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More Information on the B-49 Flying Wing |
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ROCAF B-49s
by
Wei-Bin Chang
wei-bin@cae.wisc.edu
G.R. Broman's story on B49 variants is essentially correct.
However, he missed an important chapter: The secret operations of
RB-49F over China flown by ROCAF pilots. As an ROCAF enthusiast, I
am happy to reveal his untold history. The following story is
based on reported aircraft sightings in newpapers, my interviews
with the pilots, and my own research on ROC government files. As
ROCAF never admitted such operations, my story might contain some
errors.
In 1961, six RB-49F were secretly transported to Taiwan by sea.
They were based at Taoyuan AB, serving along with the famous U-2.
Like the U-2, these RB-49F were also operated by CIA, but pilots
were chosen from ROCAF. Prior to the shipment of RB-49, 12 ROCAF
pilots had been secretly sent to Edwards AFB for training. Ten of
them returned to Taiwan in 1961 while the other two were recruited
by USAF due to their excellent skills. It was rumored that the
RB-49 shot down over Russia was co-piloted by one of the two.
The unit that operated RB-49F was nicknamed "Black Bat." (FYI, the
unit flying U-2 was called "Black Cat.") Its mission is to fly
over China's nuclear test sites and take photographs. Reports that
U-2 were responsible for these missions were created by CIA to
fool Chinese and Russians. In fact, U-2 were only used as decoy
since they had larger RCS than RB-49F. A typical mission involved
an RB-49F and a U-2. After reaching the target area, the U-2 would
fly circles to attract the attention from Chinese SAM radars,
while RB-49F conducted its recon mission. Although several U-2s
were shot down, none of RB-49Fs flown by ROCAF was ever lost. The
ten pilots all received the Blue-sky-and-white-sun" medal, the
highest honor a Taiwanese could get. A photo showing these pilots
with then President Chiang Kai-Shek was released to the press by
accident. Later the Ministry of National Defense claimed that
these pilots were from the Black Cat squadron. However, the pilots
in this photo were wearing a bat-shaped pin on their chests. All
RB-49Fs were withdrawn to USA in either 1969 or 1970. All pilots
were also flown to USA and granted US citizenship. They are all
protected by the Witness Protection Program.
RB-49F based in Taiwan wore overall light gray with a black
"shadow" of a fullsize U-2 painted on both sides. It is said that
Squadron/Signal has obtained a photo of ROCAF RB-49F and this
photo will be included in the future "B-49 in Action." However, as
I called them to verify it, CIA cut my phone connection and two
agents came to my apartment warning me to keep my butt off. So
this is all I know about RB-49 in Taiwan.
Odds and Ends Concerning the Flying Wings
by
Michael W. Scheel
Since ROCAF B-49s by Wei-Bin Chang came out. I have been asked by
several people to publish what I had undercovered in the Northup &
Goverment archives.
NASA used a early B-49 for inflight testing of satellite sensors.
The C-135 then in use couldn't get to 60000' alitudes and the U-2
didn't have the payload capablity. Contary to popular belief, the
worm logo was never used on it. It was painted flat white over
bare metal. "NASA" was in Red letters on the right wing upper /
left wing lower. N999NA was in black on both sides of the stinger
in 18" letters. A small logo of the JPL was on the nose wheel
door.
There are rumors that the US Forest Service borrowed a RB-49 for
forest fire spotting in Alaska. But they decided the fuel bill was
to high for operations, it was returned to the USAF.
The National Science Foundation considered a GreenPeace plan for
reconnaissance overflights of the arctic and antarctic whaling
areas. Except for a retouched photo showing a RB-49 in GreenPeace
markings. Nothing came of it.
The NSF did bail one to the University of Colorado for their
thunderstorm research program. It was bare metal overall. N999UC
was the civil registration carried. The flight crew was retired
USAF RB-49 members with students as weather observers.
Does anyone have information that the USAF used one painted white
overall with blue "UN" on the wings in support of the United
Nations peacekeeping forces in the Congo during 1964-66?
Aviation Week once had a article about possible foreign users of
the RB-49. Named were Canada and Australia. Both later declined
for Budgetary reasons.
LBJ's Flying Wing
by
Michael W. Scheel
While CPT GR. "Bad Attitude" Broman account of the History is near
authoritative. There is one he missed. LBJ's Flying Wing, it was a
B-49D that was pulled from Davis-Monthan storage. It had been
placed in storage after a long but un-song career in SAC. It was
taken to Seattle to the special projects area where it re-emerged
nine months later in early 1968. But by then the apparent need for
it disappeared in the vagaries of American politics.
The 59-00078 had been modified to carry various television
cameras. Low-level light, starlight, long range optics are just a
few of the types carried. But what made 59-00078 unique was that
the targets that were televised could be uplinked through the new
communications satellites coming into vogue. The satellite uplink
antenna replaced the gunner blister in the rear fuselage. With a
flight crew of two with two backup there was also two electronics
technicians that oversaw the television equipment. The USAF knew
that they had something that could changed the way C3I systems
then in place.
It took a just three years before the ERB-49D would have a chance
to show it's worth. During the Linebacker raids in late 1972.
59-00078 was in place over Hanoi for up to 36 hours. While
orbiting so high over North Viet Nam it was impervious to SAMs or
MIGs of the northern forces. The television signals were sent up
to SYSCOM-1 that was in stationary orbit over the Pacific Ocean
then the downlink was received in California for transmitting over
secured lines to the Pentagon and the situation room of the White
House. It is said that President Nixon never took his eyes off the
screen during the raids. His aides would point out certain targets
as they were destroyed by the endless waves of B-49s.
The use of 59-00078 would never been public except for an
enterprising technician at a RCA satellite receiving station. He
had been tuning a downlink receiver and came across the channel.
He sold to one of the networks several hours of video-tape rolls
of the signal (He is believed to be living in Honduras).
The reader can only imagine what use LBJ had for it, his memoirs
or papers never mentioned the Flying Wing. What one President
imagined, another used to his advantage.
QNB-49
by Simon
Cribbes
Another variant was the Nuclear Powered
Strategic Bomber, the NB49. The original
design was to be a atomic power unlimited
range strategic
bomber. A standard B49 was fitted with a
small Nuclear Power unit and 6 atomic power
turbo jet units. Unfortunately after the
installation of enough lead shielding to
protect the crew, the aircraft had all but
reached its max. gross take off weight.
However the aircraft performed perfectly all
be it unarmed. During tests it competed a
double round the world trip, the only thing
that stopped it was the near mutiny of the
crew. This lead to the next version, the
QNB49, a remotely piloted version. It was
thought that the shielding could be reduced
once the crew was removed, however the early
electronic equipment required to fly such a
complex craft proved to be just as
vulnerable to radiation as the crew. It did
allow for almost unlimited flying time.
Eventually the problem of having a bomber
that could not carry bombs was solved when
it was realized that having a nuclear
reactor orbiting a city proved to be a very
influential device.
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