B-29 going to pieces for 2-mile move to atomic museum

  • Published
  • By Susan Burritt
  • Nucleus staff
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  The B-29 bomber here is undergoing the first stage of a move to its new home at the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque. 

The museum itself will be moving to a new site, where the facility is under construction. 

The B-52 here is also scheduled to move to the new museum. 

The planes will be hauled by tractor-trailer 2 miles to the facility at Eubank and Southern S.E., adjacent to the Sandia Science and Technology Park and Kirtland AFB. 

The B-29 was the first intercontinental bomber. At 70,000 pounds, it could carry up to 20,000 pounds of bombs. Its maximum speed was 358 mph at 25,000 feet. Its cruising speed was 230 mph with a ceiling of 31,850 feet, and with 12,000 pounds of bombs, had a range of 4,100 miles. Fully loaded, it required 8,000 feet of runway for takeoff. 

The National Atomic Museum opened in 1969 and was chartered by Congress in 1991. 

The museum, located near Old Town at 1905 Mountain Road N.W., has exhibits including nuclear medicine, nuclear power, pioneers of science, weapons history and arms control. 

The museum's name will change to the National Museum for Nuclear Science and History in March 2009 when it moves to its new location. 

For more information, visit the Museum's Web site at www.atomicmuseum.org/.