(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Air Force Museum: Cold War Boeing airplanes (photo diary) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-10 Boeing WB-50D Superfortress According to the Museum: The B-50, the last propeller-driven bomber delivered to the U.S. Air Force, made its initial flight on June 25, 1947. Basically an improved version of the B-29, this aircraft's large number of modifications caused its redesignation as the B-50. Between 1948 and 1954, B-50s served with the Strategic Air Command as medium bombers, and they were replaced by jet-propelled B-47s. Many were modified for support roles such as weather reconnaissance, crew training, photo-mapping and aerial refueling. In 1953 the USAF decided to replace its aging WB-29 weather reconnaissance aircraft with modified B-50Ds. Stripped of their defensive armament, 36 B-50Ds were equipped for long-range weather reconnaissance missions with high-altitude atmospheric samplers, Doppler radar, weather radar and a bomb-bay fuel tank for extended range. Some WB-50 aircraft also flew missions to sample the air for radioactive particles indicating that the Soviet Union had detonated a nuclear weapon. The WB-50D aircraft accomplished special weather reconnaissance missions with SAC's 97th Bomb Wing until April 1955, when all WB-50s went to the Air Weather Service. This aircraft has a top speed of 395 mph, a range of 4,900 miles, and a ceiling of 36,700 feet. Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter According to the Museum: A cargo version of the B-29, the C-97 Stratofreighter first flew in November 1944. Boeing introduced the tanker version, KC-97 with the "flying boom" refueling system, in 1950. In all, the USAF ordered 890 aircraft: 74 C-97s and 816 KC-97s. To keep its tankers compatible with its newer high performance jet aircraft, the USAF gradually replaced the slower KC-97s with Boeing KC-135 jet tankers after 1956. However, some modified KC-97s continued flying in other roles. In 1964 some of them received two jet engines. The increased speed of these KC-97L aircraft made them more compatible with high performance jet aircraft, and they served primarily with the Air National Guard. The USAF retired its last C/KC-97 in 1973, but others remained in use with the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard as tankers or search and rescue aircraft. This aircraft has a top speed of 400 mph and a range of 2,300 miles. Boston Camera According to the Museum: This camera, manufactured for the U.S. Air Force by Boston University in 1951, is the largest aerial camera ever built. Initially, it was installed in an RB-36D. Later it was used in a C-97 aircraft flying along the air corridor through communist East Germany to Berlin, but a 10,000-foot altitude restriction imposed by the communists made the camera less useful than at a higher altitude. It was also used on reconnaissance missions along the borders of Eastern European nations. The camera made an 18-by-36-inch negative and was so powerful that a photo interpreter could detect a golf ball from an altitude of 45,000 feet. Dr. James Baker of Harvard University designed the camera. More Air Force Museum Exhibits Air Force Museum: Experimental unmanned aircraft (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Cold War bombers (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Southeast Asia cargo aircraft (photo diary) Air Force Museum: B-29 Walk-through Fuselage (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Douglas C-124 Globemaster (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Bockscar, the aircraft that ended World War II (photo diary) Air Force Museum: North American B-25 B Mitchell (photo diary) Air Force Museum: The Memphis Belle (photo diary) [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/10/2151419/-Air-Force-Museum-Cold-War-Boeing-airplanes-photo-diary Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/