Enola Gay

This is a large plane.

A pilot named it after his mother. He was Paul Tibbets. The plane was used in a war.

It carried a very big bomb. This bomb was dropped on a city. It was a very sad day.

The plane flew back home. It went to the United States. Many people watched it land.

Now the plane is in a museum. You can go see it there. It is a piece of history.

The Enola Gay is a large bomber plane.

It was built in Nebraska. A pilot named Paul Tibbets chose the name. He named it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.

In August 1945, the plane was part of World War II. It was used to drop an atomic bomb. This bomb was named "Little Boy."

The plane flew to the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The bomb was dropped on the city. This event caused much damage. About 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed. Many more people were hurt.

Later, the plane flew again. It was a weather plane for a second mission. That mission targeted a city called Kokura. Smoke and clouds blocked the view of Kokura. Because of this, a different city called Nagasaki was bombed instead.

The plane flew back to the United States. It later went to a museum. People had many debates about how to show it. Now, the whole plane is on display. You can see it at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Enola Gay is a famous Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber.

This large aircraft played a major role in history during World War II. It was one of the first planes built for a special job. These planes were part of a group called "Silverplate."

They were modified to carry nuclear weapons. Engineers changed the bomb bay and improved the engines. They even removed some armor and gun turrets to make the plane better for this task.

On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay took part in a very serious mission. The pilot was Colonel Paul Tibbets. He named the plane after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.

The plane carried a bomb code-named "Little Boy." It flew from North Field in the Northern Mariana Islands toward Japan. The mission was a long flight that took about six hours. During the flight, a Navy Captain named William S. "Deak" Parsons helped arm the bomb. At 8:15 AM, the bomb was released. It fell for 53 seconds before it exploded over the city of Hiroshima.

The explosion caused huge destruction in the city.

About 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed by the blast and the fires. Many more people, around 70,000, were injured. The blast destroyed a large part of the city. Japanese officials said about 69% of the buildings were destroyed. This mission changed how the world understood powerful weapons. It was a moment that people still study today.

After the first mission, the Enola Gay flew again on August 9, 1945. This time, it was the weather reconnaissance aircraft. This means its job was to check the clouds. The primary target for this mission was Kokura. However, smoke and clouds blocked the view of that city. Because of the weather, a different city called Nagasaki was bombed instead.

This second mission was difficult for the crews. They had very little fuel left when they finally landed on Okinawa.

The Enola Gay eventually returned to the United States. It spent time at Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico. Later, it was moved to the Smithsonian Institution.

For many years, the plane sat outside and was exposed to the weather. In the 1980s, people had big debates about how to show it in a museum. They wanted to make sure the history was told correctly. Today, you can see the whole restored plane. It is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber.

This specific aircraft is famous for its role in World War II. It was the first plane to drop an atomic bomb in warfare. This event changed history and the way nations think about weapons. The aircraft was named after Enola Gay Tibbets. She was the mother of the mission's pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets.

To prepare for nuclear missions, the aircraft underwent special modifications. It was part of a group of 65 planes called "Silverplate."

These planes were built to function as nuclear weapon delivery aircraft. Engineers modified the bomb bay with pneumatic doors. They also installed British bomb attachment and release systems. The engines were improved with fuel injection and better cooling. To make the plane faster and lighter, workers removed protective armor and gun turrets. They also added reversible pitch propellers to help the plane brake during landing.

Colonel Paul Tibbets personally selected the aircraft on May 9, 1945.

The plane was assigned to the 393d Bombardment Squadron of the 509th Composite Group. In July 1945, the crew performed eight practice flights. They dropped "pumpkin bombs" on targets in Kobe and Nagoya to prepare. On August 5, Tibbets officially took command of the aircraft. He chose the name Enola Gay just before the mission. A maintenance man named Private Nelson Miller painted the name under the pilot's window. This happened just before the flight on August 6.

The Hiroshima mission began on August 6, 1945. The Enola Gay took off from North Field in the Northern Mariana Islands. It was accompanied by two other B-29s. One was named The Great Artiste, which carried scientific instruments. The other was a plane later called Necessary Evil, which was used for photography.

The flight to Japan took about six hours. During the flight, Navy Captain William S. "Deak" Parsons armed the bomb. This was done to minimize risks during the takeoff. Second Lieutenant Morris Jeppson removed the safety devices 30 minutes before reaching the target.

At 08:15 Hiroshima time, the crew released the bomb, code-named "Little Boy." The weapon fell for 53 seconds from the plane. It detonated about 1,900 feet above the city.

The explosion was equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. The blast destroyed about three-quarters of Hiroshima. Japanese officials reported that 69% of buildings were destroyed. Between 70,000 and 80,000 people died in the blast and the resulting firestorm. This included 20,000 soldiers and 20,000 Korean slave laborers. Another 70,000 people were injured by the attack.

On August 9, 1945, the Enola Gay flew a second mission. This time, it served as a weather reconnaissance aircraft. Its primary task was to check the skies over Kokura. However, smoke and clouds obscured the city of Kokura. Because the primary target was not visible, the mission changed. The secondary target, Nagasaki, was bombed instead by the aircraft Bockscar. The Enola Gay crew reported the weather conditions during this mission. This mission was described as tactically botched because of these complications. The crew had very little fuel left when they landed on Okinawa.

After the war, the Enola Gay returned to the United States. It was operated from Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico. In 1946, it participated in the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests in the Pacific.

Later, the aircraft was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. It spent many years parked at air bases where it was exposed to weather. In 1961, it was disassembled and stored in Maryland. In the 1980s, there was a major debate about how to display it. People argued about whether to show the plane without proper historical context.

The cockpit and nose section were first displayed in 1995. This happened during the 50th anniversary of the bombing. Since 2003, the entire restored B-29 has been on display.

You can find it at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The last surviving crew member, Theodore Van Kirk, died in 2014 at age 93. The aircraft remains a significant piece of historical technology and memory.