B29 Superfortress Oxygen Tank
Metal
Circa 1948
L 22.0", D 39" circumference
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, LAKE 16160
This oxygen tank comes from the wreckage of a B-29 Superfortress that crashed into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead on July 21, 1948. The B-29 Superfortress was a holdover from WWII and the air war against Japan. The plane was the most advanced aircraft of its day, featuring a pressurized crew compartment, a ten-bomb load, and a 3,250 mile range. After the war, B-29s were used to gather scientific information that could be used for military purposes during the Cold War. This B-29 crashed while conducting atmospheric research. Upon impact with the lake, three of the four engines tore off and the plane skipped like a stone for more than a quarter of a mile before sinking. In 2003, archaeologists from the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center mapped and documented the wreck for management and educational purposes.
References
National Park Service
B29 Superfortress Oxygen Tank
Metal
Circa 1948.
L 22.0", D 39" circumference
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, LAKE 16160
This oxygen tank comes from the wreckage of a B-29 Superfortress that crashed into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead on July 21, 1948. The B-29 Superfortress was a holdover from WWII and the air war against Japan. The plane was the most advanced aircraft of its day, featuring a pressurized crew compartment, a ten-bomb load, and a 3,250 mile range. After the war, B-29s were used to gather scientific information that could be used for military purposes during the Cold War. This B-29 crashed while conducting atmospheric research. Upon impact with the lake, three of the four engines tore off and the plane skipped like a stone for more than a quarter of a mile before sinking. In 2003, archaeologists from the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center mapped and documented the wreck for management and educational purposes.
References
National Park Service
