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The sole XB-44 Superfortress was a B-29 Superfortress converted to test the possibility of using the R-4360 radial engine.. Development of an improved B-29 started in 1944, with 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 ...
WB-50D 73 surplus B-50Ds converted as weather reconnaissance aircraft to replace worn out WB-29s. Fitted with extra gaseous oxygen storage tanks in the bomb bay , Doppler weather radar , atmospheric samplers (e.g. wing pylons to carry F-50 sampling pod) and other specialist equipment.
The group continued its work on marrying weapons to aircraft. It worked on equipment testing to provide single Mark 15 and Mark 21 nuclear bomb capabilities for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The group also began testing the TX-28 with the swept-wing Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. Aircraft modifications included pylon and weapon loading and ...
Lucky Lady III was one of three Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses that made the circumnavigation in January 1957 as part of Operation Power Flite, flying from Castle Air Force Base in California and completing the 24,325 mi (39,147 km; 21,138 nmi) flight in 45 hours and 19 minutes (at an average ground speed of 536 mph (863 km/h; 466 kn)) with the ...
WB-50 of the 58th Weather Squadron, Elelson AFB, Alaska WB-50 and personnel of the 58th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron in 1951 Reactivated as part of Strategic Air Command in 1951 in Alaska, Equipped with very long range WB-29 Superfortresses 1951, upgrading to extended long-range WB-50D Superfortresses in 1956.
53rd WRS Boeing WB-29A weathership landing at its base at RAF Burtonwood in 1954 53rd WRS Boeing WB-50D weathership landing at RAF Burtonwood in 1956. The observation and sampling station is on top of the rear fuselage. On 18 September 1953, while based at Kindley, Bermuda, the squadron suffered its only mission-related loss of an aircraft, a ...
It was equipped with WB-50D Superfortresses; the mission of the 59th was flying into tropical storms and hurricanes - Hurricane Hunting. On 1 April 1956, it was redesignated the 59th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. The squadron remained at Kindley until its inactivation on 18 March 1960.
WB-50 and personnel of squadron Detachment 1 at Ladd AFB in 1958. The following year, the squadron upgraded to Boeing WB-50 Superfortresses. It tested WB-50 aircraft flying long-duration missions over 24 hours in length and trained crews for other weather squadrons. The same year, it was renamed the 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.