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 All RB-49Fs were withdrawn to USA in either 1969 or 1970.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.

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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.

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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.

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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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