Boeing B-50 Superfortress

TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: 12 .50-cal. machine guns, one 20 mm cannon and 20,000 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Four [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Wasp Major turbosupercharged radials of 3,500 hp each
Maximum speed: 385 mph at 25,000 ft. and combat weight of 121,700 lbs.
Cruising speed: 235 mph
Range: 4,650 miles with 10,000-lb. bomb load; 5,270 miles maximum ferry range
Service ceiling: 37,000 ft.
Span: 141 ft. 3 in.
Length: 99 ft. 0 in.
Height: 32 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 168,500 lbs. (maximum takeoff weight)
Crew: 10 or 11 normally [pilot, copilot, flight
engineer, navigator, bombardier, radar operator, radio operator, and
four gunners (top, tail, left and right)]
Serial numbers: 46-002 to 46-060; 47-098 to 47-117

TECHNICAL NOTES (standard B-50A):
Armament: 12 .50-cal. machine guns, one 20 mm cannon and 20,000 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Four [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Wasp Major turbosupercharged radials of 3,500 hp each
Maximum speed: 385 mph at 25,000 ft. and combat weight of 121,700 lbs.
Cruising speed: 235 mph
Range: 4,650 miles with 10,000-lb. bomb load; 5,270 miles max. ferry range
Service ceiling: 37,000 ft.
Span: 141 ft. 3 in.
Length: 99 ft. 0 in.
Height: 32 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 168,500 lbs. (maximum takeoff weight)
Crew: 10 or 11 normally [pilot, copilot, flight
engineer, navigator, bombardier, radar operator, radio operator, and
four gunners (top, tail, left and right)]
Serial numbers (B-50A): 46-002 to 46-060; 47-098 to 47-117

The first production B-50B (S/N 47-118) was retained for special test projects and given the (Exempt) designation: EB-50B.

One EB-50B test project involved the modification of the landing gear.

The wheels and tires were replaced by a caterpillar-type track system.

Tracked landing gear systems were installed on a wide variety of aircraft during the 1940s and early 1950s including the Curtiss P-40 and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

These systems were designed to reduce the overall pressure exerted on the ground by spreading the aircraft weight over a larger ground contact "foot print."

The reduced ground pressure would, in theory, allow the aircraft to operate from more airfields and even unimproved strips.

The problem was particularly evident in the XB-36. With its initial single-wheel main landing gear, the XB-36 could land at only three airfields in the entire United States.

The caterpillar-type tracked landing gear proved inefficient and difficult to maintain and was never used on any production aircraft.

The EB-50B was converted back to a conventional landing gear system and used for other test projects.

All but one of the Boeing B-50Bs (S/N 47-119 to 47-162) built were modified for photo reconnaissance, weather data gathering and observation missions.

These converted aircraft were redesignated RB-50B.

In addition to the changes necessary for the nine reconnaissance cameras installed at four stations, the RB-50Bs were
modified to accept two 700-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks.

These tanks were mounted on pylons on the outboard wings and could be dropped in flight in necessary.

The aircraft were also capable of in-flight refueling using the early British-type system.

The No. 2 bomb bay (aft) was modified to hold a crew capsule for the extra crewmen operating the reconnaissance equipment.

All but one of the RB-50Bs were later converted to RB-50E, -F or -G models.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was essentially an improved version of the RB-50B and was assigned photographic reconnaissance and observation missions.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] had a SHORAN [SHOrt RANge (radio/radar) Navigation] system installed and was used for mapping related missions.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] had an improved radar system, electronic counter measures equipment, a larger crew and a new B-50D nose section.