RB-50 AIRCRAFT
The B-50 looked similar in appearance to the B-29, but the B-50 had thicker skin; the wings were 16% stronger, 26% more efficient, & 650 pounds lighter. The tail was five feet taller and could fold down. The engines, R4360, had 59% more horsepower than the R3350 but were not as reliable. The squadron was to start with seven (7) RB-50 aircraft.
Operationally, the squadron was to be divided into two flights known as Flight “A” or “Half-Track” with two RB-50D aircraft, and Flight “B” or “Dream-Boat” with five RB-50D aircraft. The squadron was expected to be operational by 15 March 1956. On 13 Sept 1955 Lt Col George J Byars, USAF, was assigned as Squadron Commander. Present for duty were 5 Officers and 32 Airmen. On 19 Oct 1955 Capt Stanley B Klein, USAF, was assigned Operations Officer. On 19 Nov 1955 Major Joseph F Herrmann Jr, USAF, was assigned Operations Officer. Maintenance personnel were sent to the 97th Bombardment Wing at Lakenheath Air Base, England, for familiarization on B-50 aircraft.

Flight “A” (Half-Track):
These RB-50D aircraft had two pilots (AC & copilot), two navigators (radar & radio), a flight engineer, a radio operator, two scanners/gunners (the acft had two upper & two lower gun turrets), and a tail gunner.

The RB-50D had a single large molded plastic nose with a flat bomb-aimer’s window in the lower portion. The acft also had a droppable 700 gallon tank under each wing and a single-point fueling system; this system was not used on the 7406 Squadron aircraft. On 6 March 1956 the first “Half-Track” RB-50D, 49-312, piloted by Captains Kirkbride & Jeremica, arrived from the ZI. On 3 April 1956 the second “Half-Track” RB-50D, 48-107, arrived. This aircraft was in such poor condition that it was cannibalized for parts. On 26 May 1956 the third “Half-Track” RB-50D, 49-307, piloted by Jessie DeHay & George Berg, arrived. These aircraft were aluminum-colored. They were modified by Goodyear (General Dynamics) at Akron, OH. On 1 June 1956 the squadron started flying “Half Track” operational missions. The squadron had 29 Officers and 86 Airmen.
“Half-Track” was ATRAN (Automatic Terrain Recognition And Navigation) the back-end crew consisted of two persons. These two sat in the scanner/gunner compartment, aft of the bomb bays, during take off & landings. During missions these two sat on a platform in the forward bomb bay. These missions were designed to collect radar images of actual terrain over which the Martin TM-61 Matador tactical missile would fly. The missile’s on-board radar would compare what it saw with these images, and keep the missile on its correct course. Low level flights commencing from points in Western Germany were flown to the East German border. Continuation of the flight pattern would be simulated on a “sand table” and attached to the Half-Track negative film.
This entire program was compromised with the publication of one Aviation Week magazine article in Aug 1956 all “Half-Track” missions stopped.
In Jan 1957 the squadron was relieved of flying “Half Track” missions.
With the end of the “Half-Track” missions, aircraft 48-107 & 49-312 were returned to the ZI but 49-307 was kept as a training aircraft. At first
49-307 did flight training, but it was then used mainly as a serviceable engine stand. These engines were used to keep mission aircraft serviceable. In the training modification all the guns and fuel drop tanks were removed.

Flight “B” (Dreamboat):
Three aircraft were RB-50E, 47-120, 47-126, & 47-129. The other two aircraft were RB-50Gs 47-136 & 47-157. These aircraft had additional radar equipment and no droppable fuel tanks or single-point fuel system and no upper or lower gun turrets, but they retained the tail guns. Four Dreamboat aircraft were painted a flat black on the bottom, typical of SAC bombers of the early 50s.One aircraft, 47-157, was painted all flat black. These aircraft were modified by TEMCO at Majors Field, Greenville, TX. There were 6 back-enders in these acft. Five radio operators (linguists) and one radio technician. Their stations were in the scanner/gunner compartment aft of the bomb bays. In December 1956 the first “Dreamboat” aircraft RB-50G 47-157 arrived, piloted by Maj. Paul H. Swanson, copilot Capt. Fred L. McDowell Jr., navigator 2nd Lt. Lawrence L. Lively, navigator Maj. Francis B. Shaffer, flight engineer M.Sgt. Frank C. Martin, radio operator S.Sgt. John D. Mulkey, gunner/scanner M.Sgt. Lawrence Gumenski, gunner/scanner S.Sgt. Neil W. Hurley, & 6911th NCOIC radio operator T.Sgt. Stanley E. Kresge. On 1 January 1957 the squadron had 41 Officers and 161 Airmen. The first “Dreamboat” mission was flown on 12 Jan 1957. The squadron then had only one “Dreamboat” aircraft.