The final variant of the B-29 Superfortress was the B-50, also nicknamed the Superfortress. Originally given the designation B-29D it was caught up in the post-WWII budget cuts and was in danger of being eliminated. Boeing decided to change the designation from B-29D to B-50 to distance itself from WWII production aircraft.

The major change to the aircraft was a newly designed wing with larger landing flaps and sturdier construction to house the new Pratt-Whitney R-4360 engines, each of which generated 3300 horsepower as opposed to the original 2200 horse powered Wright engines that the B-29s were equipped with. The staggering of each of the 28 cylinder heads gave these new engines the nickname “corn-cob”. The other noticeable change was the 5-foot vertical extension of the B-29 rudder.

Beginning with the B-50B, the aircraft was equipped with 700-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks on each wing outboard of the engines. All of the latest B-29 electronic systems were carried over to the B-50.

The combat history of the B-50 is remarkable. It was active in the Korean War, played a part in the Cold War, and flew in the skies over Vietnam as an aerial tanker.

The B-50 was equipped with in-flight refueling capabilities and flew the first non-stop around-the-world flight in 1949, doing so in only 94 hours. It was also involved in the atmospheric testing of atomic weapons during the 1950s. After the Korean War the B-50 was used to gather electronic intelligence about the Soviet Union’s air defense capabilities along the Iron Curtain. In numerous missions into Soviet airspace one B-50 was shot down and several were damaged.

By 1955 the day of the piston-powered bomber was over and the B-50 was retired as a bomber, but that did not end its career. Nearly 100 of the B-50s were modified to become aerial refueling ships and were given the designation KB-50. Jet engines were added under the wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to aid in fueling jet fighters. This aircraft was given the designation KB-50J. It was this variant that flew in the skies over North Vietnam during Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965 and was the last of the B-50 line to be fired upon by an enemy. By late 1965, all of the KB-50Js were retired from tanker duties in favor of the jet-powered KC-135s.

However, the B-50 had one last card to play as a WB-50 Hurricane Hunter. The WB-50 routinely penetrated hurricanes gathering valuable information for the weather service. At last in 1967 the B-50 was retired from all forms of military service.
If greatness were based on numbers, the B-50 would be found short, but if greatness were based on reliability, the B-50 was one of the great American bombers of all times.