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[sentinelchicken]

When the postwar successor to the Boeing B-29, the B-50 Superfortress, entered service in 1948, it was always planned that the B-50 be converted to tankers once replaced by the B-47 Stratojet which made its first flight in 1947. The Hayes Aircraft Corporation was assigned responsibility for the conversion of the B-50 into KB-50 tankers. The first KB-50s entered service with the Tactical Air Command in January 1956, replacing the KB-29 which was simply too slow to refuel jet aircraft. The KB-29s were phased out completely by November 1957. However, the increasing performance of TAC’s jet fighters meant that in no time, the KB-50s were also too slow to function as tankers. Hayes was once again contracted to upgrade the KB-50 fleet to KB-50J standard with the addition of a single 5200 lb thrust GE J47 turbojet under each wing. The jet engines gave the “new” KB-50J a shorter takeoff distance by 30%, improved the time to operational altitude by 60% and allowed the KB-50J to operate easily at over 400 knots in level flight. 112 KB-50s were upgraded to KB-50Js and a further TB-50 crew trainers were also converted to jet-augmented tankers, designated KB-50Ks. The first KB-50Js were delivered to TAC in January 1958. The KB-50J/K tankers were to be interim tankers until the arrival of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Unfortunately their long careers as nuclear bombers and then tankers had taken a toll on their durability and reliability. Aircraft were commonly cannibalized to keep other tankers flying and the first KB-50J/Ks were phased out in 1964. The crash of a KB-50J in 1965 revealed extensive cracking and corrosion in the aircraft structure and the Superfortress tankers were retired quickly in 1965. They did last long enough, however, for some to be used in the Vietnam War. November Aviation Photo Challenge | @kjdphoto1971 | #1119planes | “Cold War” | Day 30⠀ ⁣⠀ #avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #PimaAirandSpaceMuseum #Pima #Tucson #DavisMonthan #Arizona #airport #planespotting #instaplane #instagramaviation #Boeing #B50 #KB50 #Superfortress #USAF #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvgeekSchoolofKnowle (at Pima Air & Space Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fZ46ghZux/?igshid=1nrxjl9ks67t7

#1119planes #avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #pimaairandspacemuseum #pima #tucson #davismonthan #arizona #airport #planespotting #instaplane #instagramaviation #boeing #b50 #kb50 #superfortress #usaf #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #avgeekschoolofknowle