B-50 Superfortress

B-50 Superfortress
Name	B-50 Superfortress
Caption	A B-50D in flight.
Type	Strategic bomber
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Boeing
First flight	25 June 1947
Introduction	1948
Retired	1965
Status	Retired
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	370
Developed from	B-29 Superfortress
Developed into	Boeing 377 Stratocruiser

B-50 Superfortress. The Boeing B-50 Superfortress was a strategic bomber developed for the United States Air Force as a significant evolution of the World War II-era B-29 Superfortress. Entering service at the dawn of the Cold War, it served as a crucial nuclear-capable component of Strategic Air Command and performed vital roles in long-range reconnaissance and aerial refueling. Although visually similar to its predecessor, the B-50 incorporated more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines, a taller tail fin, and other structural improvements, making it a key asset during the early Korean War and the formative years of the nuclear deterrent strategy.

Development and design

The B-50's development was initiated by the United States Army Air Forces to address the limitations of the B-29 Superfortress, which had proven vulnerable over Japan and in other combat theaters. The project, initially designated B-29D, was a comprehensive redesign featuring the more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines, a lighter and stronger aluminum alloy structure, and a taller vertical stabilizer for improved stability. Following the establishment of the independent United States Air Force in 1947, the aircraft was redesignated B-50 to secure new funding from the United States Congress distinct from World War II appropriations. The design also incorporated a more efficient Boeing wing and a revised fuel system, enabling it to carry the heavy early atomic bombs developed by the Manhattan Project and refined at facilities like Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Operational history

The B-50 entered operational service with Strategic Air Command in 1948, rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the United States' global nuclear deterrent posture against the Soviet Union. It conducted numerous long-range training missions and global deployments to bases such as RAF Lakenheath and Clark Air Base to demonstrate reach and capability. During the Korean War, B-50s, operating from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, conducted conventional bombing campaigns against targets in North Korea. The type also set significant aviation records, most notably when the B-50A *Lucky Lady II*, commanded by Captain James Gallagher, completed the first non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in 1949 with multiple in-flight refuelings from KB-29M tankers. As more advanced aircraft like the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress entered service, the B-50 was transitioned to roles such as weather reconnaissance with the Air Weather Service and, in its KB-50 tanker variant, served as a vital aerial refueling platform for fighters like the F-100 Super Sabre during the Vietnam War.

Variants

The primary bomber variants included the initial B-50A, the improved B-50B, and the definitive B-50D which featured underwing fuel tanks and a redesigned nose transparency. The RB-50B and RB-50E/G were specialized photographic and electronic reconnaissance models used extensively for intelligence gathering along the borders of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The most numerous conversion was the KB-50 tanker series, which included the probe-and-drogue equipped KB-50J used to refuel tactical aircraft for United States Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces. Other specialized models included the TB-50H crew trainer for the B-47 Stratojet program and the WB-50 weather reconnaissance aircraft, which played a key role in hurricane tracking for the National Hurricane Research Project.

Operators

The sole primary military operator was the United States Air Force, with aircraft serving across its major commands including Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and the Air Weather Service. Specific units that operated the type included the 2nd Bomb Wing at Hunter Air Force Base, the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Rickenbacker Air Force Base, and the 421st Air Refueling Squadron stationed at Yokota Air Base in Japan. No B-50s were provided through programs like the Mutual Defense Assistance Act to foreign air forces, as the aircraft was considered a key strategic asset during the most intense periods of the Cold War.

Specifications (B-50D)

* **Crew:** 8 (Aircraft Commander, Pilot, Bombardier, Navigator, Flight Engineer, Radio Operator, Two Gunners) * **Length:** 99 ft 0 in (30.18 m) * **Wingspan:** 141 ft 3 in (43.05 m) * **Height:** 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m) * **Empty weight:** 80,610 lb (36,564 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 173,000 lb (78,472 kg) * **Powerplant:** 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360-35 Wasp Major 28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) each * **Maximum speed:** 395 mph (636 km/h, 343 kn) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) * **Range:** 4,900 mi (7,900 km, 4,300 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 36,900 ft (11,200 m) * **Armament:** 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled turrets; up to 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) of bombs, including a single Mark 4 or later nuclear weapon

Survivors

No complete B-50 Superfortress airframes exist today. The last flying example, a WB-50D (s/n 49-0351), was retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1965, but it was later scrapped. A forward fuselage section of a TB-50H (s/n 49-0370) is preserved in storage at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, associated with its collection. Several major components, including engines and landing gear struts from various aircraft, are held in the collections of museums such as the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum and the Castle Air Museum, but no intact aircraft remain for public display.

Category:United States bomber aircraft 1940–1949 Category:Four-engined piston aircraft Category:Boeing aircraft