B-45 Tornado
Encyclopedia
The North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force
's first operational jet bomber
, and the first jet aircraft
to be refueled in the air. 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.
, alarmed by German
jet bombers like the Arado Ar 234
, called for a new family of jet bombers grossing between 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) and 200,000 lb (90,718 kg). The North American
proposal (NA-130) won, and on September 8, 1944, the company began production of three prototype
s based on the NA-130.
The end of World War II
resulted in the cancellation of many projects and delayed many others. In 1946, rising tensions with the Soviet Union
caused the Air Force to assign higher priorities to jet bomber development and production. By mid-1946, the XB-45 and Convair XB-46
neared completion, but the XB-47
and Martin XB-48
were still two years away. The USAAF
chose to evaluate the first two designs to determine which would be superior operationally. The B-45 proved a superior design, and on January 2, 1947, a contract for immediate production of B-45As was signed. It had been planned to equip five light bomb groups and three light reconnaissance
groups with B-45As but as the B-47's development and flight testing made future production all but certain, the B-45's future became increasingly uncertain and in mid 1948 the Air Staff actually began to question the B-45's value. Soon afterwards, President Truman's
budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to total of 142 airframes. Further budget cuts in the FY 1950 forced the Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order.
Operation Fandango, sometimes called Operation Backbreaker, entailed modifications to the aircraft for nuclear missions. In addition, the 40 B-45s allocated to the program also were equipped with a new defensive system and extra fuel tanks. Despite the magnitude of the modification project, plus ongoing problems with the early jet engines, atomic-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid June. It was at about this same time that RB-45s of the 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan to fly alongside the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, supplementing the WWII era piston engine RB-29s which had proved to be easy targets for North Korean MiGs. The RB-45s would provide valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War despite the limited number of airframes which were available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they were converted to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to a MiG-15.
during the mid 1950s. On July 29, 1952, an RB-45C made the first non-stop Trans-Pacific flight, having been refueled twice by KB-29s along the way. Maj Lou Carrington and his crew of the 91st Reconnaissance Wing flew from Alaska to Japan in 9hrs 50mins, winning the MacKay Trophy for their achievement. Within the 91st SRW, by 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E. The phased out RB45Cs went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing which used them until about 1959.
The only other nation to use the RB-45C was Britain, which were operated by an ad hoc unit of crews largely drawn from Nos. 35 and 115
squadrons. Four aircraft were bailed to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form a Royal Air Force
(RAF) Special Duty Flight commanded by Squadron Leader
John Crampton. With RAF markings
, the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based in RAF Sculthorpe
, Norfolk
, and the flight performed significant operations over the Soviet Union during a period when such USAF overflight operations were prohibited by the President of the United States.
Three of the four RB-45C's carried out 'Operation Ju-jitsu' on April 17, 1952, overflying Russia at 36,000 feet and gathering electronic intelligence and photographs of the targets before returning to Sculthorpe ten hours later. On April 28, 1954 the three aircraft took off from Sculthorpe again, and on this occasion, Crampton's aircraft, heading for Kiev
, was tracked by ground radar and came under anti-aircraft fire. Applying full power, he immediately turned and headed for Germany, none too soon as Soviet night fighters had been dispatched to hunt down his aircraft. Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out using English Electric Canberra
s under the codename 'Operation Robin', operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000 feet.
By the end of the 1950s all B-45s were removed from active duty service. However, a few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s.
The USAF accepted one of the two survivors on 30 July 1948, the other on 31 August. One was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The last XB-45 was delivered to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
in 1949. It proved excessively difficult to maintain and was relegated as a ground trainer.
.
The first production B-45 flew in February 1948. The Air Force took delivery of 22 in April 1948. They were powered by the less-powerful J35 turbojets, and not considered combat-ready. They were assigned to training duties and to conduct various test programs. The next batch were powered by the superior J47 turbojets. The first B-45As entered service in November 1948 with the 47th Bombardment Group. The initial order of 96 was completed in March 1950.
The first B-45As were not equipped with bomb fire control systems or bombsight
s. They suffered from gyrocompass
failures at high speeds, unhooked bomb shackles, engine fires, and inaccurate cockpit gauges. The AN/APQ-24 bombing and navigation radar on some B-45s was maintenance heavy and malfunctions in the pressurization pump
limited the altitude at which it could operate.
Fifty-five nuclear-capable B-45s arrived in the United Kingdom
in 1952. These were modified with a 1,200 gal (4,542 l) fuel tank in the aft bomb bay. Despite technical problems, these were Tactical Air Command's first-line deterrent in Europe
.
was faired over and replaced with an oblique camera system. The RB-45C carried two 214 gal (810 l) external fuel tanks, or two JATO
rockets. Up to 12 cameras in four positions, or a single camera with a 100 in (2.5 m) focal length
lens, could be carried. The RB-45C first flew in April 1950, and were delivered from June 1950 to October 1951. 38 were built, including the 33 converted from B-45Cs. It was this variant that was operated (clandestinely) over the Soviet Union by the RAF "special duties" unit at RAF Sculthorpe, with the first sortie of three aircraft commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton
taking place on the night of April 17, 1952.
United States
Three B-45s have survived to the present day.
and The Magnetic Monster
(both 1953 films) show stock footage of the B-45.
A B-45 also featured prominently in the Buck Danny
album Planes Without Pilots by Jean-Michel Charlier
and Victor Hubinon
.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's first operational jet bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, and the first jet aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
to be refueled in the air. The B-45 was an important part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's nuclear deterrent
Deterrence theory
Deterrence theory gained increased prominence as a military strategy during the Cold War with regard to the use of nuclear weapons, and features prominently in current United States foreign policy regarding the development of nuclear technology in North Korea and Iran. Deterrence theory however was...
for several years in the early 1950s, but was rapidly succeeded by the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
. B-45s and RB-45s served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
from 1950 until 1959.
Development
The B-45 began development in 1944, when the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
, alarmed by German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
jet bombers like the Arado Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
, called for a new family of jet bombers grossing between 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) and 200,000 lb (90,718 kg). The North American
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
proposal (NA-130) won, and on September 8, 1944, the company began production of three prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s based on the NA-130.
The end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
resulted in the cancellation of many projects and delayed many others. In 1946, rising tensions with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
caused the Air Force to assign higher priorities to jet bomber development and production. By mid-1946, the XB-45 and Convair XB-46
Convair XB-46
|-See also:-External Links:*...
neared completion, but the XB-47
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
and Martin XB-48
Martin XB-48
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Bombers, B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1962, second edition 1974. ISBN 0-8168-9126-5....
were still two years away. The USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
chose to evaluate the first two designs to determine which would be superior operationally. The B-45 proved a superior design, and on January 2, 1947, a contract for immediate production of B-45As was signed. It had been planned to equip five light bomb groups and three light reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
groups with B-45As but as the B-47's development and flight testing made future production all but certain, the B-45's future became increasingly uncertain and in mid 1948 the Air Staff actually began to question the B-45's value. Soon afterwards, President Truman's
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to total of 142 airframes. Further budget cuts in the FY 1950 forced the Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order.
The Korean War
Continuously plagued by engine problems along with numerous other minor flaws, the B-45 regained importance when the United States entered the Korean War in 1950 and would prove its value both as a bomber and in a reconnaissance role. The mass dedication of U.S. Forces to the Korean War revealed the vulnerability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Europe to Soviet attack and it was in this light that the Air Force made an important decision about the future of the B-45. The B-45, like all post World War II U.S. bombers, could carry both nuclear and conventional bombs. The progress of weapons technology had led to a great reduction in the weight and size of nuclear weapons in U.S. inventory, effectively allowing smaller aircraft such as the B-45 to carry out nuclear strikes, a mission which had initially been limited to heavy bombers. Suddenly, the small fleet of B-45s had great value again as a nuclear deterrent.Operation Fandango, sometimes called Operation Backbreaker, entailed modifications to the aircraft for nuclear missions. In addition, the 40 B-45s allocated to the program also were equipped with a new defensive system and extra fuel tanks. Despite the magnitude of the modification project, plus ongoing problems with the early jet engines, atomic-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid June. It was at about this same time that RB-45s of the 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan to fly alongside the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, supplementing the WWII era piston engine RB-29s which had proved to be easy targets for North Korean MiGs. The RB-45s would provide valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War despite the limited number of airframes which were available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they were converted to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to a MiG-15.
Post war
All 33 RB-45Cs built were assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's 322nd, 323rd and 324th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons. The RB-45C also flew several long-range reconnaissance missions over the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the mid 1950s. On July 29, 1952, an RB-45C made the first non-stop Trans-Pacific flight, having been refueled twice by KB-29s along the way. Maj Lou Carrington and his crew of the 91st Reconnaissance Wing flew from Alaska to Japan in 9hrs 50mins, winning the MacKay Trophy for their achievement. Within the 91st SRW, by 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E. The phased out RB45Cs went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing which used them until about 1959.
The only other nation to use the RB-45C was Britain, which were operated by an ad hoc unit of crews largely drawn from Nos. 35 and 115
No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
squadrons. Four aircraft were bailed to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Special Duty Flight commanded by Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
John Crampton. With RAF markings
Royal Air Force roundels
The Royal Air Force roundel is a circular identification mark painted on aircraft to identify them to other aircraft and ground forces. In one form or another, it has been used on British military aircraft from 1915 to the present....
, the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based in RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and the flight performed significant operations over the Soviet Union during a period when such USAF overflight operations were prohibited by the President of the United States.
Three of the four RB-45C's carried out 'Operation Ju-jitsu' on April 17, 1952, overflying Russia at 36,000 feet and gathering electronic intelligence and photographs of the targets before returning to Sculthorpe ten hours later. On April 28, 1954 the three aircraft took off from Sculthorpe again, and on this occasion, Crampton's aircraft, heading for Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, was tracked by ground radar and came under anti-aircraft fire. Applying full power, he immediately turned and headed for Germany, none too soon as Soviet night fighters had been dispatched to hunt down his aircraft. Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out using English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
s under the codename 'Operation Robin', operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000 feet.
By the end of the 1950s all B-45s were removed from active duty service. However, a few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s.
XB-45
The first flight of the XB-45 was on 17 March 1947 from Muroc Army Air Field. A total of 131 test flights were flown by the three prototype aircraft, one being destroyed early on, killing two pilots.The USAF accepted one of the two survivors on 30 July 1948, the other on 31 August. One was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The last XB-45 was delivered to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
in 1949. It proved excessively difficult to maintain and was relegated as a ground trainer.
B-45A
The B-45A differed from the XB-45 in having improved ejection seats and communications equipment, an E-4 automatic pilot, and a bombing navigation radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
.
The first production B-45 flew in February 1948. The Air Force took delivery of 22 in April 1948. They were powered by the less-powerful J35 turbojets, and not considered combat-ready. They were assigned to training duties and to conduct various test programs. The next batch were powered by the superior J47 turbojets. The first B-45As entered service in November 1948 with the 47th Bombardment Group. The initial order of 96 was completed in March 1950.
The first B-45As were not equipped with bomb fire control systems or bombsight
Bombsight
A bombsight is a device used by bomber aircraft to accurately drop bombs. In order to do this, the bombsight has to estimate the path the bomb will take after release from the aircraft. The two primary forces during its fall are gravity and air drag, which makes the path of the bomb through the air...
s. They suffered from gyrocompass
Gyrocompass
A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...
failures at high speeds, unhooked bomb shackles, engine fires, and inaccurate cockpit gauges. The AN/APQ-24 bombing and navigation radar on some B-45s was maintenance heavy and malfunctions in the pressurization pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
limited the altitude at which it could operate.
Fifty-five nuclear-capable B-45s arrived in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1952. These were modified with a 1,200 gal (4,542 l) fuel tank in the aft bomb bay. Despite technical problems, these were Tactical Air Command's first-line deterrent in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
B-45B
The B-45B was a proposed variant of the B-45A with improved radar and fire-control systems. None were built.B-45C
The B-45C was the first jet aircraft capable of aerial refueling. It carried two 1,200 gal (4,542 l) wingtip fuel tanks, had a strengthened canopy, and an in-flight refueling receptacle. The first B-45C was flown on May 3, 1949. Only ten were built, and the remaining 33 under construction were converted to RB-45Cs.RB-45C
Final production variant of the B-45. The bombardier's canopyCanopy (aircraft)
An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. The function of the canopy is to provide a weatherproof and reasonably quiet environment for the aircraft's occupants. The canopy will be as aerodynamically shaped as possible to minimize drag.-History:Very...
was faired over and replaced with an oblique camera system. The RB-45C carried two 214 gal (810 l) external fuel tanks, or two JATO
JATO
JATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....
rockets. Up to 12 cameras in four positions, or a single camera with a 100 in (2.5 m) focal length
Focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus...
lens, could be carried. The RB-45C first flew in April 1950, and were delivered from June 1950 to October 1951. 38 were built, including the 33 converted from B-45Cs. It was this variant that was operated (clandestinely) over the Soviet Union by the RAF "special duties" unit at RAF Sculthorpe, with the first sortie of three aircraft commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton
John Crampton
Squadron Leader John Crampton DFC was a British pilot who conducted spy flights into the Soviet Union in the early 1950s.- Early life :...
taking place on the night of April 17, 1952.
Operators
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 35 Squadron RAF crews grouped into ad hoc units operated RB-45C variant.
- No. 115 Squadron RAFNo. 115 Squadron RAFNo. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
crews grouped into ad hoc units operated RB-45C variant.
United States
- United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
- 47th Bombardment Group
- 91st Reconnaissance Wing operated RB-45C variant.
- 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron operated RB-45C variant.
- 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron operated RB-45C variant.
Aircraft on display
- B-45A Tornado, s/n 47-0008, at the Castle Air MuseumCastle Air MuseumCastle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to the site of the former Castle Air Force Base...
at the former Castle AFB in Atwater, CaliforniaAtwater, CaliforniaAtwater is a city on U.S. Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 151 feet . The population as of the 2010 census was 28,168.-Geography:...
.
- B-45C Tornado, s/n 48-010, in the Cold War Hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, The aircraft was used by Pratt & WhitneyPratt & WhitneyPratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
for engine testing, and was flown to the Museum in 1971.
- RB-45C Tornado, s/n 48-017, at the Strategic Air and Space MuseumStrategic Air and Space MuseumThe Strategic Air and Space Museum is a museum focusing on United States Air Force military aircraft and nuclear missiles located near Ashland, Nebraska, along Interstate 80 southwest of Omaha, Nebraska. The objective of the museum is to preserve and display historic aircraft, missile, and space...
adjacent to Offutt AFB in Ashland, NebraskaAshland, NebraskaAshland is a city in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,262 at the 2000 census.- History :Ashland is located at the site of a low-water limestone ledge along the bottom of Salt Creek, an otherwise mud-bottomed stream that was a formidable obstacle for wagon trains on the...
.Video here
Specifications (B-45A)
Popular culture
The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds (1953 film)
The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
and The Magnetic Monster
The Magnetic Monster
The Magnetic Monster is a 1953 independent science fiction film, directed by Curt Siodmak, and starring Richard Carlson and King Donovan.-Plot:...
(both 1953 films) show stock footage of the B-45.
A B-45 also featured prominently in the Buck Danny
Buck Danny
Buck Danny is a Franco-Belgian comics series about a military flying ace and his two sidekicks serving in the United States Navy or the United States Air Force. The series is noted for its realism both in the drawings and the descriptions of air force procedures as part of the storyline. In...
album Planes Without Pilots by Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
and Victor Hubinon
Victor Hubinon
Victor Hubinon was a Belgian comic-book artist, best known for the series Buck Danny and Redbeard.-Biography:...
.