Photography of the B-29 Superfortress “Jack’s Hack” at the New England Air Museum
I am always looking out for new and interesting subjects for my photography, and the other day was no exception! I was out in the area of Springfield, Massachusetts celebrating my anniversary with my wife, and the forecast was not favorable. Spring weather in New England is often unpredictable, and with heavy rains I knew I needed to find something inside for us to do.
As I headed through the hotel lobby to get our morning coffee I could not help but notice a flyer for the New England Air Museum. I ran over, picked it up and one quick look told me that the museum was only a short ride away at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. I knew in an instant that I had found my destination for photography!
I have had a love for aircraft since I was a child, when I would spend countless hours in the basement assembling scale models of aircraft of all sizes and shape. As an adult I spent 9 years in the military working on C-130 aircraft. I showed the museums flyer to my wife – it was our wedding anniversary after all – and she said the Air Museum sounded like a great idea!
B29A Superfortress “Jack’s Hack”
The centerpiece of the air museum is without a doubt the fully restored B-29 Superfortress, nicknamed Jack’s Hack. This piece of history resides in its own hanger and is overwhelming in it size and appearance. I literally stopped dead in my tracks when I came through the doorway, and had to take a few moments to collect my thoughts. It almost seemed wrong to just jump right in and photograph this beauty, and I found myself reading a bit about this aircraft, and many of the other B-29’s from World War II.
After close to an hour of just walking around and admiring the aircraft and her stories, I knew that it was time to set up my gear and begin to photograph her. Of the many photographs that I made of this aircraft, this one is by far my favorite. It not only portrays the size and scale of the Superfortress, but contains enough detail to see the painting on the fuselage and the textures in the skin.
The B-29 is only one of many vintage aircraft that I photographed at the New England Air Museum, and they are all beautiful. I hope that you might someday make the trip to the museum yourself sometime!