RARE 1949 Lucky Lady II B-50 Bomber Archive: Official 4x5 Negative, Photo & Text For Sale

MUSEUM-GRADE 1949 COLD WAR AVIATION ARCHIVAL TRIO – THE "LUCKY LADY II" FIRST NON-STOP AROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHTAvailable now is an exceptional, investment-grade 3-piece historical document package capturing one of the single greatest milestones in aviation history: the takeoff and in-flight capture of the Boeing B-50A Superfortress "Lucky Lady II" (Serial No. 46-010) as it embarked on its legendary, world-record non-stop global flight on February 26, 1949.This cohesive collection boasts perfect institutional provenance, linking all three historic elements together through matching military archive catalog identifiers.📦 What is Included in This Archive:

1. Original 4" x 5" Large-Format Master Negative: A beautiful, high-contrast, official Air Corps master negative showing the Lucky Lady II soaring mid-air. The bottom edge is clearly etched with the official military filing index: 8360 A.C. (signifying official Air Corps archival recording).
2. Vintage Development Print: A period 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" photographic print showcasing the framing of the aircraft on the tarmac/flight line, in air.
3. Official U.S. Air Force Typewritten Press Write-up: The original typed description sheet that directly accompanied this official image release. It features a perfectly matching index header: "8360 A.C. - START OF THE NON-STOP, ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT OF 'LUCKY LADY II'..." It details the crew of 14 men from the 43rd Bomb Group taking off from Carswell Air Force Base at precisely 11:21 A.M. CST. The bottom explicitly dictates the publishing requirement: PLEASE CREDIT: "OFFICIAL U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO."

🚨 SPECIAL ARCHIVAL FEATURE: HISTORIC MID-AIR REFUELING SEQUENCEThe imagery in this archive documents the actual, high-stakes mechanics of the historic 1949 global flight. This sequence captures the precise left-to-right mid-air refueling configuration used over the open ocean before the invention of modern refueling booms:

• The Aircraft on the Right (KB-29M Tanker): This is a modified World War II-era B-29 Superfortress assigned to the 43rd Air Refueling Squadron. It is flying forward, actively trailing a primitive steel-cable and flexible fuel-hose system backward from its tail cone assembly.
• The Aircraft on the Left (B-50A Lucky Lady II): This is the receiver plane, featuring the distinctively taller, enlarged vertical tail fin characteristic of the upgraded B-50 series. It is captured flying directly in trail, positioned to manually snare and reel the fuel line into its nose compartment.

🎯 Visual Model Markers for buyers:

• Tail Profile Comparison: buyers can visually confirm the two distinct generations of Boeing aircraft in this frame. The receiver on the left showcases the extended, heightened vertical stabilizer of the Cold War B-50A, while the tanker on the right displays the classic, lower-profile curved fin of the WWII B-29.
• Historical Rarity: Mid-air refueling action photography from this specific 1949 trial is exceptionally scarce. Because a tanker crew from this exact squadron tragically crashed in heavy weather during the return trip, this master negative remains a rare, primary-source tribute to the dangerous, pioneering mechanics of the mission.

⚓ Historical Context & Significance:Commanded by Captain James Gallagher under the watchful eye of SAC General Curtis LeMay, the Lucky Lady II circumnavigated the globe in 94 hours and 1 minute, sustained by four hazardous mid-air refuelings. This flight was a massive technological flex during the dawn of the Cold War, proving to global adversaries that the US military possessed true global atomic strike capability.Because the Lucky Lady II was severely damaged and written off following a crash just a year later in 1950, surviving official base-level master negatives and primary source documentation from this historic 1949 flight are incredibly rare.🔍 Condition Report:

• Film Negative: Excellent archival condition. Held flat, crisp, and exceptionally clear. No major deep emulsion scratches. The structural margins are completely intact.
• Paper Elements: The original typewritten sheet shows authentic age toning and handling wear consistent with a 1940s document, including some vintage tape residue on the back, preserving its rich historic character.

Please see the close-up lightboard photos provided to verify the extreme clarity of the negative text matching the typed document.📦 Shipping & Handling:The negative and paper elements will be packed flat between rigid pieces of extra-thick cardboard inside a weather-sealed sleeve to ensure absolute protection during transit. Shipped fully insured with tracking.