Monday, January 30, 2012

When is a B-29 NOT a B-29?

When it's a B-50, that's when.  That was a trick-question, because the B-50 started life as the B-29D. At the time that this airplane was being developed, the government wasn't enthusiastic about spending money on an updated version of an airplane that was already obsolete.  However, with different engines (28 cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360's in lieu of the the B-29's eighteen-cylinder Wright R-3350 engines), re-designed wings, and other internal improvements, the B-50 was almost a different airplane-hence the Air Force was able to re-designate the aircraft as a "new" model and obtain the needed funding. 

The B-50 in the photo is on display at the Castle Air Museum-photo by Scott Schwartz.

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