Lot 113

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Description:

B29 Superfortress "ENOLA GAY" Desk Model Signed By Tibbets & Van Kirk

A beautiful wooden model, with a 24" wingspan, measuring 17" x 3.5". Made in the Philippines, the model is a 1:72 reproduction of the famous plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Signed in black felt tip pen on the left-wing by Paul Tibbets "Paul Tibbets, Pilot/6 AUG 1945" and on the right-wing by Theodore Van Kirk "Dutch Van Kirk/Navigator - Enola Gay/6 Aug. 1945." The plane has four removable propellors and is mounted on a rectangular wooden mas with a metal plate that reads, "Col. Tibbets was solely responsible for the organization, training, and command of the world's first nuclear strike force. On the morning of August 6, 1945, Col. Tibbets flew the Enola Gay into the future by dropping the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan." The model comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and a color photograph taken at a signing of a model by Paul Tibbets. Packed in foam in a cardboard box. Near mint condition. Bold signatures by both men.

On August 6, 1945, the crew of the B-29 Superfortress Bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" over the southwestern Japanese metropolis of Hiroshima. Colonel Paul Tibbets piloted the 12-man crew. The nuclear bomb wiped out 70 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure.

Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (1915-2007) enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1937 and qualified as a pilot the following year. He helped with the development of the B-29 Superfortress, and in 1945, he piloted the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay (named after his mother), when it dropped the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk (1921-2014) served as the navigator of the Enola Gay and was the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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April 14, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000