was installed. Additional radio and specialized meteorological equipment was installed and such refitted aircraft was redesignated WB-29. While the B-29's "public" mission was that of weather reconnaissance, the "covert" mission, that of atmospheric sampling for radiation debris, was perhaps the more critical task. WB-29s soldiered on through the mid-1950s, providing critical data on tropical storms, nuclear tests, and many other routine but important reconnaissance tasks. But the airplanes were weary, and by 1956 were replaced by a modification of seventy-eight B-50Ds to WB-50 configuration. 53d Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Kindley AFB, Bermuda (B-29, 1946–1947. WB-29, 1951–1956) 54th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Andersen AFB, Guam (B-29, 1946–1947. WB-29, 1951–1956) 55th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Fairfield-Suisun AFB, (later McClellan AFB), California (B-29, 1946–1947. TB-29/WB-29, 1951–1955) 56th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Yokota AB, Japan (WB-29, 1951–1957) 57th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Hickam AFB, Hawaii Territory (WB-29, 1951–1956) 58th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Eielson AFB, Alaska Territory (WB-29, 1951–1956) 59th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) Ladd AFB. Alaska Territory (B-29, 1946–1947. WB-29, 1955–1956) 512th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather)* (B-29, 1949–1954 RB-29/WB-29, 1949–1951) 513th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather)* (B-29, 1951–1954 RB-29/WB-29, 1950–1951) 514th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather)* (B-29, 1951–1954 TB-29/RB-29/WB-29, 1947–1951) 1st Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) (later 2078th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron)& (WB-29, 1948–1950) NOTE: *Under operational control of Far East Air Forces flying combat weather reconnaissance missions over North Korea during the Korean War Weapons Systems Development and Testing Air Technical Service Command/Air Materiel Command/Air Research and Development Command, Muroc AAF/AFB (later Edwards AFB), California Air Proving Ground Command, Eglin AFB, Florida B-29-96-BW serial number 45-21800 was used as the "mother" aircraft for launches of the Bell X-1 rocket-powered research aircraft at Edwards AFB. On October 14, 1947, Capt Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager was dropped in his X-1 from the B-29 and was credited as the first human to pilot an aircraft faster than the speed of sound. Several B-29s were modified for various experimental purposes under the designation EB-29. Perhaps the best known of these was the EB-29 used as the carrier aircraft for the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin parasite fighter in 1948. The rear bomb bay was modified to carry a special cradle from which the XF-85 could be launched and retrieved in flight. Other B-29s flown at Eglin/Muroc/Edwards AFB were XB-29E fire control test