Boeing B-50 Superfortress - Variants

Variants

XB-44

One B-29A was handed over to Pratt & Whitney to be used as a testbed for the installation of the new Wasp Major 28-cylinder engines in the B-29.

B-29D

Wasp Major powered bomber, with stronger structure and taller tail. Redesignated B-50A in December 1945.

B-50A

First production version of the B-50. Four R-4360-35 Wasp Major engines, 168,500 lb (76,550 kg) max take-off weight. 79 built.

TB-50A - Conversion of 11 B-50A as crew trainers for units operating the B-36.

B-50B

Improved version, with increased maximum take-off weight (170,400 lb (77,290 kg)) and new, lightweight fuel tanks. 45 built.

EB-50B - Single B-50B modified as test-bed for bicycle undercarriage, later used to test "caterpillar track" landing gear.

RB-50B - Conversion of B-50B for strategic reconnaissance, with capsule in rear fuselage carrying nine cameras in four stations, weather instruments, and extra crew. Could be fitted with two 700 US gallon (2,840 L) drop tanks under outer wings. 44 converted from B-50B.

YB-50C

Prototype for B-54 bomber, to have Variable Discharge Turbine (i.e. turbo-compound) version of the R-4360 engine, longer fuselage and bigger, stronger wings. One prototype started but canceled before completion.

B-50D

Definitive bomber version of the B-50. Higher max takeoff weight (173,000 lb (78,600 kg)). Fitted with receptacle for Flying boom in-flight refueling and provision for underwing drop tanks. Modified nose glazing with 7-piece nose cone window was replaced by a single plastic cone and a flat bomb-aimer's window. 222 built.

DB-50D - Single B-50D converted as drone director conversion of a B-50D, for trials with the GAM-63 RASCAL missile.

KB-50D - Prototype conversion of two B-50Ds as three-point aerial refueling tanker, using drogue-type hoses. Used as the basis for later production KB-50J and KB-50K conversions. A further conversion from a TB-50D was also designated KB-50D.

TB-50D - Conversion of early B-50Ds lacking aerial-refueling receptacles as unarmed crew trainers. Eleven converted.

WB-50D - Conversion of surplus B-50Ds as weather reconnaissance aircraft to replace worn out WB-29s. Fitted with doppler radar, atmospheric sampler and other specialist equipment, and extra fuel in the bomb-bay. Some were used to carry out highly classified missions for atmospheric sampling between 1953 and 1955 to detect Soviet detonation of atomic weapons.

RB-50E

14 RB-50Bs converted at Wichita for specialist photographic reconnaissance.

RB-50F

Conversion of 14 RB-50Bs as survey aircraft, fitted with SHORAN navigation radar.

RB-50G

Conversion of the RB-50B for electronic reconnaissance. Fitted with Shoran for navigation, and six electronic stations, with 16-man crew; 15 converted.

TB-50H

Unarmed crew trainer for B-47 squadrons. Twenty four completed, the last B-50s built. All later converted to KB-50K tankers.

KB-50J

Conversions to air to air refueling tankers with improved performance from two extra General Electric J47 turbojets under the outer wings, 112 converted from B-50D, TB-50D, RB-50E, RB-50F and RB-50G aircraft.

KB-50K

Tanker conversions of the TB-50H trainer aircraft. 24 converted.

B-54A

Proposed version of the YB-50C.

RB-54A

Proposed reconnaissance version of the YB-50C.