s Modification Center and as well as the necessary bomb bay modifications they also had all gun turrets except the tail turret removed and were fitted with Curtiss electric propellers. 44-86292 was identified as ‘Silverplate Victor 82’ and was delivered to the 393rd Bomb Squadron under the 509th Composite Group, although for security reasons she was painted in the markings of the 6th Bomb Group. On 24th and 26th July she dropped ‘Pumpkin’ bombs on Japanese industrial targets. Pumpkin bombs were conventional bombs developed by the Manhattan Project to closely replicate the ballistic and handling qualities of the ‘Fat Man’ plutonium bombs. Then, on 6th August 1945, she delivered the first nuclear weapon ever used in combat. At 08.15 local time, the gun-type fission weapon ‘Little Boy’ was released from 31,000ft over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 66,000 people were killed and 69,000 injured by the blast, which had a calculated yield of 15 kilotons. ‘Enola Gay’, as she had been named before the mission, was returned to the United States in November 1945 and was stored at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, between July 1946 and July 1949. She was stored at Park Ridge, Illinois, from 1949 to 1952, along with other aircraft allocated for museum use. In January 1952 she moved to Pyote AFB, Texas, and remained in store there until 2nd December 1953 when she flew for the final time and delivered herself to Andrews AFB, Maryland. At Andrews she was stored outside until July 1961, when she was dismantled and moved to Silver Hill, Maryland, to join the Smithsonian Institutes other stored aircraft. A mammoth restoration was started in December 1984 and was finally completed in 2002, with spectacular results. She is seen on display in the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center as part of the National Air and Space Museum. Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia