Description
You are bidding on a VERY RARE used example of a WW2 USAAF Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” Pilot Control Yoke Center Cap! This original cap was mounted in the center of the aircraft’s control yoke and retains the desirable “Boeing” and “B-29” markings. A BEAUTIFUL and highly displayable piece of original American aviation history from one of the most important heavy bombers of the Second World War!
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, the Superfortress was designed for high-altitude strategic bombing, but also excelled in low-altitude night incendiary bombing and in dropping naval mines to blockade Japan. Silverplate B-29s dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and remain the only system to deliver nuclear weapons in combat.
One of the largest aircraft of the war, it was designed with state-of-the-art technology, which included a pressurized cabin, dual-wheeled tricycle landing gear, and an analog computer-controlled fire-control system that allowed one gunner and a fire-control officer to direct four remote machine gun turrets. The $3 billion cost of design and production (equivalent to $54 billion in 2025), far exceeding the $1.9 billion cost of the Manhattan Project, made the B-29 program the most expensive of the war. The B-29 remained in service in various roles throughout the 1950s, being retired in the early 1960s after 3,970 had been built. A few were also used as flying television transmitters by the Stratovision company. The Royal Air Force flew the B-29 with the service name Washington from 1950 to 1954, when the jet-powered Canberra entered service.
The Soviet Union produced 847 Tupolev Tu-4s, an unlicensed reverse-engineered copy of the B-29. Twenty-two B-29s have survived to preservation. The majority are on static display at museums, while two airframes – FIFI and Doc – still fly.
Made of molded plastic, this original control wheel center cap remains in EXCELLENT used condition overall with all original paint and finish present. The domed face displays beautifully with strong “Boeing” and “B-29” markings…and no cracks, dents, repairs, or structural damage! All original mounting tabs remain intact. There is some minor age crazing visible, though it appears more pronounced in the auction photographs due to flash photography and is noticeably less visible in person. No repainting or restoration is present. I have shown its location in the last images. A BEAUTIFUL and highly displayable original cockpit component from one of the most iconic American bombers of the war..PERFECT for any serious USAAF or aviation collection!
