page_title: North American B-45 Tornado
section_title: Aircraft on display
hierarchical_section_title: North American B-45 Tornado / Aircraft on display
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force North American B-45C Tornado (s/n 48-010) at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Dayton, Ohio (USA).
context_page_description: The North American B-45 Tornado was an early American jet-powered bomber designed and manufactured by aircraft company North American Aviation. It has the distinction of being the first operational jet bomber to enter service with the United States Air Force, as well as being the first multiengine jet bomber in the world to be refueled in midair.
  The B-45 originated from a wartime initiative launched by the U.S. War Department, which sought a company to develop a jet-propelled bomber to equal those being fielded by Nazi Germany, such as the Arado Ar 234. Following a competitive review of the submissions, the War Department issued a contract to North American to develop its NA-130 proposal; on 8 September 1944, work commenced on the assembly of three prototypes. However, progress on the program was delayed by post-war cutbacks in defense expenditure, but soon regained importance due to growing tensions between America and the Soviet Union. On 2 January 1947, North American was issued with a production contract for the bomber by the USAF, which had been designated B-45A. On 24 February 1947, the first prototype performed its maiden flight.
context_section_description: Three B-45s have survived to the present day.
  B-45A
  AF Ser. No. 47-0008 – Castle Air Museum at the former Castle AFB in Atwater, California.
  B-45C
  AF Ser. No. 48-0010 – in the Cold War Hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio, The aircraft was used by Pratt & Whitney for engine testing, and was flown to the Museum in 1971.
  RB-45C
  AF Ser. No. 48-0017 – Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.
caption: B-45C, AF Ser. No. 48-010, on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
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