Evening star., 1948-11-22
Flying Tanker Fleets
Planned for Bombers;;
B-36 Gets New Engine
kx the As.eeiofed Press

o9A GULL OAAC S4oS@4 ASSASA@ "a VIVA
the present workhorse of its
bomber force, the. BIO Super
fortress and the giant new B-96.
This was disclosed in two de-
velopments today:
l. Word that fleets of hying
"tankers" are planned for six of
the groups of strategic bombers
operated by the Air Force. These
refuel the Super Fortress bombers
refuel the Superfortress bombers
along their route to a target, thus
extending their range.
2. Tests of a B-36 with new en-
gines of more power and presumably
greater fuel economy to provide
more speed and range.
The Air Force has high hopes for
the aerial refueling system. Air
Secretary Symington told con-
gressional committee last spring
that with such a system, B-29s could
bomb any part of Russia from
bases in Alaska or Laborador.
15.Minute Task Seen.
Technioues and equipment de-
veloped in Air Force experiments
for more than a year are believed 10
have evolved a system whereby
super-fortress could be filled with
virtually a full load OF gasoline IN
fifteen minutes while flying along
the course to a distant target.
At the time of his statement. Sec
retary Symington said Air Force
units would be equipped for refuel-
ing by early 1949.
It was learned today the current
plans contemplate equipping SIX
groups of Boeing B-29s for aerial
refueling. In doing this, the size OF
the groups will be expanded not
only by adding the tanker B-2ss but
by putting more combat bombers
in each group.
The Air Force is described as pro-
posing to keep the composition OF
a B-29 group at three squadrons,
but each squadron would have Is
instead of 10 bombers. The total
number of bombers and tankers IN
q group would be IS instead Of the
current 30 bombers only.
Fewer Groups May Result.
Informed quarters said the Air
Force might report that funds in
the national defence budget now
being prepared might allow the oper-
alton of only 48 instead of the pres
ent 55-group long range bomber
force.
However, the augmented size Of
the six groups Of tanker-refueling
bombers would mean that the final
total of planes operated would be
the same as at present.
The Air Force announced that
flight tests of the six-engined B-36
will be completed about mid-Decem-
Der.
The tests are being made from the
Fort Worth, Tex, plant of Consol-
idated Vultee Aircraft Corp. with a
production model of the huge bomb
er. The model is fitted with six
Pratt and Whitney engines develop
ing $500 horsepower each on take
of. Earlier models have used Q
5000 horsepower engine.
Performance Improved.
The new engines, said the Air
Force, have improved the B-36s
performance, including rate OF
climb, ceiling ana speed.@
The Air Force noted, without re-
lating 1t to the announcement OF
tests with the new engine THAT the
B-36 was designed to fly 10000 miles
with 10000 pounds of bombs, "but
has not yet achieved this perfor-
nance" However, it added, the
plane has Ca flown approximately
5000 miles with a sizeable load Of
dummy bombs which it dropped
midway on the long fight, and (b)
has taken off at a total weight
exceeding 100000 pounds and flown
5000 miles at an average air speed
of more than 300 miles an hour.
1t is unusual for normal factory
Air Force testing of plane still
to be going on while models OF the
plane are in operational use. But
the 7th Bomb Wing at Carswen