This Day in Aviation History
March 17th, 1947
First flight of the North American B-45 Tornado.

The North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force’s first operational jet bomber, and the first multi-jet engined bomber in the world to be refuelled in midair. The B-45 was an important part of the United States’s nuclear deterrent for several years in the early 1950s, but was rapidly succeeded by the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. B-45s and RB-45s served in the United States Air Force’s Strategic Air Command from 1950 until 1959. It was also the first jet bomber of the NATO Alliance, which was formed in 1949…..

Source:
Wikipedia North American B-45 Tornado  http://gstv.us/1Duy90K

YouTube, North American XB-45 Tornado First Flight, March 17, 1947   http://gstv.us/1HWoIpA

 
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