Way cool: the cockpit of the Enola Gay!

[PALADIN85020]

I had to share this one. It's an interactive panoramic 360 degree view of the cockpit of the Enola Gay.

For those who tuned in late, the Enola Gay was the name given to the B-29 bomber that dropped the first strategic atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. That bomb and the one subsequently dropped on Nagasaki convinced the Japanese that further resistance to surrender was futile, thus ending World War II and preventing further extensive loss of life on both sides.

Here's the link. I think you'll be fascinated with the sophistication of the controls in this huge bomber from 65 years ago. Go to full screen and click, drag and magnify anything you want to see.

John

Enola Gay / Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

 

[Qball]

Thank you, that was cool

 

[bamacisa]

WOW!!!!!! THAT IS AWSOME!!!!

 

[mg357]

fantastic thank you

 

[cjw3]

Thanks for posting that.

The bombardier on the Enola Gay, Major Tom Ferebee, was a classmate of my late father at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC.

 

[GRIZZLYBEAR]

That was an interesting view

 

[dant]

Thank you, that was indeed "awesome"....I can remember back in the early 1990's when we had made Paul Tibbetts ( the pilot) an honorary Life member of the OGCA , he and Tom Farabee, along with Dutch Van Kirk, were with us at the show, and Mr Tebbetts told ME, I would NEVER fit in the cabin ,let alone get around the inside of one of them planes.....sadly we lost Mr Farabee, and then Paul, leaving Dutch the sole remaining crew Member....last we heard he's out in Cal, and not long ago gave a presentation speech somewhere done south, Georgia I think.
Three of the greatest guys one could ever meet, and thanks to their effort, saved countless 'thousands of lifes' ending the war sooner than expected....................
Thanks again, will pass this on....................

 

[feralmerril]

That was great! Here is another link to a p-51 cockpit,
St. Clair Photo-Imaging 360º Pans

 

[rags]

Way Cool II

The pilot of the Enola Gay "Brigadier General" Paul Tibbets.

I met him in November of 2006. My Dad was coming home from the hospital after Heart surgery that day and Tibbets was going to be at a gun show that morning, an hour away. I drove over to get him a signed book and take it to my Dad.

When the General heard of who I was getting it for,(my Dad is a WW2 history buff), he opened the already signed book and began to write my Dad a note. He said something like "I heard you were under the weather. Get better young man" and signed it again.

I brought 2 copies of a book my Uncle had written to give him. He thanked me and gave 1 of the copies to his Navy buddy to the left. It is about the USS Shenandoah that crashed in Noble County Ohio in 1925.

rags

 

[deralte]

Haven't met any of the crew but I have been on board the Enola Gay and lived on Tibbets Circle

 

[rpbcab]

Thanks for the cool post....