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142-595: After their primary service with Strategic Air Command (SAC) ended, B-50s were modified to serve as KB-50 aerial tankers for Tactical Air Command (TAC) and WB-50 weather reconnaissance aircraft for the Air Weather Service . These tanker and hurricane-hunter variants were retired in March 1965 after metal fatigue and corrosion were found in the wreckage of a KB-50J, 48-065 , that crashed on 14 October 1964. Development of an improved B-29 started in 1944, with

284-677: A 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron RB-50 returned fire on a Soviet MiG-15, while a 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron RB-50 was shot down over the Sea of Japan 2 days after the Korean Armistice, while on 7 November 1954, an RB-29 was shot down near Hokkaido Island in northern Japan. By the time of 27 July 1953 Korean War cease-fire, SAC B-29s had flown over 21,000 sorties and dropped nearly 167,000 tons of bombs, with thirty-four B-29s lost in combat and forty-eight B-29s were lost to damage or crashes. SAC's first jet strategic bomber

426-657: A bomber gap grew after the 1955 Soviet Aviation Day and the Soviets rejected the " Open Skies " Treaty proposed at the Geneva Summit on 21 July 1955. US bomber strength peaked with "over 2,500 bombers" after production "of over 2,000 B-47s and almost 750 B-52s" (circa 1956, 50% of SAC aircraft & 80% of SAC bombers were B-47s). In an effort to concurrently enhance its reconnaissance capabilities, SAC also received several RB-57D Canberra aircraft in April 1956 , with

568-544: 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

710-585: A "scathing" 1948 Lindbergh review of SAC operations in the air and at six SAC bases, General Kenney was removed as Commanding General on 15 October 1948 and replaced on 19 October 1948 by 8AF's commander, Lieutenant General Curtis LeMay . Upon LeMay's assumption of command, SAC had only 60 nuclear-capable aircraft, none of which possessed a realistic long range capability against the Soviet Union. LeMay proposed that SAC should be able to deliver 80% of its weapons in one mission. The B-29D, which had become

852-509: 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

994-581: 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

1136-580: 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

1278-753: A SAC numbered air force permanently stationed in Europe, having tactical and administrative control of the forward-deployed aircraft and units. Beginning in 1955, SAC also moved a portion of its bomber and aerial refueling aircraft to 24-hour alert status, either on the ground or airborne. By 1960, fully one third of SAC's bombers and aerial refueling aircraft were on 24-hour alert, with those crews and aircraft not already airborne ready to take off from designated alert sites at their respective bases within fifteen minutes. Bomber aircraft on ground alert were armed with nuclear weapons while aerial tanker aircraft were sufficiently fueled to provide maximum combat fuel offload to

1420-571: A SAC Detachment (TUSLOG Det 50) operated at Incirlik AB , Turkey, monitoring Soviet missile telemetry from the Kapustin Yar and Tyuratam launch complexes. In 1959-60, SAC evaluated deploying Minuteman I ICBMs via civilian railroad tracks on USAF-operated locomotives and trains . President Eisenhower approved the first Atlas ICBM launch by a SAC crew for 9 September 1959 at Vandenberg AFB. Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450 )

1562-501: A SAC Liaison Team was also located at the NORAD Command Post at Ent AFB , Colorado, and the two commands agreed that direct land line communications should connect SAC bases with NORAD's Air Defense Direction Centers . Also in the late 1950s, SAC continued to enhance its intelligence collection activities and develop innovative means of improving the survivability of its forces to surprise attack. From 1958 to about 1967,

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1704-729: A command and morale plummeted. As a result, by the end of 1947, only two of SAC's eleven groups were combat ready. After the 1948 Bikini Atoll nuclear tests, the "Half Moon" Joint Emergency War Plan developed in May 1948 proposed dropping 50 atomic bombs on twenty Soviet cities, with President Harry S. Truman approving "Half Moon" during the June 1948 Berlin Blockade , (Truman sent B-29s to Europe in July). SAC also ordered special ELINT RB-29s to detect improved Soviet radars and, in cooperation with

1846-539: 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,

1988-528: 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

2130-463: A further 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) externally. Defensive armament was 13 × 12.7mm (.50 BMG) machine guns (or 12 machine guns and one 20 mm (0.8 in) cannon) in five turrets. First flying in May 1945, the sole XB-44 proved 50–60 mph (80–100 km/h) faster than the standard B-29, although existing sources do not indicate how much of this increased speed was due to differing aircraft weight due to deleted armament or increased power due to

2272-482: 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,

2414-457: 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

2556-583: A new SAC installation specifically designed to accommodate the B-36 Peacemaker . Fort Dix AAF , New Jersey (later McGuire AFB ); Spokane AAF , Washington (later Fairchild AFB ); and Wendover Field , Utah (later Wendover AFB ) were also transferred to SAC between 30 April and 1 September 1947. Following the establishment of the USAF as a separate service, SAC bases in the United States consisted of: Those bases subsequently added to SAC in

2698-632: 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

2840-485: 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 the development of modern jet airliners . Suitably impressed, in April 1946,

2982-479: A replacement for RB-29 photographic reconnaissance aircraft flown over North Korea during the Korean War . The vast northern borders of the Soviet Union were wide open in many places during the early Cold War years, with little defensive radar coverage and limited detection capability. RB-50 aircraft of the 55th SRW flew many sorties along the periphery and, where necessary, into the interior. Initially, there

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3124-452: 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

3266-429: 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

3408-558: A tenant activity until assuming control of Andrews Field in October 1946. SAC initially totaled 37,000 USAAF personnel. In addition to Bolling Field and, seven months later, Andrews Field, SAC also assumed responsibility for: SAC also had seven additional CAF bases transferred on 21 March 1946 which remained in SAC through the 1947 establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service. Those installations included: On 31 March 1946,

3550-491: 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 the B-47 can be traced back to a requirement expressed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1943 for

3692-540: 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

3834-822: The Air University , and the Air Force Center . Strategic Air Command was originally established in the U.S. Army Air Forces on 21 March 1946 upon the redesignation of Continental Air Forces (CAF), the World War II command tasked with the air defense of the continental United States (CONUS). At the time, CAF headquarters was located at Bolling Field (later Bolling AFB ) in the District of Columbia and SAC assumed occupancy of its headquarters facilities until relocating SAC headquarters (HQ SAC) to nearby Andrews Field (later Andrews AFB ), Maryland as

3976-600: The B-50 in December 1945, was first delivered to SAC in June 1948. This was followed by SAC's first Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber arriving at Kirtland AFB , New Mexico in September 1948. In November 1948, LeMay had SAC's headquarters and its command post moved from Andrews AFB , Maryland to Offutt AFB , Nebraska. At Offutt, the command moved into the "A Building", a three-story facility that had previously been used by

4118-758: 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

4260-600: 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 , B-50s were fitted to be refueled in flight . Most of the B-50As were fitted with

4402-907: The C-45 Expeditor support aircraft, but by 1947 SAC had acquired an F-9C squadron consisting of twelve photo-reconnaissance variants of the B-17G Flying Fortress . An F-13 squadron, the F-13 later re-designated as the RB-29 Superfortress , was also established. SAC conducted routine aerial reconnaissance missions near the Soviet borders or near the 12-mile international waters limit, although some missions actually penetrated into Soviet airspace. The flight profiles of these missions—above 30,000 feet and in excess of 300 knots—made interception by Soviet air forces difficult until

Boeing B-50 Superfortress - Misplaced Pages Continue

4544-591: The Convair B-36 Peacemaker 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, with work on the YB-50C being stopped before it was completed. While the B-54 was canceled, production of less elaborate developments continued as a stopgap until jet bombers such as

4686-496: The Cuban Missile Crisis , when it monitored the weather around Cuba to plan photo-reconnaissance flights. The WB-50 was finally retired in 1965 due to metal fatigue and corrosion. From the 370 produced only five B-50 aircraft survive: AF Ser. No. 46-0010 Lucky Lady II – The first plane to fly around the world nonstop, between February 26 and March 2, 1949. Was refueled four times in air by KB-29 tanker planes of

4828-734: 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

4970-645: The Glenn L. Martin Company during World War II. Concurrent with the establishment of this new headquarters facility, Lemay also increased SAC Radar Bomb Scoring (RBS) runs the same year to 12,084. SAC also enhanced its organic fighter escort capability by initiating replacement of its World War II vintage piston-engine F-51D Mustang and F-82E Twin Mustang fighter aircraft with F-84G Thunderjets . In January 1949, SAC conducted simulated raids on Wright-Patterson AFB , Ohio. Assessments of these simulated raids by "...LeMay's entire command...were appalling", despite

5112-482: 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

5254-598: 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

5396-732: The VIII Bomber Command , which conducted the first European "heavy bomber" attack by the USAAF on 17 August 1942 ; the Ninth Air Force , which conducted the first Operation Crossbow "No-Ball" missions on 5 December 1943; the Twelfth Air Force ; and the Fifteenth Air Force , which executed bombing operations on 2 November 1943 during Operation Pointblank . The Operation Overlord air plan for

5538-524: 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

5680-667: The 1957 Gaither Commission identified, "...little likelihood of SAC's bombers surviving [a Soviet first strike] since there was no way to detect an incoming attack until the first [Soviet nuclear weapon] warhead landed." As a result, SAC's bombers and tankers began sitting armed ground alert at their respective bases on 1 Oct 57. In another organizational change during this time period, SAC's fighter escort wings were transferred to Tactical Air Command (TAC) during 1957 and 1958. Finally, during January 1958's Exercise Fir Fly , SAC "faker" aircraft (twelve B-47s) simulated bombing strikes against metropolitan areas and military installations in

5822-510: The 2,200-horsepower (1,600 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 XB-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

Boeing B-50 Superfortress - Misplaced Pages Continue

5964-599: The 43rd Air Refuelling Squadron, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. The circumnavigation took 94 hours and 1 minute, and covered 37,743 km (23,452 miles) at an average speed of 398 km/h (249 mph). Lucky Lady II was disassembled after a serious accident, and its forward fuselage is stored outside at Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California . AF Ser. No. 49-0310 – National Museum of

6106-427: The 51st Air Force Base Unit, SAC also monitored radioactive fallout from Soviet atomic testing on Novaya Zemlya . In terms of overall Air Force basing and infrastructure, SAC continued to acquire an ever-increasing share of USAF infrastructure and the USAF associated budget. In 1947, before the USAF was established as an independent service, construction commenced on Limestone AAF , Maine (later renamed Loring AFB ),

6248-436: The A Building at Offutt AFB to Building 500 in 1957. The underground nuclear bunker had 24-inch thick walls and base floor, 10-inch thick intermediate floors, and 24-to-42-inch thick roof. It also contained a war room with six 16-foot data display screens and the capacity to sustain up to 800 people underground for two weeks. The below ground bunker portion of the headquarters complex also contained an IBM 704 computer, which

6390-948: The Air Staff to allow SAC to approve nuclear targets, and he continued refusing to submit war plans for JCS review, which the JCS eventually came to accept (of 20,000 candidates in 1960, SAC designated 3,560 as bombing targets—mostly Soviet air defense: airfields and suspected missile sites.) Although experimented with prior to World War II, SAC refined aerial refueling to a fine art. SAC's in-flight refueling mission began in July 1952 when its 31st Fighter-Escort Wing refueled sixty F-84G Thunderjets from Turner AFB , Georgia to Travis AFB , California non-stop with fuel from twenty-four KB-29P Superfortresses modified into aerial tankers. Exercise FOX PETER ONE followed with 31st FEW fighters being refueled Hickam AFB en route to Hawaii. On 15 March 1953,

6532-462: The B-50 (from its predecessor B-29) increased top speed to just under 400 miles per hour (640 km/h). Changes included: The C-97 military transport was, in its 1944 prototype, essentially a large upper fuselage tube attached to a B-29 lower fuselage and wings, with an inverted figure-eight cross-section. In its production version it incorporated the key elements of the B-50 platform including, after

6674-559: The Baltic. Since it was designed as a medium bomber, SAC's B-47 Stratojet traded speed for range. Because of this shorter range, and in order to better enable the B-47 fleet to reach its target sets in the Soviet Union, SAC routinely deployed its US-based B-47 wings to overseas forward operating bases in North Africa, Spain and Turkey. This program, in effect from 1957 to 1966, was known as "Reflex" with Sixteenth Air Force (16AF),

6816-522: The KB-29s in use by Tactical Air Command (TAC), was much more suitable to refuel tactical jet fighter aircraft, such as the F-100 Super Sabre. As tankers, KB-50s had extensively reinforced outer wing panels, the necessary equipment to air-refuel simultaneously three fighter-type aircraft by the probe and drogue method, and removed defensive armament. The first KB-50 flew in December 1955 and

6958-486: The R-4360-33 engines. An order for 200 B-29Ds was placed in July 1945, but the ending of World War II in August 1945 prompted mass cancellations of outstanding orders for military equipment, with over 5,000 B-29s canceled 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

7100-524: The RB-47 Stratojet intelligence aircraft that could fly higher 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, many B-50 airframes were converted to aerial refueling tankers. The B-50, with more powerful engines than

7242-602: The SAC deputy commander, Major General McMullen, having instructed all bomber units to improve their effectiveness. To motivate crews and improve operational effectiveness command-wide, SAC established a competition, the first so-called "Bomb Comp" in 1948. Winners of this inaugural event were the 43rd Bombardment Group (unit) and, for aircrew award, a B-29 team from the 509th Bombardment Group . Given its global operating environment, SAC also opened its own survival school at Camp Carson , Colorado in 1949, later moving this school to Stead AFB , Nevada in 1952 before transferring

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7384-791: The Soviet's 1948 introduction of the MiG-15 jet fighter. Project Nanook , the Cold War's first Top Secret reconnaissance effort, used the first RB-29 missions for mapping and visual reconnaissance in the Arctic and along the northern Soviet coast. Later missions were Project LEOPARD along the Chukchi Peninsula , followed by Projects RICKRACK, STONEWORK, and COVERALLS. In 1946, the US possessed only nine atomic bombs and twenty-seven B-29s capable at any one time of delivering them. Furthermore, it

7526-476: The Strategic Air Command's 43d Bombardment Wing , based at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona . The 2d Bombardment Wing at Chatham Air Force Base , Georgia also received B-50As; the 93d Bombardment Wing at Castle Air Force Base , California and the 509th Bombardment Wing at Walker Air Force Base , New Mexico received B-50Ds in 1949. The fifth and last SAC wing to receive B-50Ds

7668-467: The U.S. Air Force, SAC was disestablished as both a Specified Command and as a MAJCOM , and its personnel and equipment redistributed among the Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Mobility Command (AMC), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), and Air Education and Training Command (AETC), while SAC's central headquarters complex at Offutt AFB , Nebraska

7810-536: 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

7952-402: 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, the B-47 entered operational service with

8094-480: 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

8236-527: The USAF's aerial refueling aircraft. SAC primarily consisted of the Second Air Force (2AF), Eighth Air Force (8AF) and the Fifteenth Air Force (15AF), while SAC headquarters (HQ SAC) included Directorates for Operations & Plans, Intelligence, Command & Control, Maintenance, Training, Communications, and Personnel. At a lower echelon, SAC headquarters divisions included Aircraft Engineering, Missile Concept, and Strategic Communications. In 1992, as part of an overall post-Cold War reorganization of

8378-417: The United States included: In addition to bases under its operational control, SAC also maintained tenant wings at several bases under the control of other USAF MAJCOMs. These non-SAC bases with SAC tenants included: SAC also often maintained a tenant presence at former SAC bases that the command subsequently transferred and relinquished to other MAJCOMs, to include but not limited to: SAC transferred to

8520-711: The United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio . AF Ser. No. 49-0351 Flight of the Phoenix – Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California . This was the last B-50 to be flown, being delivered to MASDC at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona, on 6 October 1965. It was put on display at the Castle Air Museum in 1980. AF Ser No. 49-0372 – Pima Air & Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona . AF Ser. No. 49-0389 – Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, Delaware . Formerly an outdoor display at MacDill Memorial Park at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida . In 2018, 49-0389

8662-403: The United States Air Force on 26 September 1947, concurrent with the latter's establishment as a separate military service. Units directly under SAC HQ included the 8AF and 15AF, as well as the 311th Air Division , 4th Fighter Wing , 82nd Fighter Wing , 307th Bomb Wing , and two reconnaissance units, the 311th Reconnaissance Wing and the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron . The 56th Fighter Wing

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8804-478: The United States defended by Air Defense Command's 28th Air Division . After SAC's 1st Missile Division was activated on 18 March 1957, SAC HQ established the Office of Assistant CINCSAC (SAC MIKE) at the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in California on 1 January 1958. SAC MIKE was responsible for missile development liaison, the intermediate range Jupiter and Thor missiles having been transferred to SAC for alert in 1958. Beginning on 1 February 1958,

8946-425: The United States during World War II included General Carl Spaatz 's European command, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF), consisting of the 8AF and 15AF, and the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific (USASTAF) and its Twentieth Air Force (20AF). The U.S. Army Air Forces ' first mission in the Strategic Bombing Campaign in the European Theater during World War II included

9088-495: The United States. This format would continue through successive SAC Bombing and Navigation Competitions through the remainder of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Commencing in the late 1950s, in addition to representation from every SAC wing with a bombing and/or air refueling mission, later SAC competitions would also include participating bomber and aerial refueling units from the Royal Air Force 's Bomber Command and (after 30 April 1968) its successor, RAF Strike Command . It

9230-406: The WB-29. However, between 1956 and 1960 it experienced 13 major operational accidents, six of them involving the loss of the entire crew, and 66 crew-member fatalities. After the weather reconnaissance fleet was grounded in May 1960 because of fuel leaks, plans were set in motion in 1962 to modify B-47 Stratojets being phased out of SAC to replace it in the role. The WB-50 had an important role during

9372-646: The [deterrence] stick". Initial SAC B-29 successes against North Korea in the summer of 1950 were countered by subsequent Soviet MiG-15 fighter-interceptors, and SAC's 27th Fighter Escort Wing began escorting the bombers with F–84 Thunderjets. Ground-directed bombing (GDB) was subsequently used for close air support (CAS) missions after three SAC radar bomb scoring (RBS) squadron detachments (Dets C, K, & N) arrived at Pusan in September 1950. In 1951, SAC "began to eliminate its combat groups", transferring medium bombardment groups "to Far East Air Forces (FEAF) Bomber Command for combat." In 1951, LeMay convinced

9514-434: 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,

9656-522: The aircraft initially based at Turner AFB , Georgia. In 1957, these aircraft were forward deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base , West Germany, in order to conduct reconnaissance missions along the borders of the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations. However, an unintended consequence of this deployment was that Hawker Hunter fighters of the Royal Air Force stationed in the United Kingdom and in continental Europe often intercepted these classified RB-57 missions as they returned to Rhein-Main AB from over

9798-423: 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

9940-412: 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

10082-403: 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

10224-612: The bombers. Concurrent with this increased alert posture and in order to better hone strategic bombing skillsets, the 1955 SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition was characterized by radar bomb scoring (RBS) runs on Amarillo, Denver , Salt Lake City, Kansas City, San Antonio and Phoenix; and the 1957 competition (nicknamed "Operation Longshot") had three targets: Atlanta , Kansas City, and St. Louis. This use of RBS with simulated target areas utilizing mobile and fixed bomb scoring sites adjacent to major cities, industrial areas, military installations and dedicated bombing ranges throughout

10366-406: 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

10508-417: 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

10650-751: 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

10792-470: 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

10934-429: 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

11076-532: 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

11218-749: The delivery of B-47A Stratojets in June 1951. The B-50 was built as an interim strategic bomber to be replaced by the B-47 Stratojet, but delays to the Stratojet forced the B-50 to soldier on 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. Three different configurations were produced, which were later redesignated RB-50E, RB-50F, and RB-50G. The RB-50E

11360-574: 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;

11502-568: 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

11644-577: The desire to replace the unreliable Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engines with the more powerful four-row, 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines , America's largest-ever displacement aircraft piston engine in large-scale production. A B-29A-5-BN ( serial number 42-93845 ) was modified by Pratt & Whitney as a testbed for the installation of the R-4360 in the B-29, with four 3,000- horsepower (2,200  kW ) R-4360-33s replacing

11786-543: 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. To replace this clumsy system, Boeing designed the " flying boom " method to refuel SAC's bombers, with most B-50Ds being fitted with receptacles for flying boom refueling. Revisions to

11928-507: The early years of the Vietnam War 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 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, faster and longer than

12070-729: The fall of 1945, with the Simpson Board tasked to plan, "...the reorganization of the Army and the Air Force...". In January 1946, Generals Eisenhower and Spaatz agreed on an Air Force organization composed of the Strategic Air Command, the Air Defense Command , the Tactical Air Command , the Air Transport Command and the supporting Air Technical Service Command , Air Training Command ,

12212-517: The first 10 in production, the enlarged tailfin of the B-50. The B-29 and B-50 were phased out with introduction of the jet-powered B-47 Stratojet. The B-50 was nicknamed " Andy Gump ", because the redesigned engine nacelles reminded aircrew of the chinless newspaper comic character popular at the time. 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

12354-704: 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

12496-445: The focus of the nation's nuclear strike capability, to the extent that Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Publication 1259/27 on 12 December 1946 identified that, "...the 'air atomic' strategic air force should only come under the orders of the JCS." In addition to the strategic bombing mission, SAC also devoted significant resources to aerial reconnaissance. In 1946, SAC's reconnaissance aircraft inventory consisted of F-2 photo variants of

12638-647: The following additional installation was also assigned to SAC: Under the first SAC Commander in Chief , General George C. Kenney , initial units reporting to the Strategic Air Command headquarters on 21 March 1946 included the Second Air Force , the IX Troop Carrier Command and the 73d Air Division . Fifteenth Air Force was assigned to SAC on 31 March (15th AF's 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit —with SAC's radar detachments —transferred

12780-400: 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

12922-622: 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

13064-527: 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

13206-477: 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,

13348-510: 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

13490-498: 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,

13632-471: 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

13774-400: 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

13916-438: 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

14058-421: The postwar Army Air Forces. Radar Bomb Scoring became the preferred method of evaluating bomber crews, with the last of 888 simulated bomb runs scored against a bombing site near San Diego , California during 1946, subsequently increasing to 2,449 bomb runs by 1947. In the wake of the successful employment of air-dropped nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki to effectively end World War II, SAC became

14200-701: 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

14342-591: 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

14484-591: The same date directly under HQ SAC ), while the IX Troop Carrier Command was inactivated the same date and its assets redistributed within SAC. With postwar demobilization still underway, eight of the ten assigned bomb groups were inactivated before the Eighth Air Force was assigned to SAC on 7 June 1946. Despite the pressures of demobilization, SAC continued the training and evaluation of bomber crews and units still on active duty in

14626-546: The school to the Air Training Command in 1954. SAC also created Emergency War Plan 1–49 (EWP 1–49), which outlined the means for delivering 133 atomic bombs, "...the entire stockpile...in a single massive attack..." on 70 Soviet cities over a 30-day period. The first Soviet atomic bomb test occurred on 29 August 1949 and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) subsequently identified SAC's primary objective

14768-547: 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 ,

14910-518: 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

15052-706: The strategic bombing of both Germany and German military forces in continental Europe prior to the 1944 invasion of France used several Air Forces, primarily those of the USAAF and those of the Royal Air Force ( RAF ), with the command of air operations transferring to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force on 14 April 1944. Planning to reorganize for a separate and independent postwar U.S. Air Force had begun by

15194-453: 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

15336-525: 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,

15478-544: 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

15620-655: 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

15762-582: 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

15904-459: The undercarriage was strengthened to allow the aircraft to operate at weights of up to 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg) 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 engine power and weight, respectively. Armament was similar to that of the B-29, with two bomb bays carrying 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of bombs, and

16046-400: 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

16188-401: 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,

16330-488: 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

16472-425: 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

16614-410: Was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile components of the United States military's strategic nuclear forces from 1946 to 1992. SAC was also responsible for strategic reconnaissance aircraft ; airborne command posts; and most of

16756-455: Was a sub-post of nearby Westover AFB . A 3-story nuclear bunker located on Bare Mountain, Massachusetts , The Notch was built with three-foot thick walls, 1.5 foot thick steel blast doors, and 20 feet underground to protect 350 people for 35 days. The Notch was shut down as a SAC facility in 1970 when 8th Air Force was relocated to Barksdale AFB , Louisiana. Despite this investment in "hardened" headquarters and command and control facilities,

16898-521: Was accepted by the Air Force in January 1956. The tankers steadily entered the operational inventory of TAC supplanting TAC's KB-29s. By the end of 1957, all of the command's aerial refueling squadrons had their full complement of KB-50s. KB-50s, and later KB-50Js with two General Electric J47 jet engines were used by TAC, and also by USAFE and PACAF overseas as aerial tankers. Some were deployed to Thailand and flew refueling missions over Indochina in

17040-467: 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

17182-441: 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 25 June 1947. 78 more B-50As followed. 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 engines . It

17324-467: 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,

17466-517: Was concurrently transferred to the newly created United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which was established as a joint Unified Combatant Command to replace SAC's Specified Command role. In 2009, SAC was reactivated and redesignated as the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). AFGSC eventually acquired all USAF bomber aircraft and the intercontinental ballistic missile force. The Strategic Air Forces of

17608-408: Was described as the "Western Pentagon," specifically a, "...four-story, reinforced concrete and masonry office building..." above ground and a "...segregated, adjacent three-story below ground command post." This was the description of what would become Building 500 at Offutt AFB and the new headquarters complex built expressly for SAC, with construction commencing in 1955. SAC headquarters moved from

17750-900: Was dismantled and relocated to the Air Mobility Command Museum; as of 2023, the airframe was on outdoor display while undergoing restoration Strategic Air Command Air Weather Service Tactical Air Command Data from Encyclopedia of U.S. Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems Volume II: Post–World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 General characteristics Performance Armament Optional: in specially modified planes; one 43,600 lb (19,800 kg) T-12 Cloud Maker, one M-110, 22,376 lb (10,150 kg) Grand Slam copy, or two 12,660 lb (5,740 kg) Tallboy copies and numerous nuclear weapons. Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command ( SAC )

17892-589: 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

18034-448: 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

18176-404: 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

18318-402: Was justified by the changes incorporated into the revised aircraft, but according to Peter M. Bowers , a long-time Boeing employee and aircraft designer and a well-known authority on Boeing aircraft, "the re-designation 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

18460-554: Was later determined that an attack by the 509th Composite Bomb Group during the 1947 to 1948 time frame would have required at least five to six days just to transfer custody of the bombs from United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) sites to SAC and deploy the aircraft and weapons to forward operating bases before launching nuclear strikes. Postwar budget and personnel cuts had an insidious effect on SAC as its Deputy Commander, Major General Clements McMullen, implemented mandated force reductions. This continued to wear down SAC as

18602-623: Was little opposition from the Soviet forces as radar coverage was limited and, if the overflying aircraft were detected, the World War II-era Soviet fighters could not intercept the RB-50s at their high altitude. The deployment of the MiG-15 interceptor in the early 1950s made these flights exceedingly hazardous, 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, replaced by

18744-477: 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

18886-451: Was subsequently assigned to SAC on 1 October 1947. Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force, most SAC installations on U.S. territory were renamed as "Air Force Base" during late 1947 and into 1948, while non-U.S. installations were renamed as "Air Base". In May 1948, in an exercise versus Air Defense Command 's "Blue" force, a SAC "Red" strike force simulated attacks on Eastern Seaboard targets as far south as Virginia. After

19028-672: Was the 97th Bombardment Wing at Biggs Air Force Base , Texas in December 1950. The mission of these wings was to be able to deliver atomic bombs on enemy targets. B-50s from the 4925th Special Weapons Group of Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico dropped atomic bombs in a series of tests in Frenchman Flat, Nevada from 1951 to 1953. The 301st Bombardment Wing at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida received some B-50As reassigned from Davis–Monthan in early 1951, but used them for non-operational training pending

19170-461: Was the swept-wing B-47 medium bomber, which first entered service in 1951 and became operational within SAC in 1953. The B-47 was a component of the October 1953 New Look strategy, which articulated, in part, that: " ...to minimize the threat ...the major purpose of air defense was not to shoot down enemy bombers—it was to allow SAC ...to get into the air [--and] not be destroyed on the ground [--to allow] massive retaliation ." Concern of

19312-576: 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

19454-529: 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,

19596-418: 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

19738-664: Was to damage or destroy the Soviet Union's ability to deliver nuclear weapons. The JCS further defined SAC's secondary objective was to stop any Soviet advances into Western Europe, and its tertiary objective was the previous EWP 1–49 industrial mission. In July 1950, in response to combat operations on the Korean peninsula, SAC dispatched ten nuclear-capable bombers to Guam and deployed four B-29 bomber wings in Korea for tactical operations, although this action caused SAC commander LeMay to comment "...too many splinters were being whittled off

19880-526: 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 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 Curtis LeMay , commander of Strategic Air Command (SAC), deemed it inferior to

20022-492: 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

20164-501: Was used to develop monthly weather forecasts at targets, as well as for computing fuel consumption and fallout cloud patterns for planning strike routes and egress routes (e.g., determining the timing as to which targets to bomb first). In 1957, SAC also constructed The Notch , a facility alternatively known as the 8th Air Force Combat Operations Center (COC) and the Westover Communications Annex , since it

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