Boeing B-50 Superfortress - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Boeing

Boeing

The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engine

Radial engine

The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...

s, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing

Boeing

for the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

. Not as well known as its direct predecessor, the B-50 was in USAF service for nearly 20 years.

After its primary service with SAC ended, B-50 airframes were modified into aerial tankers for Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

(KB-50) and as weather reconnaissance aircraft (WB-50) for the Air Weather Service. Both the tanker and hurricane hunter versions were retired in March 1965 due to metal fatigue and corrosion found in the wreckage of KB-50J, 48-065, which crashed on 14 October 1964.

Design and development

Development of an improved B-29 started in 1944, with the desire to replace the unreliable Wright R-3350

Wright R-3350

The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...

engines with the more powerful four-row, 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp-Major radial engine

Radial engine

The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...

. A B-29A-5-BN (serial number

United States military aircraft serials

In the United States, all military aircraft display a serial number to identify individual aircraft. Because these numbers are located on the aircraft tail, they are sometimes referred to unofficially as "tail numbers"...

42-93845) was modified by Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...

as a testbed for the installation of the R-4360 in the B-29, with four 3,000 horsepower

Horsepower

Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...

(2,240 kW) R-4630-33s replacing the 2,200 horsepower (1,640 kW) R-3350s. The modified aircraft, designated XB-44 Superfortress, first flew in May 1945. The planned Wasp-Major powered bomber, the B-29D, was to incorporate considerable changes in addition to the engine installation tested in the B-44. The use of a new alloy of aluminum, 75-S rather than the existing 24ST, gave a wing that was both stronger and lighter, while the undercarriage was strengthened to allow the aircraft to operate at weights of up to 40,000 pounds (18,200 kilograms) greater than the B-29. A larger vertical fin and rudder (which could fold to allow the aircraft to fit into existing hangars) and enlarged flaps were provided to deal with the increased weight. Armament was similar to that of the B-29, with two bomb bays carrying 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of bombs, and a further 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) externally. Defensive armament was 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (or 12 machine guns and one 20 mm cannon) in five turrets.

First flying in May 1945, the XB-44 proved 50-60 mph faster than the B-29 (available sources do not indicate how much of this increased speed was due to differing aircraft weight or to deleted armament).Only the one aircraft was used in the B-44 flight test program.

An order for 200 B-29Ds was placed in July 1945, but the ending of World War II

World War II

in August 1945 prompted mass cancellations of outstanding orders for military equipment, with over 5,000 B-29s cancelled in September 1945. In December that year, B-29D orders were cut from 200 to 60, while at the same time the designation of the aircraft was changed to B-50.

Officially, the aircraft's new designation was justified by the changes incorporated into the revised aircraft, but according to Peter M. Bowers

Peter M. Bowers

Peter M. Bowers was a journalist specializing in the field of aviation.Bowers is famed in the general aviation community for his work with General Aviation News. Writing 26 books and over 800 articles detailing historic aircraft for a column called "Of Wings and Things", Bowers was a fixture of...

, a long-time Boeing employee and aircraft designer, and a well-known authority on Boeing aircraft, "the redesignation was an outright military ruse to win appropriations for the procurement of an airplane that by its B-29D designation appeared to be merely a later version of an existing model that was being canceled wholesale, with many existing examples being put into dead storage."

The first production B-50A (there were no prototypes, as the aircraft's engines and new tail had already been tested) made its maiden flight on June 25, 1947, with a further 78 B-50As following. The last airframe of the initial order was held back for modification to the prototype YB-50C, a planned version to be powered by R-4360-43 turbo-compound engine

Turbo-compound engine

A turbo-compound engine is a reciprocating engine that employs a blowdown turbine to recover energy from the exhaust gases. The turbine is usually mechanically connected to the crankshaft but electric and hydraulic systems have been investigated as well. The turbine increases the output of the...

s. It was to have a longer fuselage, allowing the two small bomb-bays of the B-29 and the B-50A to be replaced by a single large bomb-bay, more suited to carrying large nuclear weapons. It would also have longer span wings, which required additional outrigger wheels to stabilize the aircraft on the ground. Orders for 43 B-54s, the planned production version of the YB-50C, were placed in 1948, but the program was unpopular with Curtis LeMay

Curtis LeMay

Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....

, commander of Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

(SAC), as being inferior to the Convair B-36

Convair B-36

The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...

and having little capacity for further improvement, while requiring an expensive redevelopment of air bases owing to the type's undercarriage. The B-54 program was therefore canceled in April 1949, work on the YB-50C being stopped prior to it being completed.

While the B-54 was canceled, production of less elaborate developments continued as a stopgap until jet bombers like the Boeing B-47 and B-52 could enter service. Forty-five B-50Bs, fitted with lightweight fuel tanks and capable of operating at higher weights, were built, followed by 222 B-50Ds, capable of carrying underwing fuel tanks and distinguished by a one-piece plastic nose dome. To give the Superfortress the range to reach the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, B-50s were fitted to be refueled in flight

Aerial refueling

Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....

. Most (but not all) of the B-50As were fitted with the early "looped hose" refueling system, developed by the British company Flight Refuelling Limited, in which the receiving aircraft would use a grapple to catch a line trailed by the tanker aircraft (normally a Boeing KB-29) before hauling over the fuel line to allow transfer of fuel to begin. While this system worked, it was clumsy, and Boeing designed the alternative Flying Boom method to refuel SAC's bombers, with most B-50Ds being fitted with receptacles for Flying Boom refueling.

Revisions to the B-50 (from its predecessor B-29) would boost top speed to just under 400 mph (644 km/h). Changes included:

Larger engines
Redesigned engine nacelles and engine mounts
Enlarged vertical tail and rudder (to maintain adequate yaw control during engine-out conditions)
Reinforced wing structure (required due to increased engine mass, larger gyroscopic forces from larger propellers, greater fuel load, and revised landing gear loading)
Revised routing for engine gases (cooling, intake, exhaust and intercooler ducts; also oil lines)
Upgraded remote turret fire-control equipment
Landing gear strengthened and takeoff weight increased from 133,500 lb / 60,555 kg to 173,000 lb / 78,471 kg
Increased fuel capacity with underwing fuel tanks being added.
Improvements to flight control systems (the B-29 was difficult to fly; with increased weights the B-50 would have been more so).

Redesigned with a large upper fuselage grafted on, the B-50 design would form the basis for the Boeing 377 series of airliners and C-97

C-97 Stratofreighter

The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...

/KC-97 military transports, with 816 of the KC-97 built. The B-29 and B-50 were phased out with introduction of the jet-powered B-47 Stratojet

B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...

.
The B-50 was nicknamed "Andy Gump

The Gumps

The Gumps, a popular comic strip about a middle-class family, was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917 until October 17, 1959....

" because the redesigned engine nacelles reminded aircrew of the chinless newspaper comic character popular at the time.

KB-50 tankers

The Boeing KB-50 was a modified Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Boeing B-50 Superfortress

The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...

for air refueling needs by the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

. Two primary tanker versions were developed and produced, the KB-50J and the KB-50K.

After the promising results from the KB-29 conversions the USAF recognized the need for a tanker with higher performance and more room for off-loading fuel. Soon after entering service as strategic bombers plans were made for converting 134 B-50s, made up of B-50As, RB-50s, and B-50Ds, into aerial refueling tankers when no longer needed by Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

bomber forces. As tankers, KB-50s would feature extensively reinforced outer wing panels, as well as the necessary equipment to air refuel simultaneously three fighter-type aircraft by the probe and drogue method. The modifications, assigned to the Hayes Aircraft Corporation, also included deletion of the B-50 defensive armament and replacement of the aircraft's tail section. Although the completion date of the Hayes modification was tentatively set for December 1957, the project (ordered in the mid-'50s) proceeded so well that it was ended ahead of schedule.
The first KB-50 flew in December 1955 and was accepted by the Air Force in January 1956. The tankers steadily entered the operational inventory of Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

(TAC) supplanting TACs KB-29s. By the end of 1957 all of the command's aerial refuling squadrons had their full complement of KB-50s. TAC had nothing but praise for the new tankers; the KB-50s presented no serious problems, and their reliability was such that the command considered asking for more of them. Extra KB-50s would come "cheap," TAC calculated, if additional numbers of B-50s were added to the Hayes modification line. Nevertheless, the recommendation remained in limbo, which was just as well since the modification line had already been closed and the superior KB-50J was on the way.

Operational history

Boeing built 370 of the various B-50 models and variants between 1947 and 1953, the tanker and weather reconnaissance versions remaining in service until 1965.

The first B-50As were delivered in June 1948 to the Strategic Air Command's 43d Bombardment Wing, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

. The 2d Bombardment Wing at Chatham AFB, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

also received B-50As; the 93d Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

and the 509th Bombardment Wing at Walker AFB, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

received B-50Ds in 1949. The fifth and last SAC wing to receive B-50Ds was the 97th Bombardment Wing at Biggs AFB, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

in December 1950. The mission of these wings was to be nuclear capable and in wartime to be able to deliver the Atomic Bomb on enemy targets if ordered by the President.

The 301st Bombardment Wing at MacDill AFB, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

received some B-50As reassigned from Davis-Monthan in early 1951, but used them for non-operational training pending the delivery of B-47A Stratojets in June 1951. It had always been intended that the B-50 would be only an interim strategic bomber, pending the availability of the B-47 Stratojet. However, delays in the Stratojet program forced the B-50 to soldier on in SAC service until well into the 1950s.

A strategic reconnaissance version of the B-50B, the RB-50 was developed in 1949 to replace the aging RB-29s used by SAC in its intelligence gathering operations against the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. There were three different configurations produced, which were later redesignated RB-50E, RB-50F, and RG-50G respectively. The RB-50E was earmarked for photographic reconnaissance and observation missions; The RB-50F resembled the RB-50E but carried the SHORAN radar navigation system designed to conduct mapping, charting, and geodetic surveys, and the mission of the RB-50G was electronic reconnaissance. These aircraft were operated primarily by the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. RB-50Es were also operated by the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing as a replacement for RB-29 photographic reconnaissance aircraft flown over North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

.

The vast northern borders of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

were wide open in many places during the early Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

years with little defensive radar coverage, with limited detection capability. RB-50 aircraft of the 55th SRW flew many sorties along the periphery, and where necessary into the interior. Initially there was little opposition from the Soviet forces as radar coverage was very limited and, if the overflying aircraft were detected, the World War II era Soviet fighters could not intercept the RB-50s at their high operating altitude.

The deployment of the MiG-15 interceptor in the early 1950s meant these operations became exceedingly hazardous to the crews of these aircraft, with several being shot down by Soviet air defenses and the wreckage being examined by intelligence personnel. RB-50 missions over Soviet territory ended by 1954, being replaced by RB-47 Stratojet intelligence aircraft which could fly at even higher altitudes and at near supersonic speed.

The B-47 Stratojet was manufactured in large numbers beginning in 1953 and eventually replaced the B-50Ds in SAC service; the last being retired in 1955. With its retirement from the nuclear bomber mission, large numbers of B-50 airframes were modified into aerial refueling tankers. The B-50, with its more powerful engines than the KB-29s in use by Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

, were much more suitable to refuel tactical jet fighter aircraft, such as the F-100 Super Sabre

F-100 Super Sabre

The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...

. KB-50s, and later KB-50Js with J-47 jet engines were used by TAC, and also by USAFE and PACAF overseas as aerial tankers. Some were deployed to Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

and flew aerial refueling missions over the skies of Indochina

Indochina

The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...

in the early years of the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

until being retired in March 1965 due to metal fatigue and corrosion.

In addition to the aerial tanker conversion, the Air Weather Service by 1955 had basically worn out the WB-29s used for hurricane hunting and other weather reconnaissance missions. Thirty-six former SAC B-50Ds were stripped of their armament and equipped for long-range weather reconnaissance missions. The WB-50 could fly higher and faster and longer than the WB-29. The WB-50 had an important role during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

, when it monitored the weather around Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

to plan photo-reconnaissance flights. Although weather flying was considered a "peacetime" mission, the hazardous flying in hurricanes took their toll, and claimed 66 lives in 13 WB-50 accidents over their 10-year history in weather, also being retired in 1965 due to metal fatigue and corrosion.

Variants

XB-44

One B-29A was handed over to Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney

to be used as a testbed for the installation of the new Wasp Major 28-cylinder engines in the B-29.

B-29D

Wasp Major powered bomber, with stronger structure and taller tail. Redesignated B-50A in December 1945.

B-50A

First production version of the B-50. Four R-4360-35 Wasp Major engines, 168,500 lb (76,550 kg) max take-off weight. 79 built.

TB-50A - Conversion of 11 B-50A as crew trainers for units operating the B-36.

B-50B

Improved version, with increased maximum take-off weight (170,400 lb (77,290 kg)) and new, lightweight fuel tanks. 45 built.

EB-50B - Single B-50B modified as test-bed for bicycle undercarriage, later used to test "caterpillar track

Caterpillar track

Continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks are a system of vehicle propulsion in which modular metal plates linked into a continuous band are driven by two or more wheels...

" landing gear.

RB-50B - Conversion of B-50B for strategic reconnaissance, with capsule in rear fuselage carrying nine cameras in four stations, weather instruments, and extra crew. Could be fitted with two 700 US gallon (2,840 L) drop tanks under outer wings. 44 converted from B-50B.

YB-50C

Prototype for B-54 bomber, to have Variable Discharge Turbine (i.e. turbo-compound

Turbo-compound engine

) version of the R-4360 engine, longer fuselage and bigger, stronger wings. One prototype started but canceled before completion.

B-50D

Definitive bomber version of the B-50. Higher max takeoff weight (173,000 lb (78,600 kg)). Fitted with receptacle for Flying boom in-flight refueling and provision for underwing drop tanks. Modified nose glazing with 7-piece nose cone window was replaced by a single plastic cone and a flat bomb-aimer's window. 222 built.

DB-50D - Single B-50D converted as drone director conversion of a B-50D, for trials with the GAM-63 RASCAL

GAM-63 RASCAL

The GAM-63 RASCAL is a supersonic Air-to-surface missile that was developed by the Bell Aircraft Company. The RASCAL was the United States Air Force's first nuclear armed standoff missile. The RASCAL was initially designated the ASM-A-2, then re-designated the B-63 in 1951 and finally re-designated...

missile.

KB-50D - Prototype conversion of two B-50Ds as three-point aerial refueling tanker, using drogue-type hoses. Used as the basis for later production KB-50J and KB-50K conversions. A further conversion from a TB-50D was also designated KB-50D.

TB-50D - Conversion of early B-50Ds lacking aerial-refueling receptacles as unarmed crew trainers. Eleven converted.

WB-50D - Conversion of surplus B-50Ds as weather reconnaissance aircraft to replace worn out WB-29s. Fitted with doppler radar

Doppler radar

A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been...

, atmospheric sampler and other specialist equipment, and extra fuel in the bomb-bay. Some were used to carry out highly classified missions for atmospheric sampling between 1953 and 1955 to detect Soviet detonation of atomic weapons.

RB-50E

14 RB-50Bs converted at Wichita for specialist photographic reconnaissance.

RB-50F

Conversion of 14 RB-50Bs as survey aircraft, fitted with SHORAN

SHORAN

SHORAN is an acronym for SHOrt RAnge Navigation, a type of electronic navigation and bombing system with a precision radar beacon used in the B-26 and B-29 bomber aircraft during the Korean War.-Origin:...

navigation radar.

RB-50G

Conversion of the RB-50B for electronic reconnaissance. Fitted with Shoran for navigation, and six electronic stations, with 16-man crew. 15 converted.

TB-50H

Unarmed crew trainer for B-47 squadrons. Twenty four completed, the last B-50s built. All later converted to KB-50K tankers.

KB-50J

Conversions to air to air refueling tankers with improved performance from two extra General Electric J47

General Electric J47

|-Specifications :-Nuclear-powered version – The X39:In the 1950s, interest in the development of nuclear-powered aircraft led GE to experiment with two nuclear-powered gas turbine designs, one based on the J47, and another new and much larger engine called the X211.The design based on the J47...

turbojets under the outer wings, 112 converted from B-50D, TB-50D, RB-50E, RB-50F and RB-50G aircraft.

KB-50K

Tanker conversions of the TB-50H trainer aircraft. 24 converted.

B-54A

Proposed version of the YB-50C.

RB-54A

Proposed reconnaissance version of the YB-50C.

Aircraft on display

From the 370 produced only five B-50 aircraft survive today, :

B-50A Superfortress, s/n 46-0010 Lucky Lady II
Lucky Lady II
Lucky Lady II is a United States Air Force Boeing B-50 Superfortress that became the first airplane to circle the world nonstop, when it made the journey in 1949, assisted by refueling the plane in flight. Total time airborne was 94 hours and 1 minute...

Is disassembled and the fuselage is stored outside at Planes of Fame

Planes of Fame

Planes of Fame Air Museum is an aviation museum located in Chino, California, and Valle, Arizona. The museum has many flying and static aircraft, along with multiple rare examples under restoration.-History:...

in Chino, California

Chino, California

Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....

WB-50D Superfortress, s/n 49-0310

At the National Museum of the United States Air Force

National Museum of the United States Air Force

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...

at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...

in Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

WB-50D Superfortress, s/n 49-0351

at the Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to the site of the former Castle Air Force Base...

at the former Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....

in Atwater, California

Atwater, California

Atwater is a city on U.S. Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 151 feet . The population as of the 2010 census was 28,168.-Geography:...

. This was the last B-50 which was flown, being delivered to MASDC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on 6 October 1965. It was put on display at the Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to the site of the former Castle Air Force Base...

in 1980.

KB-50J Superfortress, s/n 49-0372

at the Pima Air & Space Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres . Located in Tucson, Arizona, it is one of the world's largest, non-government funded aerospace museums...

adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....

in Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

KB-50J Superfortress, s/n 49-0389

at MacDill Air Force Base

MacDill Air Force Base

MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...

in Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

. It is not accessible to the public.

Operators

United States

United States Air Force

Strategic Air Command

B-50 Superfortress

2d Bombardment Wing, 1949-1953

43d Bombardment Wing, 1948-1954

93d Bombardment Wing, 1949-1954

97th Bombardment Wing, 1950-1955

306th Bombardment Wing, 1951

509th Bombardment Wing, 1949-1951

RB-50 Superfortress

55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1950-1954

91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1949-1950 (B-50); 1950-1951

Tactical Air Command

KB-50 Superfortress

420th Air Refueling Squadron

The 420th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 3d Air Force, stationed at RAF Sculthorpe, England...

, 1955-1964 (USAFE)

421st Air Refueling Squadron

The 421st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 41st Air Division, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 15 January 1965.-History:...

, 1955-1965 (PACAF)

427th Air Refueling Squadron

The 427th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

, 1959-1963

429th Air Refueling Squadron

The 429th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

, 1958-1963

431st Air Refueling Squadron

The 431st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4440th Air Delivery Group, stationed at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas...

, 1957-1965

622d Air Refueling Squadron

The 622d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4440th Air Delivery Group, stationed at England Air Force Base, Louisiana...

, 1957-1963

Air Weather Service

WB-50 Superfortress

53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1955-1965

54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It was inactivated on 30 September 1987.-History:...

, 1955-1960; 1962-1965

55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 50th Operations Group, being stationed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. It was inactivated on 16 July 2002.-History:...

, 1958-1960 (TB-50); 1960-1963

56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1956-1962

57th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1956-1958

58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The 58th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve squadron. Its last was assigned to the 4900th Test Group, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico...

, 1956-1958

59th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The 59th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...

, 1955-1960

KB-50 Superfortress tankers
3d Tactical Bombardment Wing

3d Wing

The 3d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska....

3d TBW Air Refueling Squadron

31st Fighter-Bomber Wing

31st Fighter Wing

The 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy where it is also the host unit....

31st FBW Air Refueling Squadron

47th Tactical Bombardment Wing

47th Flying Training Wing

The 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas...

47th FTW Air Refueling Squadron

67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

67th Network Warfare Wing

The 67th Network Warfare Wing , Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was reactivated October 1, 1993 as the 67th Intelligence Wing. The wing was re-designated the 67th Information Operations Wing on February 1, 2001...

67th NWW Air Refueling Wing

366th Fighter-Bomber Wing

366th Fighter Wing

The 366th Fighter Wing is a Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho...

- Alexandria AFB, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

622d Air Refueling Squadron

The 622d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4440th Air Delivery Group, stationed at England Air Force Base, Louisiana...

405th Fighter-Bomber Wing

405th Air Expeditionary Wing

The 405th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.Currently, it is believed that the 405 AEW is stationed at Thumrait AB, Oman...

- Langley AFB, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

429th Air Refueling Squadron

The 429th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

Specifications (B-50D)

External links

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Design and development

KB-50 tankers

Operational history

Variants

Aircraft on display

Operators

Specifications (B-50D)

See also

External links