National Park Service to Allow Dives on B-29 bomber in Lake Mead

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National Park Service to Allow Dives on B-29 bomber in Lake Mead

December 26, 2014 - 13:36
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US National Parks Service has decided to allow divers to visit the Boeing B-29 Superfortress which has lain on the bottom of Lake Mead on the border between Arizona and Nevada since 1948. It was only rediscovered in 1948

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber and one of the largest aircraft to have seen service during World War II

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing and one of the largest aircraft to have seen service during World War II. It was a very advanced bomber for its time, with features such as a pressurized cabin, an electronic fire-control system, and a quartet of remote-controlled machine-gun turrets operated by the fire-control system in addition to its defensive tail gun installation. Due to the B-29's highly advanced design for its time, unlike many other World War II-era bombers, the Superfortress remained in service long after the war ended. The wreck in Lake Mead crashed on July 21, 1948, while engaged in high-altitude atmospheric research.

In June 2003, archaeologists from the Park Service's Submerged Resources Center mapped and documented the wreck for management and educational purposes. The area has been closed to diving in order to protect the historical resource.

National Parks Service looking For Guides

The two-year commercial use authorizations (CUA) will include the authorized services of scuba dive guiding on the B-29 site, limited to 100 client dives during each 12-month period of the permit, and unlimited scuba instruction and scuba charter for other locations at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

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