In order to meet postwar British nuclear-capable bomber needs until the English Electric Canberra could be delivered in quantity, in 1950, 87 B-29s were loaned to the Royal Air Force as the Boeing Washington. Serials were as follows: WF434/448, WF490/514, WF545/574, WW342/355, and WZ966/968. The RAF Washingtons were all returned to the USAF by 1955. However two RAF Washingtons (WW345 and WW353) were turned over to the Royal Australian Air Force and were assigned the serials A76-1 and A76-2.
Serials of the Boeing Washington delivered to the RAF
42-94024/94073 Boeing B-29A-25-BN Superfortress 94052 to RAF as Washington WF444 44-27326/27358 Martin-Omaha B-29-40-MO Superfortress 27342 to RAF as WF438 44-61510/61609 Boeing B-29A-35-BN Superfortress 61559 to RAF as Washington WF511 61584 to RAF as Washington WF446 61585 to RAF as Washington WF506 61599 to RAF as Washington WF434 44-61610/61709 Boeing B-29A-40-BN Superfortress 61634 to RAF as Washington WF439 61642 to RAF as Washington WF493 61678 to RAF as Washington WF435 61695 to RAF as Washington WF496 44-61710/61809 Boeing B-29A-45-BN Superfortress 61714 to RAF as Washington WF441 61728 to RAF as Washington WF508 61743 to RAF as Washington WF448 61792 to RAF as Washington WF436 44-61810/61909 Boeing B-29A-50-BN Superfortress 61883 to RAF as Washington WF443 61889 to RAF as Washington WF499 61894 to RAF as Washington WF502 44-61910/62009 Boeing B-29A-55-BN Superfortress 61937 to RAF as Washington WW346 61938 to RAF as Washington WF504 61969 to RAF as Washington WF560 61978 to RAF as Washington WF558 61982 to RAF as Washington WF501 62001 to RAF as Washington WF505 62003 to RAF as Washington WF509 62005 to RAF as Washington WF510 62006 to RAF as Washington WF563 44-62010/62109 Boeing B-29A-60-BN Superfortress 62013 to RAF as Washington WF549 62014 to RAF as Washington WF559 62016 to RAF as Washington WF512 62030 to RAF as Washington WF573 62032 to RAF as Washington WF550 62037 to RAF as Washington WF513 62043 to RAF as Washington WF500 62049 to RAF as Washington WW345, to RAAF as A76-1. 62050 to RAF as Washington WF551 62062 to RAF as Washington WF445 62101 to RAF as Washington WF546 62105 to RAF as Washington WF569 62109 to RAF as Washington WF561 44-62110/62209 Boeing B-29A-65-BN Superfortress 62128 to RAF as Washington WF495 62129 to RAF as Washington WF554 62135 to RAF as Washington WF566 62153 to RAF as Washington WF545 62154 to RAF as Washington WF548 62155 to RAF as Washington WF494 62159 to RAF as Washington WF447 62177 to RAF as Washington WF557 44-62210/62328 Boeing B-29A-70-BN Superfortress 62231 to RAF as Washington WF503 62234 to RAF as Washington WF507 62235 to RAF as Washington WW343 62236 to RAF as Washington WF562 62241 to RAF as Washington WF570 62243 to RAF as Washington WF565 62244 to RAF as Washington WF574 62250 to RAF as Washington WF556 62254 to RAF as Washington WF555 62256 to RAF as Washington WF562 62257 to RAF as Washington WF571 62259 to RAF as Washington WF564 62266 to RAF as Washington WF572 62280 to RAF as Washington WF514 62282 to RAF as Washington WZ967 62283 to RAF as Washington WZ966 62296 to RAF as Washington WZ968 62328 to RAF as Washington WF547 44-69655/69704 Boeing B-29-55-BW Superfortress 69680 to RAF as Washington WF437
Sources:
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Warbird History--B-29 Superfortress, Chester Marshall, Motorbooks
International, 1993.
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The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Mich Mayborn, Aircraft in Profile,
Doubleday, 1969.
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B-29 Superfortress, John Pimlott, Gallery Books, 1980.
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Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press,
1989.
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E-mail from Chris Howlett on deliveries of B-29 pending the availability of the Canberra. Also a correction on USAAF serial numbers of WF560 and WF561. Also an identification of USAF serial numbers for WF548, WF562, WF563, WF565, WF566.
- E-mail from Gordon Birkett on USAF serials for WZ966, WZ967, WZ968
