General characteristics
- Crew:Four (Pilot, Co-Pilot, Bombardier-Navigator and Tail Gunner)
- Length:75 ft 4 in (22.96 m)
- Wingspan:89 ft 0 in (27.14 m)
- Height:25 ft 2 in (7.67 m)
- Wing area:1,175 ft² (109.2 m²)
- Empty weight:45,694 lb (20,726 kg)
- Loaded weight:81,418 lb (36,930 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight:91,775 lb (41,628 kg)
- Powerplant:4 ×General Electric J47-GE-13[17]turbojets, 5,200 lbf (25 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed:566 mph (492 kn, 911 km/h)
- Cruise speed:365 mph (587 km/h)
- Range:1,192 mi (1,036 nmi, 1,919km)
- Ferry range:2,170 mi (1,886 nmi, 3,493 km)
- Service ceiling:46,000 ft (14,020 m)
- Rate of climb:5,200 ft/min (1,585 m/min)
- Wing loading:69.3 lb/ft² (338.4 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight:0.26
Armament
- Guns:2 × .50 in (12.7 mm)M3 machine guns(tail turret).
- Bombs:Up to 22,000lb (10,000kg)
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| Role | Strategic bomber |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
| First flight | February 24,1947 |
| Introduction | April 22,1948 |
| Retired | 1959 |
| Primaryusers | United States Air Force Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 143 |
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TheNorth American B-45 Tornadowas theUnited States Air Force's (USAF) first operational jetbomber, and the first multiengine jet bomber in the world to be refueled in midair.[2][3]The B-45 was an important part of theUnited States's nucleardeterrentfor several years in the early 1950s, but was soon superseded by theBoeing B-47 Stratojet. B-45s and RB-45s served in the United States Air Force'sStrategic Air Commandfrom 1950 until 1959.
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The B-45 began development in 1944, when theU.S. War Department, alarmed byGermanjet bombers like theArado Ar 234, called for a new family of jet bombers grossing between 80,000lb (36,287kg) and 200,000lb (90,718kg). The proposal fromNorth American Aviation(NA-130) won, and on September 8, 1944, the company began production of threeprototypesbased on the NA-130.
The end ofWorld War IIresulted in the cancellation of many projects and delayed many others. In 1946, rising tensions with theSoviet Unioncaused theU.S. Army Air Forces(USAAF) to assign higher priorities to jet bomber development and production. By mid-1946, the XB-45 andConvair XB-46neared completion, but the BoeingXB-47andMartin XB-48were 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 lightreconnaissancegroups with B-45As, but as the B-47's development and flight-testing made future production all but certain, the future of the B-45 became increasingly uncertain, and in mid-1948 the U.S.Air Staffbegan to question its value. Soon afterwards,President Truman'sbudget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to a total of 142 airframes. Further budget cuts in 1950 forced the Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order. The cancellation of the 51 was announced 7 January 1949.[4]The B-45 was later replaced by the supersonicConvair B-58 Hustler.
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Korean War[edit]
Continuously plagued by engine problems along with numerous other minor flaws, the B-45 regained importance when after the United States entered theKorean Warin 1950, it proved its value both as a bomber and as a reconnaissance aircraft. The mass dedication of U.S. forces to the Korean War revealed the vulnerability ofNorth Atlantic Treaty Organizationforces 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 most post-World War IIAmerican 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 the U.S. inventory, effectively allowing smaller aircraft such as the B-45 to carry out nuclear strikes, a mission which had initially been confined 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 were equipped with a new defensive system and additional fuel tankage. Despite the magnitude of the modifications project, plus ongoing problems with the early jet engines, nuclear-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 World War II-era piston-engineRB-29swhich had proved to be easy targets for North KoreanMiGs.[5]The RB-45s provided valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War, despite the limited number of airframes available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they were switched to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to aMiG-15.[6]
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Operation Ju-jitsu[edit]
The only other nation to use the RB-45C was theUnited Kingdom, where it was operated by anad hocunit of crews largely drawn from Nos.35and115squadrons. Whilst theUSAFwas prohibited by the President of the United States from overflying the Soviet Union unless under a state of war, US allies closer to the European theatre of war could. In theUnited Kingdom, whilst successive Labour governments had refused, the return ofWinston Churchilland a Conservative administration toDowning Streetbrought a more co-operative atmosphere to joint intelligence initiatives.
As a result, underOperation Ju-jitsu, in July 1951 four aircraft were leased to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form 'Special Duties Flight, Sculthorpe', commanded bySquadron LeaderJohn Crampton. Stripped of all USAF markings and then applied withRAF markings, the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based atRAF Sculthorpe,Norfolkin eastern England. The aircraft were tasked with flying deep-level reconnaissance missions over theSoviet Unionto gatherelectronicandphotographic intelligence. The Special Duties Flight conducted missions during the period 1952–54.
On April 17, 1952, three aircraft were assigned to head forKievfrom Germany, scheduled to return to Sculthorpe ten hours later. Flying at 36,000 feet (11,000m), Crampton's aircraft was tracked by ground radar and came under antiaircraft 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.[8]
Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out usingEnglish Electric Canberrasunder the codenameProject Robin, operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000ft (16,000m). It was not until 1994 (under the "fifty-year rule" of thePublic Records Act 1958) that the existence of the spy missions became public knowledge.
