Hi Neil, as I'm sure you've already done, I googled B29, and about 4 or 5 pages in came upon a site called virtavia, which, I think, provides a simulation game. Anyway, there are some incredible detailed pictures of the interior of the B29, but also one colour picture of the olive drab scheme, which I think shows leading edges and vertical stabiliser in white...don't know if this helps!

Neil,

There weren't many B-29's in the OD over gray finish. My guess is those airplanes did not have the rubber inflatable deicer boots installed yet. Those are glued on with screws in a few places for additional reinforcement. Glue doesn't stick well to paint, hence the bare metal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Olive-drab_painted_B-29_superfotress.jpg

If I remember correctly, the domes on the upper fuselage are the sighting stations for the two upper gunners. The turrets were remotely operated:

"The B-29's revolutionary Central Fire Control system included four remotely controlled turrets armed with two .50 Browning M2 machine guns each.[N 2] All weapons were aimed electronically from five sighting stations located in the nose and tail positions and three Perspex blisters in the central fuselage.[N 3] Five General Electric analog computers (one dedicated to each sight) increased the weapons' accuracy by compensating for factors such as airspeed, lead, gravity, temperature and humidity. The computers also allowed a single gunner to operate two or more turrets (including tail guns) simultaneously. The gunner in the upper position acted as fire control officer, managing the distribution of turrets among the other gunners during combat."

The props are Hamilton Standard Hydromatics. The domes are normally bare metal, but were often painted in the field. Most of the ones I've seen are either bare metal or black, but you'd have to check your references if you're doing a specific airplane. You'd be safe to leave them in silver, but notice the ones in the above photo are black.

A good friend of mine flew the CAF's B-29 "Fifi" a while back. If you have any more questions, I can ask him for you.

The OD airplanes were all early production and may not have had the domes installed. The only other function I can think of for that dome would be for the navigator to take his sextant shots from.

Copy on the beer!

Not sure about the astrodome above the crew tunnel. I think it might have been used for astral navgation using a sextant, but it's weird there's no opening in the tunnel. I just added an opening in mine. As for the silver on the wings, that's simply unpainted metal that was revealed whenever the deicer boots were removed. If you check photos of planes such as "The Flying Guinea Pig" you'll see it with and without the boots installed. Love the B-29! Can't wait to see one done in camo! I also can't wait to see Doc fly this year (hopefully)!

I've just had a close look at the colour picture posted by Jaime and you're quite right the forward upper turret does indeed have only two guns, the propeller hubs appear to be black though, could they have been in either form i.e. bare metal or painted black ?
But what about that clear dome that is obscured by the crew tunnel and is actually in the unpressurised bomb bay ?
N.

Thanks Jaime, you really went the extra mile , those pics are great,in one you can clearly see how the tunnel T's into that astrodome, your picture of the B29's in flight show them not to have this dome at all but I'm keeping it in,the upper forward gun turret has only two guns in the early B29's and I will get round this by swapping the upper one for the lower forward turret ,and after I have done some scratch building to alter the old upper turret will put it underneith where it is less visible if that makes sense.

Cheers Pal ,have a nice Sunday.N.