Mission: All-weather Photographic Reconnaissance

Number Built: The U.S. Air Force accepted 2,874 Phantoms (all models), 505 of which were the RF-4C model type

Crew: 2

Engines: Two General Electric J-79-GE-15s of 17,000 lbs. thrust each with afterburner

Dimensions: Wingspan: 38′ 5″, Length: 62′ 10″, Height: 16′ 6″

Armament: None, although some later models equipped with 4 sidewinder air-to-air missilesPerformance

Maximum Speed: 1,384 mph
Cruising Speed: 575 mph
Range: 1,632 miles (without aerial refueling)
Service Ceiling: 55,200 ft.

Significance of Type:

The RF-4 was an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the USAF’s F-4C which carried a variety of film-based and side-looking radar [SLAR] sensors for the Air Force (RF-4C) and the Marine Corps (RF-4B).

In the early 1960s the USAF recognized the need for more tactical reconnaissance aircraft to reinforce the RF-101s then in service. The Air Force chose a modification of the F-4C fighter. The RF-4C development program began in 1962, and the first production aircraft made its initial flight on May 18, 1964. A total of 505 RF-4Cs were ordered by the Air Force.

The RF-4C can carry a variety of cameras in three different stations in its nose section. It can take photos at both high and low altitude, day or night. The RF-4C carries no offensive armament, although during the last few years of its service some were fitted with four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for defense.

The first unit to fly the RF-4C operationally was the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. In October 1965 that unit deployed to Southeast Asia to provide photographic reconnaissance of the growing conflict in South Vietnam. Since then RF-4Cs have been involved in reconnaissance missions around the world, including the Desert Shield/Storm operation in Iraq in 1990-1991.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Span: 38 ft. 5 in.
Length: 62 ft. 10 in.
Height: 16 ft. 6 in.
Armament: None. Some later equipped with 4 sidewinder missiles
Engines: Two General Electric J-79-GE-15s of 17,000 lbs. thrust each with afterburner
Crew: Two
Cost: $2,260,000

PERFORMANCE:
Maximum speed: 1,384 mph
Cruising speed: 575 mph
Range: 1,632 miles without aerial refueling
Service ceiling: 55,200 ft.

About our RF-4C s/n 65-0903:

15 August 1966 - Manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft, St Louis, MO and accepted by the US Air Force.

August 1966 - To 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TAC), Mountain Home AFB, ID

October 1967 - To 18th Tactical Fighter Wing (PACAF), Kadena Air Base, Japan
(Deployment to Itazuke AB Japan)

July 1968 - To 460th Tactical Recon Wing (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam

August 1971 - To 67th Tactical Recon Wing (TAC), Bergstrom Air Force Base, TX

March 1972 - To 155th Tactical Recon Group (Air National Guard), Lincoln, NE

September 1993 - Dropped from active inventory, delivered to Rickenbacker ANG Base, Ohio for static display

February 2007 - Transported to Strategic Air and Space Museum

“Recce Phantom, The Nebraska Air National Guard reclaims an RF-4C, preserving its own history”

Article by Dick Smith

Featured in Aviation History Magazine

Call 1-800-435-0715 for a subscription

]]> http://www.sasmuseum.com/2009/08/03/rf-4c-phantom-ii/feed/ http://www.sasmuseum.com/2008/11/21/a-26b-invader/ http://www.sasmuseum.com/2008/11/21/a-26b-invader/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:05:35 +0000 admin http://www.sasmuseum.com/?p=67

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Aircraft Type: A-26B (VB), S/N 44-34665, Douglas

Mission: Medium attack bomber

Number built: 2, 451 (all models)

Powerplant: Two 2,000 horsepower Pratt and Whitney R-2800-79 radial air-cooled piston engines

Weight: Empty 22,370 pounds, Maximum takeoff weight 37,000 pounds

Dimensions: Wingspan 70′, Length 50′9″, Height 18′6″

Performance: Maximum speed 373 MPH, Cruising speed 284 MPH, Service Ceiling 30,000 feet,

Range 1,400 miles with 4,000 pounds of ordnance

Significance of Type: The A-26 (B-26) Invader was manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, and production started in January 1941 at Long Beach, California. The Air Corps required a medium bomber which combined the characteristics of an attack bomber and a medium bomber and was fast, rugged, and dependable. Despite the excellent performance on the first trial flight, the Air Corps insisted on complete and thorough trials. Once the plane was in production, there would be no other piston-engine medium bomber contracts signed. By June 1942, the heavy attack model A-26B was delivered, followed in September by the A-26A night fighter and in January 1944 by the A-26 bomber.

The plane proved capable of handling every role it was assigned. As the A-26A night fighter, it was a great improvement over the A-20 Havoc. As the A-26B heavy attack bomber, it was more powerful and faster than the B-25 gunship. As the A-26 bomber it carried the same bomb load as either the B-25 Mitchell or the B-26 Marauder. The crew size was cut by 50%; while the speed was increased by 80 m.p.h. Range was increased over 500 miles.

Douglas built just under 2,500 A-26s between 1943 and 1945, most being used against the Japanese during 1945. In Europe, the Invader attacked German supply columns on D-Day and helped to destroy retreating tank columns. During the Korean War, the A-26s’ capabilities were fully tested. The plane was reclassified as the B-26 and became the Air Force’s most savage medium bomber. The B-26 was again returned to the Air Force inventory in the 1960s as a Counter-Insurgency (COIN) aircraft with the Air Commandos of the Tactical Air Command.

About our A-26B: Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force on August 30, 1945. Removed from inventory and delivered to the Museum on November 24, 1969.

Sponsored by Bruce C. Rohde

Aircraft Type: Rockwell International B-1A, S/N 76-174, “Lancer”

Mission: Swing Wing Strategic Bomber

Number built: Four B-1A models, 100 b-1B models

Powerplant: Four General Electric F101-GE-100 afterburning turbofans, 30,000 lbs. thrust each

Weight: Empty 190,000 lbs., Loaded 389,000 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 477,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 136′8″ swept fully forward- 78′2″ fully swept, Length 150′2″, Height 33′7″

Performance: Maximum speed 1,390 MPH, Cruising speed 647 MPH, Service Ceiling 60,000 feet, Range 6,100 miles

Significance of Type: The B-1 is a “swing wing” strategic bomber of blended wing-body design intended for high speed, low altitude penetration missions. The B-1 uses shorter runways, can carry twice the payload, and has a smaller radar profile than the B-52.

The origin of the B-1 began as a USAF funded 1965 study to examine replacement of the ill-fated North American B-70 Valkyrie and relatively slow B-52. The first prototype rolled out of Palmdale, California on October 26, 1974 and made it’s first flight on December 23, 1974. The B-1 flight test program continued throughout 1975 and into 1976, until political problems were encountered with the Carter administration. On June 30, 1977, President Jimmy Carter halted the production of the B-1.

On October 2, 1981, President Ronald Reagan resurrected the B-1 program as part of his defense buildup initiative. He awarded Rockwell a contract to build 100 B-1B bombers.

About our B-1A This aircraft is the fourth and last B-1A built. It was first flown in February 1979, and was used primarily as the avionics test bed for the B-1B Program. Unlike the other B-1A’s which had crew escape modules, this aircraft has ejection seats (standard on the B-1B). This aircraft was delivered to the United States Air Force Museum on December 16, 1986, where it was statically displayed for 17-years. It was disassembled and transported by truck cross-country and delivered to the Strategic Air & Space Museum on October 22, 2003.

Sponsored by Lee & Willa Seemann

Aircraft Type: B-17P(DB), S/N 44-83559, Flying Fortress, Boeing (Douglas)

Mission: Heavy Bomber

Number Built : A total of 12,731 Flying Fortresses were produced in the period 1935-1945. Of this total, Boeing built 6981, Douglas Aircraft built 3000 and Vega (Lockheed) built 2,750. The break down of models is as follows. 1 Boeing model 299, 13 Y1B-17s, 1 Y1B-17A, 3 9 B-17Bs, 38 B-17Cs, 42 B-17Ds, 512 B-17Es, 3,405 B-17Fs (2,300 Boeing, 605 Douglas and 500 Vega), 6,430 B-17Gs (4,035 Boeing, 2395 Douglas and 2250 Vega). 730 B-17Gs were canceled at the end of the war (600 Douglas and 130 Vega). Approximately 4,750 B-17s were lost on combat missions.

Powerplant: Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone, 9-cylinder radial, air-cooled engines, 1,200 horsepower each.

Weight: 36,135 lbs. empty, 55,000 lbs. loaded, Maximum takeoff weight 72,100 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 103′9″, Length 74′4″, Height 19′1″.

Performance: Maximum speed 287 MPH at 25,000 feet, Cruising speed 182 MPH, Range 3,400 miles.

Significance of Type : The B-17 Flying Fortress began on 26 September 1934, as Boeing Project 299, a $275,000 allocation for the design and construction of a four engine bomber. The first flight took place eight months later on 25 July 1935. On August 25th of that year Model 299 was flown to Wright Field, Ohio, covering over 2,000 miles in nine hours at an average speed of 233 miles per hour. The Army Air Corps officers called the plane “Boeing’s Aerial Battlecruiser.” Later, it was officially designated the XB-17. The B-17 Flying Fortress made its presence felt by the enemy in all theaters of operation. It was used by the American forces and by the Royal Air Force as well. The German Luftwaffe used a number of captured B-17s to drop spies into Britain. After World War II, a number of B-17s were turned over to South American nations, Israel, and Sweden. Other B-17s were retained by the USAF for use as remote controlled drone target planes, for weather and reconnaissance, and for air-sea rescue service.

About our B-17P(DB), S/N 44-83559 : The Museum’s B-17P, S/N 44-83559 was manufactured by Douglas at Long Beach, California, and received by the USAAF on April 5, 1945. Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

April 6, 1945- To Topeka, Kansas, Air Transport Command (ATC)

April 8, 1945- To 4100th Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU), (ATC), Patterson Field, Ohio

October 15, 1945- Declared excess to USAAF needs

November 7, 1945- Returned to military use

November 11, 1945- To 4168th AAFBU (TAC), Lubbock, Texas

June 16, 1945- To 4141st AAFBU Air Material Command (AMC), Pyote, Texas

February 17, 1950- To 2753rd Aircraft Storage Squadron (AMC), Pyote, Texas

March 7, 1950- To Olmstead Field (AMC), Middletown Depot, Pennsylvania for modification to become a DB-17 aircraft

June 22, 1950- To 3200rd Drone Squadron, Air Proving Grounds (APG), Eglin AFB, Florida

February 28, 1951- To Eniwetok Atoll, 3200th Drone Squadron (APG), Marshall Island Group, Pacific

May 31, 1951- To 3200th Drone Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida

October 13, 1952- To 3205th Drone Squadron (APG), Holloman AFB, New Mexico

October 16, 1952- To Eglin AFB, Florida same unit

July 8, 1953- To 3310th Technical Training Wing (APG), Scott AFB, Illinois

July 26, 1953- To 3205th Drone Group (APG), Eglin AFB, Florida

September 10, 1953- To Holloman AFB, New Mexico (APG), same unit

May 1958- Dropped from USAF inventory, airframe issued as a museum piece, Patrick AFB, Florida

The Air Force relegated S/N 44-83559 to the Strategic Air & Space Museum at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. The Fortress was flown to the Museum in May 1959 and has been on continuous display ever since. It is currently finished with camouflage colors and painted in the colors of “King Bee”, an Eighth Air Force B-17F-65-DL from the 100th Bomb Group. The original “King Bee” had been commanded by the first director of the Strategic Air & Space Museum, and 44-83559 has been refinished down to the application of the “King Bee” serial number, 42-3474.

Sponsored by The Sunderland Foundation

Aircraft Type: B-25N(JTB), S/N 44-30363, Mitchell, North American

Mission: Medium Bomber

Number Built: Nearly 11,000 were built between 1940 and 1945, of which the USAAF received 9,816. The break down is as follows: 24 B-25s, 40 B-25As, 120 B-25Bs, 1,619 B-25Cs, 2,290 B-25Ds, 405 B-25Gs, 1,000 B-25Hs and 4,318 B-25Js. Because so many Mitchells were supplied to other Air Forces, the USAAF inventory never exceeded 2,700 at any one time during the War.

Powerplant: 2 Wright R-2600-9 Cyclone, 14-cylinder radial, air-cooled engines; 1,700 horsepower each.

Weight: Empty 21,100 lbs., Loaded 33,500 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 35,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 67′7″, Length 52′11″, Height 15′9″.

Significance of Type: The B-25 Mitchell was the most adaptable of any medium bomber in action during World War II. The basic design allowed modification into gunships with no major airframe redesign. Of particular interest was the ease in which the 75mm cannon mounted in a cradle beneath the pilot seat. This space was originally a crawl-way for the bombardier. Having proved to be more versatile than the Martin B-26 Marauder, the B-25 was given the role in the Pacific as an attack bomber and strafing aircraft. The B-25J remained first line equipment for several countries into the 1960s, including Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

About Our B-25N(JTB), S/N 44-30363 : The Museum’s B-25N was manufactured by North American Aviation, Kansas City KS and delivered to the USAAF on January 17, 1945. Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

January 1945- To Mobile Air Technical Service Center, Brookley AAF, Alabama

April 1945- To 4138th AAF Base Unit (Air Technical Service Command), Laurel AAF, Mississippi (storage)
February 1946
To 4168th AAF Base Unit (Air Material Command), South Plains AAF, Texas (storage)

August 1947- To 4141st AF Base Unit (AMC), Pyote AFB, Texas (storage)

September 1951- To 2753rd Aircraft Storage Squadron (AMC), Pyote AFB, Texas

October 1951- To Birmingham Modification Center, Alabama (To TB-25J)

May 1953- To TB-25L

June 1953- To Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, California (To TB-25M)

June 1954- To 3566th Basic Training Wing (Air Training Command), James Connolly AFB, Texas
April 1955
To Wright Air Development Center (Air Research and Development Command), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (To ETB-25M, deployment to McConnell AFB, Kansas)

March 1956- To JTB-25M

November 9, 1959- Dropped from inventory by transfer to the Strategic Air & Space Museum

Sponsored by U.S. Bank/FirsTier Financial

Aircraft Type: B-29(TB), S/N 44-84076, Super Fortress, Boeing (Bell)

Mission: Heavy Bomber

Number Built: The Army Air Force accepted a grand total of 3,960 B-29s: 3,943 B-29s, 3 XB-29s (including the experimental plane which crashed before delivery), and 14 B-29 prototypes. Actually, B-29, B-29As, and B-29Bs made up the production total. The B-29 and B-29A were alike and barely differed from the B-29B. The B-model was about 2,000 pounds lighter than the A, had an extra 150 feet in service ceiling, and a slightly longer range.

Powerplant: Four supercharged Wright R-3550-W57 Double Cyclone radial, air-cooled engines; 2,200 horsepower each.

Weight: Empty 36,135 lbs., Loaded 55,000 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 120,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 141′2″, Length 99′, Height 27′8″.

Performance: Maximum speed 360 MPH, Cruising speed 265 MPH, Service Ceiling 35,000 feet.

Significance of Type : The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the most advanced bomber aircraft to see operation service in World War II. It was used in conventional and low-level, night incendiary attacks against Japan. (The former were not particularly successful, leading General Curtis LeMay to resort to the latter tactic) The aircraft was also employed most profitably in the aerial mining of Japanese home waters. The B-29 was the world’s first nuclear delivery vehicle with aircraft from the 393rd Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) of the 509th Composite Group dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Another B-29 from the 509th (redesignated as a Very Heavy Bomb Group) dropped an atomic bomb in the Bikini atomic tests of July 1946.

B-29s were the only bomber aircraft assigned to SAC when that Command was established in 1946. They were used in the conventional bombing role during the Korean War (1950-1953). The last retired as bomber aircraft in 1954, after which many continued to ser ve SAC in specialized roles such as reconnaissance and tanker aircraft.

About Our B-29(TB), S/N 44-84076 : The Museum’s B-29 was manufactured by Bell Aircraft, Marietta, Georgia and delivered to the USAAF on August 4, 1945. Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

August 1945- To Walker AAF (Second Air Force), Victoria, Kansas

September 1945- To San Antonio Air Material Center, Kelly AAF, Texas

November 1945- To 4196th AAF Base Unit (Air Material Command), Victorville AAF, California (storage)

May 1946- To 4117th AAF Base Unit (AMC), Robins AAF, Georgia

August 1946- To 4119th AAF Base Unit (AMC), Brookley AAF, Alabama

April 1947- To 97th Bombardment Group (Strategic Air Command), Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas

October 1947- To 28th Bombardment Group (SAC), Rapid City (later Weaver) AFB, South Dakota (deployment to England AFB, Louisiana and RAF Scampton UK)

February 1949- To Sacramento Air Material Area, McClellan AFB, California

September 1949- To Oklahoma City Air Material Area, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (To TB-29)

March 1951- To 11th Radar Calibration Squadron (Air Defense Command), Hamilton AFB, California (Deployment to McChord AFB, Washington)

September 1952- To 112th Radar Calibration Squadron (ADC), Hamilton AFB, California (Deployment to March AFB CA)

February 1953- To 4th Radar Calibration (ADC), Hamilton AFB, California

March 1954- To 4754th Radar Evaluation Flight (ADC), Hamilton AFB, California

July 1958- To 4754th Radar Evaluation Squadron (ADC) , Hamilton AFB, California

July 1959- To 3902nd Air Base Wing (SAC), Offutt AFB, Nebraska and dropped from inventory by transfer to the Strategic Air & Space Museum

 B-29 Restoration Slideshow

Sponsored by RJR Nabisco

Aircraft Type: B-36J-111, S/N 52-2217A, General Dynamics

Mission: Strategic Intercontinental Bomber.

Number Built: 385

Powerplant: Six Pratt & Whitney R-4360-53 pusher-type radial engines, 3,800 horsepower each; and four General Electric J-47-GE-19 turbojets, 5,200 lbs. thrust each.

Weight: Empty 158,843 lbs., Loaded 410,000 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 410,000.

Dimensions: Wingspan 230′, Length 162′1″, Height 46′9″.

Performance: Maximum speed 435 MPH at 36,400 feet, Cruising speed 391 MPH, Service Ceiling 45,200 feet.

Significance of Type: The B-36 was first conceived in 1941 as a transatlantic bomber to strike Europe from bases in the United States. Development of the bomber was initially delayed, and then ordered into production in 1943 for use against the Japanese home islands. However, the XB-36 prototypes first test flight wasn’t until August 1946.

The B-36 Peacemaker was the largest production aircraft ever built. Known by pilots as the “Magnesium Monster”, it reaped two other distinctions during it’s career; it was the only U.S. bomber never to drop a bomb in war-time and the only aircraft capable of attacking a target on another continent and returning to home base without having to refuel. A B-36J crew consisted of a pilot, copilot, two navigators, bombardier, flight engineer, radio operator, radar operator, two ECM operators and five gunners.

About Our B-36J-111, S/N 52-2217A : The aircraft was manufactured by the Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics Corporation and delivered to the Strategic Air Command on 22 December, 1953.

Sponsored by Bill & Kathy Esping & Family

Aircraft Type: B-47E, S/N 52-1412, Stratojet, Boeing (Douglas)

Mission: Medium Bomber

Number Built : The Air Force accepted a grand total of 2,041 B-47s (including the first 2 experimental planes and the prototype of a never-produced configuration). Specifically, the B-47 program was comprised of 2 XB-47s, 10 B-47As (mostly used for testing), 397 B-47B s, 1 YB-47C, 1,341 B-47Es, 255 RB-47Es, and 35 RB-47Hs. All other B-47s in the Air Force operational inventory, be they weather reconnaissance aircraft (WB-47Es), ETB-47E combat crew trainer, QB-47 drones, or others, were acquired through post-production reconfiguration.

Powerplant: Six General Electric J47-GE-25A single-shaft turbojets, 7,200 lbs. of thrust each.

Weight: Empty 78,200 lbs., Loaded 175,000 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 202,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 116′, Length 109′10″, Height 27′11″.

Performance: Maximum speed 650 MPH at 20,000 feet, Cruising speed 495 MPH, Service ceiling 42,000 feet.

Significance of Type: The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept-wing, jet-propelled bomber produced in large numbers by any nation. It was in many respects a revolutionary aircraft. Bill Gunston, a leading aviation writer, has observed that the B-47 was “design so advanced technically as to appear genuinely futuristic.” In addition to its high speed and sleek configuration, the B-47 was highly automated, permitting a reduction in crew from 11 men in a B-50 — of roughly the same gross weight — to only three men, and the deletion of all gun armament except for a remotely controlled tail turret. Speed and defensive electronics permitted the elimination of the large number of guns found in earlier bombers.

The U.S. Army Air Force issued its first requirement for a jet bomber late in 1943. Boeing initiated several designs, with post-war examination of German aircraft data indicating the advantages of the swept-wing configuration. Subsequently, Boeing developed a design with thin, laminar-flow wings swept back 35 degrees, with six turbojet engines mounted in twin and single pods beneath the wings. These were supplemented with provisions for solid-fuel rockets in the rear fuselage for accelerated takeoffs. The main landing gear was fitted in tandem, extending from the fuselage, with smaller wheels on outriggers extending from the wings. Between the main landing gear wells was the single bomb bay, which could accommodate a single gravity nuclear weapon or 10,000 pounds of conventional bombs (up to 22,000 pounds maximum in overload condition).

About Our B-47E, S/N 52-1412 : This B-47 was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft, Tulsa OK and delivered to the USAF on May 5, 1955. Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

May 1955- To 301st Bombardment (Medium) Wing (Strategic Air Command), Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

October 1957- To Lockheed Aircraft, Marietta, Georgia (for work)

February 1958- To 97th Bombardment (M) Wing (SAC), Biggs AFB, Texas

January 1959- To 384th Bombardment (M) Wing (SAC), Little Rock AFB, Arkansas

June 1961- To Lockheed Aircraft, Marietta (for work)

August 1961- To 321st Bombardment (M) Wing (SAC), McCoy AFB, Florida

October 1961- To 4047th Strategic Wing (SAC), McCoy AFB, Florida

November 1961- To 70th Bombardment Wing (SAC), Little Rock AFB, Arkansas

June 1962- To 301st Bombardment Wing (SAC), Lockbourne AFB, Ohio (to EB-47E)

March 1964- To 3902nd Air Base Wing (SAC), Offutt AFB, Nebraska

June 1964- Dropped from inventory by transfer to the Strategic Air & Space Museum

The Boeing Company

Aircraft Type: B-52B(RB), S/N 52-8711, Stratofortress, Boeing

Mission: Heavy Bomber

Number Built : The Air Force purchased 744 B-52s- prototype, test, and reconnaissance configurations included. Precisely, the B-52 program counted 1 XB-52, 1 YB-52 (first flown on 15 April 1952, almost 6 months ahead of the experimental B-52), 3 B-52As (restricted to testing), 50 B-52Bs (27 of which could also be used for reconnaissance), 35 B/RB-52Cs, 170 B-52Ds, 100 B-52Es, 89 B-52Fs, 193 B-52Gs, and 102 B-52Hs. Six years of development preceded the beginning of production which, after a slow start around 1953, did not end until October 1962.

Powerplant: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57-P-29W turbojet engines, 10,900 lbs. thrust each.

Weight: Empty 175,000 lbs., Loaded 420,000 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 420,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 185′, Length 152′9″, Height 48′3″.

Performance: Maximum speed 612 MPH at 40,000 feet, Cruising speed 565 MPH, Service ceiling 47,000 feet.

Significance of Type: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been the principal bomber of the Strategic Air Command since the 1950s. In 1990, it was operated by 12 of SAC’s 18 bomb wings. The B-52 was designed to provide a high-altitude strategic bomber with intercontinental ranges. However, the range goals were not met during design, and the B-52 gross weight was “frozen” at about 480,000 lbs, with in-flight refueling to permit long-range missions.

The B-52 is capable of both conventional free-fall bomb delivery and air-to-ground missile launch missions. B-52s were used in conventional bombing roles in the Vietnam War. Although originally designed as a nuclear bomber, the existing B-52 force may be deployed in various conventional missions, including show of force (as in Desert Storm), precision strikes, and defense suppression. The plane’s capabilities also include sea surveillance, surface ship air interdiction with anti-ship missiles, and aerial mining.

About Our B-52B(RB), S/N 52-8711 : The Museum’s B-52 was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft, Seattle WA and delivered to the USAF on June 28, 1955. B-52B(RB), S/N 52-8711 was the first operational B-52 to be assigned to the Strategic Air Command . Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

June 1955- To 93rd Bombardment (Heavy) Wing (Strategic Air Command), Castle AFB, California (to B-52B)

December 1963- To 22nd Bombardment (H) Wing (SAC), March AFB, California

September 29, 1965- Dropped from inventory by transfer to the Strategic Air & Space Museum

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Aircraft Type: B-57E, S/N 55-4244, Intruder, Martin

Mission: Low-level support bomber and tactical strike aircraft

Number Built : The Air Force accepted a grand total of 403 B-57’s, all of which were produced in Baltimore Maryland, by the Glenn L. Martin Co. Specifically, the B-57 program comprised 8 B-57As, 202 B-57Bs, 38 B-57Cs, 68 B-57Es, 67 RB-57As, and 20 RB-57Ds. Other B-57s, such as the B-57Gs, RB-57Fs and WB-57Fs, were the result of extensive post-production modifications.

Powerplant: 2 Wright WJ65-W-5 turbojets, 7,200 lbs. thrust each.

Weight: Empty 30,000 lbs., Loaded 49,500 lbs., Maximum takeoff weight 55,000 lbs.

Dimensions: Wingspan 64′, Length 65′6″, Height 15′7″.

Performance: Maximum speed 580 MPH at 40,000 feet, Cruising speed 475 MPH, Service ceiling 48,000 feet, range 2300 miles.

Significance of Type : The Air Force flew two high-altitude, radar reconnaissance variants of the highly successful and ever-present Martin RB-57 Canberra from mid-1956 through 1960 (after which they continued in service with other USAF commands). The Canberra was Britain’s first operational jet-propulsion bomber; it was manufactured continuously for 12 years and has served a dozen nations in several roles. In the United States, Martin copied an English Electric Canberra to produce the B-57 as a tactical strike aircraft, with the first American-built unit flying on 20 July 1953. Subsequently, two strategic reconnaissance variants were manufactured. They retain the trim Canberra fuselage, but have disproportionately long wings and outsized engine nacelles. No weapons are carried.

About Our B-57E, S/N 55-4244 : The Museum’s B-57 was manufactured by Martin Company, Baltimore, Maryland and delivered to the USAF on September 21, 1956. Below are the unit assignments of this aircraft:

September 1956- To AF Operational Test Center (Air Proving Ground Command), Eglin AFB, Florida (to JB-57E)

December 1957- To Air Proving Ground Center (Air Research and Development Command), Eglin AFB (deployments to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and Kirtland AFB, New Mexico)

October 1967- To B-57E

November 1968- To Armament Development and Test Center (AF Systems Command), Eglin AFB, Florida

December 1969- Dropped from inventory by transfer to the Strategic Air & Space Museum