Could this happen in a real 29??

[Blooz]

Not sure how high it was to tell you the truth, but could a real 29 go this fast without damage at any alt??

It's only 350mph. No big deal.

[LLogann]

You aren't looking in the right place sir. 

It's only 350mph. No big deal.

[PFactorDave]

It's only 350mph. No big deal.

And right there is the truth of it.  Indicated airspeed is measuring the pressure of the air molecules pushing on the aircraft (essentially speaking).  At higher altitudes, there are fewer of those molecules per measure of volume, so a higher true speed is possible.

[PFactorDave]

You aren't looking in the right place sir. 

Actually he is.  From a structural standpoint, the 350 number is the one that matters.

[LLogann]

You ahhhhhhhhhhh..... Sure about that my brother?

Actually he is.  From a structural standpoint, the 350 number is the one that matters.

[Jayhawk]

[Ack-Ack]

(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Gordon Bennett Robertson was a B-29 pilot during the war and on his first mission over Tokyo flying a little over 5,000ft, thermal from the fires raging below caused his B-29 to flip inverted and the only way to recover was by doing a Split-S and at the bottom of the maneuver was going over 400mph and had to pull into a vertical zoom climb to bleed off the excess speed.

ack-ack

[Brooke]

Actually he is.  From a structural standpoint, the 350 number is the one that matters.

Yep.  For the most part, as long as you are away from compressibility, indicated airspeed is what is the better indication of forces on the aircraft.

A B-24 can do about 325 mph indicated before you start having to worry about the structure.  So 350 mph for a B-29 doesn't seem surprising.

[Swoops]

Descending from FL370 the other day I decided to see what she would do.  At High alt passing through FL330 she started buffeting or shock stalling right around mach .79 at about 300 indicated, I don't remember the true airspeed...if you have one of those fancy cx-2 flight computers and know ISA temperature for FL330 i suppose you could figure it out...off the top of my head i think its...around -50C.  Remember if you begin to buffet, throttles to idle and use nose up trim to recover from tuck under/buffet so as to not overload your airframe with too many g's upon recovery.  I've noticed that right around 360mph down low you tend to lose your elevators first and then your ailerons next without any high speed buffeting.  Approximately 15 - 18 k and below....

[VonKost]

When they first encountered the jet stream that write that they were doing 450 at 30K or so with the tail wind.

[Tupac]

I got a B29 to 510 mph at 54k in a 29. Im gonna upload it to youtube

[Pigslilspaz]

Gordon Bennett Robertson was a B-29 pilot during the war and on his first mission over Tokyo flying a little over 5,000ft, thermal from the fires raging below caused his B-29 to flip inverted and the only way to recover was by doing a Split-S and at the bottom of the maneuver was going over 400mph and had to pull into a vertical zoom climb to bleed off the excess speed.

ack-ack

I would love to read the AAR on that. Wonder what everyone else thought when they saw it happen.