North American B-45 Tornado

The North American B-45 Tornado was the first operational jet bomber in U.S. Air Force service and the first multi-engine jet aircraft to be refueled in flight. It first flew on March 17, 1947, and entered service in 1948. Powered by four General Electric J47 turbojets mounted in paired underwing nacelles, the straight-winged Tornado carried a crew of four and a substantial bomb load, including, in modified form, nuclear weapons.

Stationed in Britain during the early 1950s, B-45s provided the United States with a forward-based atomic strike capability before more advanced jet bombers became available. RB-45C reconnaissance variants flew sensitive overflight missions, including covert sorties over the Soviet Union and combat reconnaissance during the Korean War. Though quickly overtaken by swept-wing designs like the B-47, the Tornado was an important transitional aircraft into the jet bomber age.