By 1957 the production had come to an end with some 2,048 aircraft having been produced, but continued to serve with the SAC until the 1960s, retirement coming in 1966 for the bombers and the reconnaissance versions staying until 1967.
The production of this aircraft was largely split between production bomber models and those converted for reconnaissance. With the bomber models/variants there was some modification for the deployment of special weapons or to evaluate advanced bomber/navigation radar system. The most prevalent modification was for the purpose of reconnaissance, which saw the fitting of camera pods to the bomb bay, early versions having 8 cameras and later having 11.
Some versions were fitted for electronic surveillance, with the bomb bay housing the equipment and operators. In this case the crew now consisted to 2-3 more members, bringing the total to 5-6 persons. Building on it use for electronic duty others were used as a communications relay. Their were a few instances (2) of the airframe being modified for in flight probe and drogue re-fueling, one of which was as a tanker.
This aircraft had a very cramped crew quarters, with said accommodation being a problem for said crew on these otherwise long missions. Despite this it performance and handling endeared it to its crew, with many going the extra mile to ensure that the aircraft was well maintained and always ready to fly.
Its design and integration of technology mad it stand out during this era of long range bombers, arguably given that its descendant was the B-52, it may very well have been the one that ushered in the new age of long range turbojet bomber, delivering faster response times and heavier payloads. In particular its physical design marked a significant departure from the traditional, its sweeping thin wings, made it seem almost graceful what compared to the straight chunky wings of its predecessors.
Added to that was the fact that it used the turbojet engine that, housed within streamlined pods complemented the overall aesthetic of the airframe unlike any other at the time or before, which up til that point had piston driven propeller engines as it primary mean of propulsion.
| Manufactured by | Boeing Military Airplane | ||
| Engines | 6 GE J-47-GE-25 Turbojet | ||
| Crew | 3 Pilot, Co-Pilot and Bombardier/Navigator | ||
| Weight | Empty 80,756lb |
Combat 124,875lb |
Maximum 221,000lb |
| Dimensions | Wingspan 116 ft. |
Length 107.1 ft. |
 Height 28ft. |
| Performance | Max. Speed 606mph @ 16,300ft |
Max. Range 2,014mi w/ 10,000lbs |
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