By 1955, the WB-29s had a lot of corrosion and were replaced by the WB-50.
It looked very similar to the WB-29, except its 3500-horsepower engines required
a larger tail to stabilize it, so the WB-50 was five feet taller. It could also fly 850 miles further.
The WB-50 had an important role during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when it monitored
the weather around Cuba to plan photo-reconnaissance flights. Although weather
flying was considered a "peacetime" mission, the aging WB-50s took their toll, and
claimed 66 lives in 13 accidents over their 10-year history in weather.
