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105-515: The Museum features many display aircraft including the WB-47E Stratojet , B-52D Stratofortress , KC-135 Stratotanker , Boeing 727 , Boeing 737-2H4 , Republic F-84F Thunderstreak , Beech Starship , Cessna T-37 , Learjet 23 , Cessna 500/501 Prototype, Stearman 4D, Texaco 11, Stearman Trainer, 1920 Laird Swallow, 1926 Swallow, 1930 Watkins Skylark SL, 1944 Beech Staggerwing, U-8 Seminole , Mooney Mite, and Lockheed T-33 . The building

210-544: A jet-powered reconnaissance bomber, drawn up by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to prompt manufacturers to start research into jet bombers. Boeing was among several companies to respond to the request; one of its designs, the Model 424, was basically a scaled-down version of the piston-engined B-29 Superfortress equipped with four jet engines. In 1944, this initial concept evolved into

315-413: A light bomber for that era. Aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation chose to submit their own design, internally designated NA-130 . This bid, along with three rival proposals from other firms, would be ordered by the government. On 8 September 1944, the company commenced production of three prototypes based on its NA-130 design. According to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist,

420-509: A B-47 was on 17 June 1986, when a B-47E was restored to flightworthy condition for a one-time ferry flight. This aircraft was flown from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake , California, to Castle Air Force Base , California, for static display at the Castle Air Museum, where it presently resides. The only B-47s to see anything close to combat were the aerial reconnaissance variants. The first overflight of Soviet territory with

525-581: A B-47B, fitted with special radar and cameras in the bomb bay, occurred on 15 October 1952, overflying Soviet airfields in Northeastern Siberia. RB-47s operated from almost every airfield that gave them access to the USSR and routinely probed Soviet airspace. Occasionally, they would avoid confrontations with speed and evasion. At least five aircraft were fired upon and three were shot down. The RB-47s returned fire with their tail turrets, although it

630-580: A B-47E, USAF Serial Number 53-2280, was used as a testbed for a newly developed fly-by-wire system. The U.S. Navy kept specialized EB-47E test aircraft from USAF inventory in occasional use to support the Fleet Electronic Warfare Systems Group (FEWSG) until December 1977, being replaced by government owned/contractor operated (GOCO) NKC-135 modified Stratotankers also loaned from the USAF. The final recorded flight of

735-543: A Plane Day". WB-47E Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450 ) is a retired American long- range , six-engined, turbojet -powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft . The primary mission of the B-47 was as a nuclear bomber capable of striking targets within the Soviet Union . Development of

840-539: A farm near Hobart, Oklahoma , following engine problems. Four crewmen were killed in the incident. On 9 October 1957, B-47 serial number 51-2177A, of the 447th Bomb Squadron , 321st Bomb Wing at Pinecastle Air Force Base suffered wing failure and crashed northwest of Orlando, Florida , and west of Winter Park, Florida , while conducting a practice demonstration for the annual Strategic Air Command Bombing Navigation and Reconnaissance Competition at Pinecastle AFB. The wing commander, Colonel Michael Norman Wright McCoy,

945-838: A few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s. The only other nation to use the RB-45C was the United Kingdom , where it was operated by an ad hoc unit of crews largely drawn from Nos. 35 and 115 Squadrons RAF. Whilst the Department of Defense was prohibited by the President of the United States from overflying the Soviet Union at the time, US allies closer to the European theatre of war could. In

1050-528: A formal request-for-proposal to design a new bomber with a maximum speed of 550 mph (480 kn; 890 km/h), a cruise speed of 450 mph (390 kn; 720 km/h), a range of 3,500 mi (3,000 nmi; 5,600 km), and a service ceiling of 45,000 ft (13,700 m). In December 1944, North American Aviation , Convair , Boeing and the Glenn L. Martin Company submitted proposals for

1155-453: A great reduction in both the weight and size of nuclear weapons in the U.S. inventory, which enabled smaller aircraft such as the B-45 to carry out nuclear strikes, a mission which had previously been confined to heavy bombers. Suddenly, the small fleet of B-45s once again possessed considerable value as a nuclear deterrent. On 4 December 1950, the first successful interception of a jet bomber by

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1260-482: A hard landing on the front nose gear. Training typically included an hour of dragging the approach chute around the landing pattern for multiple practice landings. The USAF Strategic Air Command operated multiple B-47 models (B-47s, EB-47s, RB-47s and YRB-47s) from 1951 through 1965. Upon entry to service, its performance was closer to that of contemporary fighters than SAC's extant B-36 Peacemaker bomber, setting multiple records with ease. It handled well in flight,

1365-663: A jet fighter occurred when MiG-15 pilot Aleksandr F. Andrianov shot down an RB-45C over China . Captain Charles McDonough was the only member of the four-man crew to parachute from the plane, although he is believed to have died while being held by either the Chinese or the Soviet Union. Because of the sensitivity typically surrounding such missions, much of the information surrounding this flight and similar intelligence activities has remained classified. Operation Fandango , sometimes called Operation Backbreaker, modified

1470-457: A near radioactive incident when it hit a storage igloo containing three MK-6 nuclear weapons . Although the bombs involved lacked their fissile cores , each carried about 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) of high explosives for their trigger mechanism. The crash and ensuing fire did not ignite the high explosives and no detonation occurred. In November 1956, B-47E serial number 51-2421 of the 96th Bombardment Wing , flying from Altus AFB , crashed on

1575-632: A non-stop flight to Ben Guerir Air Base in Morocco. After descending through clouds to begin their second round of aerial refueling over the Mediterranean Sea at 14,000 feet, one of the four aircraft, serial number 52-0534 , failed to make contact with the tanker; neither the aircraft, its two nuclear weapon cores , nor its personnel were ever found. On 28 March 1956, a B-47 exploded near Wichita, Kansas , with an instructor and two student pilots on board. It crashed four miles northeast of

1680-452: A ride in the XB-47. A formal contract for 10 aircraft was signed on 3 September 1948. The total number of B-47s built was 2,042. The XB-47, which looked nothing like contemporary bombers, was described by Boyne as a "sleek, beautiful outcome that was highly advanced". The 35-degree swept wings were shoulder-mounted, the inboard turbojet engines mounted in twin pods, at about a third of

1785-429: A stable center of gravity was a critical copilot duty. The aircraft was so aerodynamically clean that rapid descent ("penetration") from high cruise altitude to the landing pattern required dragging the deployed rear landing gear. The relatively high wing loading (weight/wing area) required a high landing speed of 180 kn (330 km/h). To shorten the landing roll, USAF test pilot Major Guy Townsend promoted

1890-540: Is uncertain if they scored any kills; these were the only shots fired in anger by any B-47. On 8 May 1954, after a top secret reconnaissance mission near the Kola Peninsula , a 4th Air Division / 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing RB-47E, flown by then-Capt (later Col) Harold "Hal" Austin, overflew the Soviet Union at high altitude, out of reach of MiG-15s . Unknown to USAF intelligence, MiG-17s capable of intercepting it had been stationed nearby. The RB-47E

1995-531: The Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order. The cancellation of these 51 B-45s was announced on 7 January 1949. A total of 96 aircraft were delivered between February 1948 and June 1949. Multiple improved versions of the B-45 were proposed by North American, some of which were realized. While the B-45B concept equipped with a radar -guided fire control system would never be ordered,

2100-813: The Barents Sea , killing four of the crew while two were captured by the Soviets and released in 1961. The co-pilot reported that the MiG-19 jammed his MD-4 FCS (that aimed the tail guns), rendering it defenseless. The last known confrontation between MiGs and RB-47s occurred on 28 April 1965, when an ERB-47H was intercepted by two North Korean MiG-17s over the Sea of Japan. While hit by the MiGs, it returned to Yokota Air Base in Japan with three engines out. A few operated during

2205-734: The Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB. The purchase was completed in August 2016 and on 21 September 2016 the aircraft arrived at Edwards AFB for reassembly, restoration and eventual display at the Flight Test Museum. By mid-1948, the USAF's bomber competition had already been through one iteration, pitting the North American XB-45 against the Convair XB-46. The North American design won that round of

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2310-413: The U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) issued a mission-need statement and on 17 November 1944, released a formal requirement, which has been claimed to be the first such requirement issued outside of Germany. The requirements involved more than just jet propulsion; the desired aircraft would have a gross weight of between 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) and 200,000 lb (90,718 kg), which would make it

2415-482: The USSR at short notice. Crews were trained to perform " Minimum Interval Take Offs (MITO)", one bomber following another into the air at intervals of as little as 15 seconds to launch as fast as possible. MITO could be hazardous, as the bombers left wingtip vortices and general turbulence behind them; the first generation turbojet engines, fitted with water-injection systems, also created dense black smoke. The B-47

2520-524: The Vietnam War on missions such as relaying ELINT data, but were replaced by more efficient and capable Boeing RC-135s . The last RB-47H was retired on 29 December 1967. The final 15 RB-47s, built from December 1955, were fitted with additional equipment, including the AN/APD " side looking airborne radar " (SLAR) system, and gear to sample the air for fallout from nuclear tests . These were given

2625-598: The 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan to fly alongside the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, supplementing the World War II-era piston-engine RB-29s which had been easy targets for North Korean MiGs . The RB-45s provided valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War, despite the limited number available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they changed to night operations after an RB-45

2730-449: The 33 converted from B-45Cs. It was this variant that was operated (clandestinely) over the Soviet Union by the RAF "special duties" unit at RAF Sculthorpe, with the first sortie of three aircraft commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton taking place on the night of April 17, 1952. Tactical Air Command Strategic Air Command Air Defence Command Three B-45s have survived to

2835-564: The 91st Reconnaissance Wing flew from Alaska to Japan in 9 hrs 50 mins, winning the MacKay Trophy for their achievement. Within the 91st SRW, by 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E. The phased-out RB-45Cs then went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which operated them until they were withdrawn from operational use in the spring of 1958. By the end of the 1950s, all B-45s had been removed from active service. However,

2940-880: The Air Force took delivery of 22 B-45s in April 1948. Powered by J35 turbojets and not considered combat-ready, they were assigned to training duties and to conduct various test programs. The next batch were powered by the more powerful J47 turbojets. The first B-45As entered service in November 1948 with the 47th Bombardment Group, and the initial order of 96 was completed in March 1950. The first B-45As were not equipped with bomb fire control systems or bombsights . They suffered from gyrocompass failures at high speeds, unhooked bomb shackles, engine fires, and inaccurate cockpit gauges. The AN/APQ-24 bombing and navigation radar on some B-45s

3045-490: The B-45A with improved radar and fire-control systems. None were built. The B-45C was the first multiengine jet bomber in the world to be refueled in midair. It carried two 1,200 gal (4,542 L) wingtip fuel tanks, had a strengthened canopy , and an inflight refueling receptacle. The first B-45C was flown on May 3, 1949. Only ten were built, and the remaining 33 under construction were converted to RB-45Cs. The RB-45C

3150-470: The B-47 can be traced back to a requirement expressed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1943 for a reconnaissance bomber that harnessed newly developed jet propulsion . Another key innovation adopted during the development process was the swept wing , drawing upon captured German research. With its engines carried in nacelles underneath the wing, the B-47 represented a major innovation in post– World War II combat jet design, and contributed to

3255-583: The B-47 entered operational service with the United States Air Force 's Strategic Air Command (SAC), becoming a mainstay of its bomber strength by the late 1950s. Over 2,000 were manufactured to meet the Air Force's demands, driven by the tensions of the Cold War . The B-47 was in service as a strategic bomber until 1965, at which point it had largely been supplanted by more capable aircraft, such as Boeing's own B-52 Stratofortress . The B-47

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3360-512: The NA-130 was viewed as "merely a traditional bomber on to which jet engines had been fitted...the first effective jet bomber in the world, a case of the right aircraft at the right time". The end of the war resulted in the cancellation or delay of many projects. In 1946, rising tension with the Soviet Union impelled the USAAF to assign a higher priority to jet bomber development. By mid-1946, both

3465-536: The USAAF became a separate service, the United States Air Force (USAF), on 18 September 1947. According to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, Boeing subjected the first prototype to "one of the most comprehensive ground-test programmes ever undertaken". The XB-47 prototype flew its first flight on 17 December 1947 (the anniversary of the Wright Brothers ' first four flights on 17 December 1903), with test pilots Robert Robbins and Scott Osler at

3570-528: The USAF had 28 wings of B-47 bombers and five wings of RB-47 reconnaissance aircraft. The B-47 was the first line of America's strategic nuclear deterrent, often operating from forward bases in the UK, Morocco , Spain, Alaska , Greenland and Guam . B-47s were often set up on "one-third" alert, with a third of operational aircraft available sitting on hardstands or an alert ramp adjacent to the runway, loaded with fuel and nuclear weapons, crews on standby, ready to attack

3675-620: The USAF withdrew the last ones in favor of the Convair B-58 Hustler , an early supersonic bomber. The Tornado was also adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and operated from bases in United Kingdom, where it was used to overfly the Soviet Union on intelligence-related missions. Despite being painted with RAF markings and flown by RAF crew, they did not belong to the RAF; the RAF merely operated them on behalf of

3780-586: The United Kingdom, whilst successive Labour governments had refused, the return of Winston Churchill and a Conservative administration to Downing Street in 1951 brought a more co-operative atmosphere to joint intelligence initiatives. As a result, under Operation Ju-jitsu , in July 1951 four aircraft were leased to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form 'Special Duties Flight, Sculthorpe', commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton . Stripped of USAF markings and then applied with RAF markings ,

3885-672: The United States. Development of what would become the B-45 was initiated by a request from the U.S. War Department during World War II . Aviation technology had developed rapidly and the US was eager to introduce the latest advances into the Army Air Forces. Having been alarmed by the emergence of the German jet bomber Arado Ar 234 , the War Department issued a request for a new family of jet-powered bombers. During October 1944

3990-611: The XB-45 and the rival Convair XB-46 were nearing completion but the Boeing XB-47 and Martin XB-48 were at least two years out. Thus, the USAAF chose to evaluate the first two designs. The B-45 proved to be at a more advanced development stage and less expensive. Accordingly, on 2 January 1947, a production contract for B-45As was signed. Early plans called for five light bomb groups and three light reconnaissance groups. The B-45

4095-434: The addition of a 32 ft (9.8 m) German-invented "ribbon" drag chute ( thrust reversers had not then been developed). For the same reason, the B-47 was the first mass-produced aircraft to be equipped with an anti-skid braking system. A related problem was that the aircraft's engines would have to be throttled down on landing approach. Since it could take as long as 20 seconds to throttle them back up to full power,

4200-463: The aircraft for nuclear missions. The 40 B-45s allocated to the program were equipped with a new defensive system and additional fuel tankage. Despite the magnitude of the modifications project, plus ongoing problems with the jet engines, nuclear-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid-June. It was at about the same time that RB-45s of

4305-492: The airspeed and adjusting the throttles to avoid going into a stall. For perspective, a modern Boeing 757 has over 50 kn (93 km/h) of difference at even a very heavy weight at 41,000 feet (12,000 m). Fuel capacity was enormous, at 17,000  US gal (64,000 L), more than triple the 5,000 US gal (19,000 L) on the B-29 Superfortress, and meant that maintaining fuel trim to ensure

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4410-542: The assembly of three prototypes . Progress on the program was stalled by post-war cutbacks in defense expenditure but regained importance due to growing tensions between America and the Soviet Union . On 2 January 1947, North American received a production contract for the bomber, designated B-45A, from the USAF. On 24 February 1947, the prototype performed its maiden flight . Soon after its entry to service on 22 April 1948, B-45 operations were troubled by technical problems, in particular poor engine reliability. The USAF found

4515-412: The bomber could not easily do a " touch and go " momentary landing. A 16-foot "approach chute" ( drogue parachute ) provided aerodynamic drag so that the aircraft could be flown at approach speeds with the engines throttled at ready-to-spool-up medium power. On the ground, the pilots used the 32-foot "brake chute". The brake chute could be deployed to stop the aircraft from "porpoising", or bouncing, after

4620-587: The bomber pilot had to "safe" soft drop the Mark 15 weapon off the coast of Savannah, Georgia near Tybee Island , after which the B-47 landed safely. Despite an extensive nine-month search, the unarmed bomb was never found. In 1963, the Kennedy administration offered 24 B-47E bombers as an interim Canberra Mk 20 replacement for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), pending delivery of

4725-476: The building (called Building One) until about 1984 when they shut the doors and abandoned it marking it off as surplus. It sat empty and partially gutted for at least six years until the Kansas Aviation Museum was formed in 1990 and began work. The Kansas Aviation Museum is one of only a few museums that allow visitors to enter its exhibition aircraft. The museum operates a once yearly "Play on

4830-540: The building was dedicated. In 1941, the United States Army Air Corps leased the airport, added the upper control tower, and commenced operations by March 1942. Wings were added to both sides of the terminal as the army's procurement division supervised delivery of Boeing Kaydets and B-29s . By 1944, a take off or landing was occurring every 90 seconds. At the end of WWII , the airport returned to civilian use. Several luminaries passed through

4935-462: The canopy came off at high speed, killing pilot Scott Osler; the aircraft was safely landed by the copilot. The accident resulted in a canopy redesign and the hiring of pilot Tex Johnston as chief test pilot. The second XB-47 (46-066) prototype first flew on 21 July 1948 and, following its delivery to the USAF in December of that year, served as a flying test bed until 1954. Its final destination

5040-417: The city, killing its crew of three. The office of information services at McConnell Air Force Base said the explosion occurred after takeoff, probably at about 2,000 feet altitude. Wreckage was strewn along the countryside for several miles as the wings sheared off and the fuselage tumbled to earth. On 27 July 1956, a B-47 of the 307th Bombardment Wing crashed at RAF Lakenheath killing its crew and causing

5145-751: The competition. As an interim measure, the USAF decided to put the North American bomber into production on a limited basis as the B-45 Tornado. The expectation was that B-45 production would be terminated if either of the remaining two designs in the competition, the Boeing XB-47 and the Martin XB-48, proved superior. It is sometimes claimed that the final production decision was made as a result of Boeing president Bill Allen inviting USAF General K.B. Wolfe, in charge of bomber production, for

5250-527: The concept was decisively confirmed. He wired his home office: "Stop the bomber design" and changed the wing design. Analysis by Boeing engineer Vic Ganzer suggested an optimum sweepback angle of about 35 degrees. Boeing's aeronautical engineers modified the Model 432 with swept wings and tail to produce the "Model 448", which was presented to the USAAF in September 1945. It retained the four TG-180 jet engines in its forward fuselage, with two more TG-180s in

5355-429: The controls having a fighter-like light touch. The large bubble canopy enhanced the flying crew's vision and gave a fighter-like feel, but also caused internal temperature variations for the crew. The three-man crew consisted of the commander, copilot and a navigator/bombardier or a crew chief. In 1953 the B-47 became operational. It was sluggish on takeoff and too fast on landings, an unpleasant combination. If landed at

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5460-532: The controls. It lasted 27 minutes, flying from Boeing Field in Seattle to Moses Lake Airfield in central Washington state . While not experiencing major problems, the emergency hot wire system was needed to raise the flaps and the engine fire warning indicators falsely illuminated. Robbins stated that it had good flight characteristics. Robbins had been skeptical about the XB-47, saying that before his first flight he had prayed, "Oh God, please help me through

5565-574: The design was new in so many ways. They initially suffered from " Dutch roll ", an instability that caused it to weave in widening "S" turns, remedied by the addition of a " yaw damper " control system to automatically deflect the rudder to damp out the weaving motion. Wind tunnel tests had shown it would pitch up at maximum speed due to wing stall on the outboard section of the wing. This was confirmed during flight tests so small vanes called " vortex generators " were added to prevent airflow separation . Both XB-47 prototypes were test flown at Edwards AFB;

5670-568: The designation RB-47K and generally used for weather reconnaissance missions, carrying a load of eight " dropsonde " weather sensors that were released at various checkpoints along the flight path. Data radioed back from the dropsondes was logged by the navigator. The RB-47Ks were in service until 1963. The type was succeeded by dedicated reconnaissance aircraft such as the Lockheed U-2 . Over its operating life, 203 B-47s were lost in crashes, with 464 deaths. This represents approximately 10% of

5775-509: The development of modern jet airliners . Suitably impressed, in April 1946, the USAAF ordered two prototypes, designated "XB-47"; on 17 December 1947, the first prototype performed its maiden flight . Facing off competition such as the North American XB-45 , Convair XB-46 and Martin XB-48 , a formal contract for 10 B-47A bombers was signed on 3 September 1948. This would be soon followed by much larger contracts. During 1951,

5880-704: The first XB-47 (46-065) was disassembled and scrapped in 1954, making the second prototype (46-066) the sole surviving XB-47. Upon retirement, XB-47 (46-066) was restored and placed on display at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum in Rantoul, Illinois , remaining there until the museum announced its closure due to financial difficulties in April 2015. In late 2015, the Flight Test Historical Foundation began fundraising to purchase XB-47 (46-066) for relocation to

5985-517: The first multiengine jet bomber to be refueled in midair . The B-45 originated from a wartime initiative launched by the U.S. War Department , which sought a company to develop a jet-propelled bomber to equal those being fielded by Nazi Germany , such as the Arado Ar 234 . Following a competitive review of the submissions, the War Department issued a contract to North American to develop its NA-130 proposal; on 8 September 1944, work commenced on

6090-528: The four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based at RAF Sculthorpe , Norfolk in eastern England. The aircraft were tasked with flying deep-level reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union to gather electronic and photographic intelligence . The Special Duties Flight conducted missions during the period 1952–54. On April 17, 1952, three aircraft were assigned to head for Kyiv from West Germany, scheduled to return to Sculthorpe ten hours later. Flying at 36,000 feet (11,000 m), Crampton's aircraft

6195-514: The fuel tankage was expanded to increase their survivability and range. In its heyday, the B-45 was important to United States defense strategy, performing the strategically critical deterrence mission for several years during the early 1950s, after which the Tornado was superseded by the larger and more capable Boeing B-47 Stratojet . Both B-45 bombers and reconnaissance RB-45s served in the USAF's Strategic Air Command from 1950 until 1959, when

6300-451: The inboard engine pods. As the landing gear arrangement made rotation impossible, it was designed so that the aircraft rested on the ground at the proper angle for takeoff. Pleased with the refined Model 450 design, in April 1946, the USAAF ordered two prototypes, to be designated "XB-47". Assembly began in June 1947. The first XB-47 was rolled out on 12 September 1947, a few days before

6405-622: The late 1940s, the bomber was hailed as the fastest of its class in the world. The first prototypes were fitted with General Electric J35 turbojets, the production version of the TG-180, with 3,970 lbf (17.7 kN) of thrust. Early jet engines did not develop good thrust at low speeds, so to assist take off when heavily loaded, the B-47 had provisions for fitting solid-fuel rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) rockets, each generating roughly 1,000 lbf (4.4 kN) of static thrust. Early aircraft had mounts for nine RATO units built into each side of

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6510-628: The length of Siberia 156 times under Project HOMERUN . The Soviets filed a complaint with the US government, which attributed the overflights to "navigational difficulties". MiGs intercepted RB-47s on three separate occasions in late 1958: over the Black Sea on 31 October, over the Baltic on 7 November, and over the Sea of Japan on 17 November. On 1 July 1960, a PVO Strany MiG-19 shot down an RB-47H (AF Serial No. 53-4281) in international airspace over

6615-400: The more advanced B-45C was. This variant featured a strengthened airframe, tip tanks for greater fuel capacity, and more powerful General Electric J47-15 turbojet engines. Only 10 would be delivered from an order of 43. Perhaps the most significant variant was the RB-45C, a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft that lacked a bomb bay; 33 aircraft were delivered. The B-45 was later replaced by

6720-610: The most dramatic being the loss of the first prototype. Despite the problems, work continued at a frantic pace due to political pressure for the aircraft to be quickly qualified for service. However, as the development and flight-testing of the rival B-47 proceeded well, heralding its own production, the future of the B-45 became increasingly uncertain. During mid-1948, the U.S. Air Staff began to question its value. Soon afterwards, President Truman's budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditures, which curtailed B-45 production to 142 airframes. During 1950, further budget cuts compelled

6825-547: The much delayed F-111C aircraft . Three B-47E aircraft flew to Australia for demonstration purposes, but RAAF declined the B-47E as technically outdated and too resource-intensive. During 1963, final phaseout of B-47 bomber wings began; the last were out of SAC service by 1966. The last USAF operational aircraft, WB-47Es assigned to the Air Weather Service , were withdrawn from use in September 1969. Shortly before,

6930-510: The new long-range jet bomber. Wind tunnel testing had shown that the drag from the engine installation of the Model 424 was too high, so Boeing's entry was a revised design, the Model 432, with the four engines buried in the forward fuselage. The USAAF awarded study contracts to all four companies, requiring that North American and Convair concentrate on four-engined designs (to become B-45 and XB-46 ), while Boeing and Martin were to build six-engined aircraft (the B-47 and XB-48 ). The powerplant

7035-498: The next two hours." Robbins soon realized that he had an extraordinary aircraft. Chuck Yeager also flew the XB-47, noting it was so aerodynamically clean that he had difficulty landing on the Edwards lakebed . In February 1949, Russ Schleeh and Joe Howell "broke all coast-to-coast speed records" flying from Moses Lake AFB to Andrews AFB , averaging 607.8 miles per hour (528.2 kn; 978.2 km/h). During an early test flight,

7140-471: The nose. The copilot doubled as tail gunner (using a remotely controlled, radar -directed tail gun), and the navigator as bombardier. The bubble canopy, which provided a high level of visibility to the pilots, pitched up and slid backward; as the cockpit was high off the ground, the crew entered via a door and ladder on the underside of the nose. The extreme front of the nose was initially glazed for visual navigation and bomb sighting, but this requirement

7245-400: The only major issuing relating to the avionics , typical of the vacuum tube technology used and the placement of equipment outside the pressurized crew compartment. Much work was done to improve avionics reliability, but avionics remained troublesome throughout the B-47's operational life. Starting in 1950, several models of the B-47 included a fuel tank inerting system , in which dry ice

7350-507: The other on August 31. One was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The last XB-45 was delivered to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1949. It proved excessively difficult to maintain and was relegated to being used as a ground trainer. The B-45A differed from the XB-45 in having improved ejection seats and communications equipment, an E-4 automatic pilot and bombing navigation radar. The first production B-45 flew in February 1948, and

7455-438: The outer engines further inboard to about 3 ⁄ 4 of the wingspan . The thin wings provided no space for tricycle main gear to retract so it would have needed a considerable bulge in the fuselage aft of the bomb bay for lateral stability. The only way to get a bomb-bay long enough for an A-bomb was to use a "bicycle landing gear", the two main gear assemblies arranged in a tandem configuration and outrigger struts fitted to

7560-521: The plane to be useful during the Korean War performing both conventional bombing and aerial reconnaissance missions. On 4 December 1950, the first successful interception of a jet bomber by a jet fighter occurred when a B-45 was shot down by a Soviet-built MiG-15 inside Chinese airspace. During the early 1950s, 40 B-45s were extensively modified so that they could be equipped with nuclear weapons . Improvements were made to their defensive systems and

7665-701: The rear fuselage, arranged in three rows of three bottles. Most of the space within the upper fuselage was taken up by self-sealing fuel tanks , the wing having been deemed unsuitable for storing fuel. The performance of the Model 450 was projected to be so good that the bomber would be as fast as fighters then on the drawing board; thus the only defensive armament was to be a tail turret with two .50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns, which would in principle be directed by an automatic fire-control system . The two XB-47s were neither fitted with combat equipment nor tail turrets as they were engineering and flight test aircraft only. The total bombload capacity

7770-591: The rear fuselage. The flush-mounted air intakes for the rear engines were inadequate while the USAAF considered the engine installation within the fuselage to be a fire hazard. The engines were moved to streamlined pylon-mounted pods under the wings, leading to the next iteration, the Model 450 , which featured two TG-180s in a twin pod mounted on a pylon about a third of the way outboard on each wing, plus another engine at each wingtip. The Army Air Force liked this new configuration, so Boeing's engineers refined it, moving

7875-547: The so-called 1958 Tybee Island B-47 crash . A B-47 based at Homestead AFB , Florida, was engaged in a simulated combat exercise against an F-86 fighter. As was the practice at the time, the B-47 was carrying a single 7,600 lb (3,400 kg) Mark 15 nuclear bomb , without its core. During this exercise, the two aircraft collided. The F-86 crashed after the pilot ejected, while the B-47 suffered substantial damage, including loss of power in one outboard engine. After three unsuccessful landing attempts at Hunter Air Force Base ,

7980-518: The span, and the outboard engines singly near the wing tip. This arrangement reduced the bending moment at the wing roots, saving structural weight. The engines' mass acted as counter- flutter weights. The wing airfoil was identified by Boeing as the BAC 145, also known as the NACA 64A(.225)12 mod airfoil . Wing flexibility was a concern, flexing as much as 17.5 ft (5.3 m) at the tip; major effort

8085-405: The supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler . Early operations of the B-45 were plagued by engine problems which, along with numerous other minor flaws, undermined its usefulness. However, the aircraft regained importance when the United States entered the Korean War in 1950. In this theatre, the B-45 proved its value both as a bomber and as a reconnaissance aircraft. The mass deployment of U.S. forces to

8190-453: The target before releasing a nuclear weapon. Stress and fatigue incurred in low-altitude operations led to a number of wing failures and crashes, and an extensive refit program was begun in 1958 to strengthen the wing mountings. The program was known as "Milk Bottle", named after the big connecting pins that were replaced in the wing roots. One of the more notable mishaps involving a B-47 occurred on 5 February 1958 near Savannah, Georgia, in

8295-556: The terminal, including Charles Lindbergh , Eleanore Whitney , Hopalang Cassidy , Fred Astaire , Amelia Earhart , Howard Hughes , and Wiley Post In 1951, the airport was acquired by the US Air Force for B-47 use, and renamed Wichita Air Force Base. Civilian use continued until 1954, when the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport opened, and the base was renamed McConnell. The Air Force continued to use

8400-525: The then Soviet enemy". Three B-47s flew cross country from March Air Force Base to the Philadelphia International Airport as participants in the 1955 Labor Day race . In the 1956 event, three B-47s participated in the G.E. Trophy race for Jet Bombers, flying from Kindley Field , Bermuda, to Oklahoma City . One of these set a course speed record of 601.187 miles per hour (522.417 kn; 967.517 km/h). By 1956,

8505-544: The top of the B-47's envelope, about 35,000 feet (11,000 m), it was in " coffin corner ". That means that at this level, which produced the most range at most weights due to fuel consumption, there was an envelope of 5 kn (9.3 km/h) between maximum mach and stall speed. For the B-47 to cross the Atlantic Ocean, it had to be flown this high. Due to its rudimentary autopilot, the pilot had to leave it turned off and spend up to eight hours diligently monitoring

8610-655: The total number produced. On 8 February 1954, a B-47 of the 22nd Bomber Wing, March AFB, California, crashed in Stoke Wood, a mile and a half short of the runway at RAF Upper Heyford, England, while on a training run. All three crew were killed. On 28 February 1955, a crippled B-47 crashed into a trailer park in Lake Charles, Louisiana , killing the three crewmen and two people on the ground. On 10 March 1956, four B-47s left MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for

8715-582: The training for this imposes repeated high stress on the aircraft, the airframe lifetime would have been severely limited by metal fatigue , and this maneuver was eliminated. Improved training led to a good safety record, and few crews felt the aircraft was unsafe or too demanding, but apparently there were some aircrews who had little affection for the B-47. Crew workload was high, having only three crew members to operate it. Boeing's B-52 Stratofortress , in contrast, generally had six crewmen, five officers and one enlisted, with more internal cabin space. An XB-47

8820-514: The war on the Korean peninsula exposed the vulnerability of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Europe to a potential Soviet attack. This realization was a major factor contributing to the USAF's decision regarding the future of the B-45. The B-45, like most post-World War II American bombers, could carry both nuclear and conventional bombs. The progress of weapons technology had led to

8925-400: The wing to enhance lift at slow speeds. The flight control surfaces were powered, augmenting the pilot's inputs and reducing the exertion required to overcome the forces involved. The XB-47 was designed to carry a crew of three in a pressurized forward compartment: a pilot and copilot, in tandem , in a long fighter-style bubble canopy , and a navigator / bombardier in a compartment in

9030-401: The wrong angle, the B-47 would "porpoise", bouncing fore-and-aft. If the pilot did not lift off for another go-around, instability would quickly cause it to skid onto one wing and cartwheel. Because the wings and surfaces flexed in flight, low-altitude speed restrictions were necessary to ensure effective flight control. The B-47 was regarded as a maintenance "hog". General reliability was good,

9135-488: Was Chanute AFB where it was used as a maintenance and familiarization aircraft. The second prototype was equipped with more powerful General Electric J47-GE-3 turbojets with 5,200  lbf (23 kN) of static thrust each. The J47 or "TG-190" was a redesigned version of the TG-180/J35; the first prototype was later retrofitted with these engines. Flight testing of the prototypes was careful and methodical since

9240-425: Was sublimed into carbon dioxide vapor while the fuel pumps operated or while the in-flight refueling system was in use. The carbon dioxide was pumped into both the fuel tanks and the fuel system to ensure low oxygen levels throughout. It was implemented largely to reduce the probability of an explosion from static electricity discharges. Initial mission profiles included the loft bombing of nuclear weapons. As

9345-443: Was almost lost to a MiG-15 . All 33 RB-45Cs built were assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's 322nd, 323rd and 324th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons. The RB-45C also flew several long-range reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union during the mid-1950s. On July 29, 1952, an RB-45C made the first non-stop trans-Pacific flight, having been refueled twice by KB-29s along the way. Maj. Lou Carrington and his crew of

9450-520: Was also adapted to perform a number of other roles and functions, including photographic reconnaissance , electronic intelligence , and weather reconnaissance. While never seeing combat as a bomber, reconnaissance RB-47s would occasionally come under fire near or within Soviet air space. The type remained in service as a reconnaissance aircraft until 1969. A few served as flying testbeds up until 1977. The B-47 arose from an informal 1943 requirement for

9555-414: Was chased by several MiG-17s, firing upon it with their guns over Soviet and Finnish airspace. While taking damage, the RB-47E escaped over Sweden to its home base at RAF Fairford , Gloucestershire. Its top speed and combat radius superiority to the fighter jets were decisive factors. The mission marked the first time a jet aircraft equipped with modern aerial photography equipment, K-17 and K-38 cameras,

9660-471: Was commonly viewed as an interim aircraft while more advanced designs like the B-47 were being developed. Following the completion of the first prototype at North American's Inglewood facility, it was delivered by road in sections to Muroc Field , where it was reassembled and readied for flight testing. On 17 March 1947, the maiden flight was piloted by George Krebs and Paul Brewer. The flight test program became fraught with technical issues and setbacks,

9765-448: Was expended to ensure that flight control could be maintained as the wing moved up and down; these worries proved to be mostly unfounded. Its maximum speed was limited to 425  kn (787  km/h ) IAS to avoid control reversal , where aileron deflections would cause the wings to twist and produce a roll in the opposite direction to that desired by the pilot. The wings were fitted with a set of Fowler flaps that extended well behind

9870-404: Was flown in the 1951 Operation Greenhouse nuclear weapons test . This was followed by a B-47B being flown in the 1952 test, Operation Ivy and the 1954 test, Operation Castle . A B-47E was then flown in the 1956 test, Operation Redwing . "Reflex" missions proved the long-endurance (eighteen hours) and long range capability of the B-47 and aircrews. These were "simulated strike missions against

9975-404: Was killed in the crash; Pinecastle AFB was later renamed McCoy AFB in his honor. North American B-45 Tornado The North American B-45 Tornado is an early American jet bomber designed and manufactured by aircraft company North American Aviation . It has the distinction of being the first operational jet bomber to enter service with the United States Air Force (USAF), as well as

10080-686: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Administration Building in 1990. It has also been known as Building One . In 1927, the city purchased 640 acres of prairie, the site of airshows dating back to 1924. In June 1930 ceremony, L.W. Clapp broke ground as construction of the administrative building commenced. However, the Great Depression delayed progress until Works Progress Administration funds became available in 1934. On 31 March 1935,

10185-419: Was maintenance heavy, and malfunctions in the pressurization limited the altitude at which the aircraft could operate. Fifty-five nuclear-capable B-45s arrived in the United Kingdom in 1952. These were modified with a 1,200 gal (4,542 L) fuel tank in the aft bomb bay. Despite technical problems, these were Tactical Air Command 's first-line deterrent in Europe. The B-45B was a proposed variant of

10290-496: Was not until 1994 (under the " fifty-year rule " of the Public Records Act 1958 ) that the existence of the spy missions became public knowledge. The first flight of the XB-45 was on February 24, 1947, from Muroc Army Air Field . A total of 131 test flights were flown by the three prototype aircraft, one being destroyed early on, killing two pilots. The USAF accepted one of the two surviving aircraft on July 30, 1948,

10395-477: Was soon deleted together with the glazing. Most production versions had a metal nose with no windows. A K-series bombsight provided integrated radar navigation and visual navigation, the optical portion extending through the nose in a small dome. For greater comfort, both heaters and refrigeration systems were present in the cockpit to manage the cockpit environment. There was little vibration compared to prior bombers powered by reciprocating engines . During

10500-576: Was the backbone of SAC into 1959, when the B-52 began to assume nuclear alert duties and the number of B-47 bomber wings started to be reduced. B-47 production ceased in 1957, though modifications and rebuilds continued. Operational practice for B-47 bomber operations during this time went from high-altitude bombing to low-altitude strike, which was judged more likely to penetrate Soviet defenses. Crews were trained in "pop-up" attacks, coming in at low level at 425 knots (787 km/h) and then climbing abruptly near

10605-471: Was the final production variant of the B-45. The bombardier 's canopy was faired over and replaced with an oblique camera system. The RB-45C carried two 214 gal (810 L) external fuel tanks, or two JATO rockets. It could carry up to 12 cameras in four positions, or a single camera with a 100 in (2.5 m) focal length lens. The RB-45C first flew in April 1950, and was delivered from June 1950 to October 1951. Thirty-eight were built, including

10710-464: Was to be General Electric's new TG-180 turbojet engine. In May 1945, the von Kármán mission of the Army Air Forces inspected the secret German aeronautics laboratory near Braunschweig . Von Kármán's team included the chief of the technical staff at Boeing, George S. Schairer . He had heard about the controversial swept-wing theory of R. T. Jones at Langley, but seeing German models of swept-wing aircraft and extensive supersonic wind-tunnel data,

10815-418: Was to be 25,000 lb (11 t). Production aircraft were to be equipped with modern electronics for navigation, bombing, countermeasures and turret fire control. Navigation was more difficult than on earlier aircraft due to the higher speed involved. One problem with the aircraft was that at higher altitudes, where the pure turbojet engines could produce good fuel economy, the wing was very compromised. At

10920-413: Was tracked by ground radar and came under antiaircraft fire. Applying full power, he immediately turned and headed for Germany, none too soon, as Soviet night fighters had been dispatched to hunt down his aircraft. Subsequent flights over Ukraine were carried out using English Electric Canberras under the codename Project Robin , operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000 ft (16,000 m). It

11025-492: Was used for USAF reconnaissance over the Soviet Union. The incident was kept secret by all parties. Other interceptions resulted in losses. An RB-47 flying from Alaska was scouting the Kamchatka Peninsula on 17 April 1955, when it was intercepted by Soviet MiG-15s in international airspace before disappearing. Between 21 March and 10 May 1956, 16 RB-47Es and five RB-47Hs operating from Thule performed overflights

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