Interesting 1946/47 photo of Sally B

This rather interesting photo was recently released by the US National Archives (photo ref 342-C-K-004851_001) and shows a line-up of some very interesting types at Wright Field, Ohio. Aside from B-25 and B-17 we have Bell XS-1, two B-29s, a step-screen C-46E, C-82 Packet, C-54, Republic XF-12, YC-97 and a C-74 Globemaster at the end of the line.

Probably of most interest to British enthusiasts is ‘Sally B’, second in line, complete with those weird wing-tip gun pods which were initially plain pods (presumably for aerodynamic study) but later the RH/stbd pod was modified to be manned and manually operated (or “inhabited” to use the period parlance) while the LH/port pod was a remote-sighted barbette.

The photo is obviously pre-October 1947 as all aircraft (on which it’s visible) carry the ‘USAAF’ star and bar; also just visible written on the original on the placard in front of the B-25 is the script, “ARMY DESIGNATION B-25” followed by “MANUFACTURER NORTH AMERICAN”. So pre-USAF (pre- 18 September 1947).

But the date of the photo is really dictated by the presence of the Bell XS-1 and its mother ship. The XS-1 is devoid of national markings and thus seen during its trial period with Bell and pre-handover to the USAAF. And since the XS-1s went to Muroc AAF where they gained star and bar markings, they would not be seen again on the east coast without their national markings.

So this now depends on whether this is the #1 or the #2 XS-1; #1 made its last flight at Pinecastle AAF on 6 March 1946, was taken back to Bell for rework and departed to Muroc as an underslung B-29 load, on 5 April 1947. #2 meanwhile had been delivered to Muroc by B-29 on 7 October 1946 and made its first flight there on 11 October.

This puts the Sally B photo at somewhere between 19 January 1946 (the first XS-1 flight with the B-29, shortly after roll-out) and either 5 April 1947 if it’s the #1 XS-1 in the photo; or between 19 January 1946 and 7 October 1946 if it’s the #2. (the #3 XS-1 had a different, unbraced canopy and was never painted orange).

Can anyone pin it down further?