Bombs away! Post WWII American Bombers Quiz

Answer: B-47 Stratojet

Even though it had six state-of-the-art jet engines, many variants of the B-47 used JATO packs (short for jet-assisted takeoff) to help the bomber lift off shorter runways, especially while carrying a full load.

Answer: B-50 Superfortress

The B-50 was an updated version of the B-29, the USAAF's mainstay in the Pacific during the final full year of WWII. Although both were called Superfortress, enough changes to the power plant, tail assembly and more warranted giving the bomber a new numerical designation. The B-50 saw extensive use in Korea and the early nuclear weapons testing program.

Answer: XB-70 Valkyrie

The XB-70 project was canceled after a prototype crashed when a chase plane collided with the bomber, killing all on board the XB-70. The XB-35 was the precursor of the YB-49 Flying Wing, the latter of which was canceled after several crashes. The B-1 was canceled in the 1970s due to costs but was revived in the 1980s and went into service in 1986.

The YB-40 was a variant of the venerable B-17 Flying Fortress designed to live up to the bomber's name. It had up to 18 machine guns (or more) and was used to escort regular B-17s over occupied Europe from May to October 1943 until long-range fighters took over escort duties.

Answer: B-47 Stratojet

The B-47 Stratojet, which traced its development back to a USAAF contract in 1943, was the first jet bomber in service to feature engines in pylons under the wings. Following this successful design, some future passenger jumbo jets featured engines in pods under the wings.

Answer: B-58 Hustler

The B-58 Hustler never saw actual combat, though it did set several performance records in the 1960s. The B-50 was used extensively in Korea, and the B-1 and B-2 in Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. The B-1 and B-2 are still in service, though a deadly takeoff crash in 2008 caused the Air Force to ground all Spirits for several months. (I live in Missouri and saw several parallel contrails high in the sky in October 2001; they were made by B-2 Spirits from Whiteman AFB in Missouri on their way to Afghanistan on the first day of the war.)

Answer: B-36 Peacemaker

A variant of the B-36 Peacemaker was modified to carry a parasite fighter, such as an F-84. The parasite program was designed to provide long-range heavy bombers with defensive fighters that would only deploy when the bombers were threatened. However, after several tests with various existing and experimental fighter craft, and the advent of the surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile, the concept was dropped permanently in the 1960s.

Answer: False

The YB-49 Flying Wing never went beyond the prototype stage. The project was canceled following several crashes, with the Air Force deciding to concentrate on the larger, but less-advanced, B-36.

Answer: B-36 Peacemaker, B-47 Stratojet, B-58 Hustler, B-52 Stratofortess

The B-36 was retired first, in 1959, in favor of the B-52. The B-47 Stratojet bomber was retired in 1965, though a reconnaissance version remained in service until 1969. The B-58 was retired in 1970 when delivery began on the General Dynamics F-111 fighter/bomber.

The B-52 Stratofortress has been serving continually since 1955. Extensive modifications to this venerable bomber have ensured that it will remain on front-line duty well into this century. Because of its longevity, payload, range, etc., The Military Channel declared the B-52 the greatest bomber of all time in a "Top 10" episode on bombers.

Answer: B-57 Canberra

It's the B-57 Canberra, a post-war light bomber that the Martin aircraft company derived from the Royal Air Force's bomber of the same name (similar to the way the Harrier jump jet used by the US Marine Corps is based on the British-built Harrier).

Answer: B-36

"Six turning and four burning" refers to the six pusher propeller engines and four jet engines on the B-36. Pilots would sometimes say this when they were ready to take off. The Peacemaker was undoubtedly the most unusual big bomber of the post-war decades.