This Day in Aviation History
June 25th, 1947
First flight of the Boeing B-50 Superfortress.

The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is an American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for the United States Air Force (except the never-completed B-54, a derivative of the B-50). Not as well known as its direct predecessor, the B-50 was in USAF service for nearly 20 years.

After its primary service with SAC ended, B-50 airframes were modified into aerial tankers for Tactical Air Command (KB-50) and as weather reconnaissance aircraft (WB-50) for the Air Weather Service. Both the tanker and hurricane hunter versions were retired in March 1965 due to metal fatigue and corrosion found in the wreckage of KB-50J, 48-065, which crashed on 14 October 1964…..

Source:
Wikipedia, Boeing B-50 Superfortress: http://gstv.us/28TM1qm

YouTube, Boeing B-50 Superfortress: http://gstv.us/28TM5GC

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Photo from: http://gstv.us/28TMbOy

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