Boeings B-47, which went into service in 1951, but never saw any actual combat action, has been credited with many of the design inovations which are reflected in todays airliners and was the fore runner of the mighty B-52! The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes to avoid enemy interception. The B-47's mission was primarily to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union. With its engines carried in pods under the swept wing, the B-47 was a major innovation in post-World War II combat jet design, and helped lead to modern jet airliners.
The B-47 entered service with the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1951. It never saw combat as a bomber, but was a mainstay of SAC's bomber strength during the 1950s and early 1960s, and remained in use as a bomber until 1965. It was also adapted to a number of other missions, including photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence and weather reconnaissance, remaining in service as a reconnaissance platform until 1969 and as a testbed until 1977.
During early tests of the XB-47 prototype, the canopy came off at high speed, killing pilot Scott Osler. The copilot safely landed the aircraft. This resulted in a canopy redesign, and the hiring of pilot Tex Johnston as chief test pilot. (Anybody know what Tex Johnston did as Boeing test pilot that no one else did, or would never do again).
I think this pic was taken at Walker Air Force base, sometime in the middle 50's.
One of the most awesome sights you would ever see!
A common sight at most SAC bases around the U.S.
There were 2,032 of these B-47's built and was used until 1965 in various roles in the Air Force. It had 6, J-47, General Elect dash25 engines, which produce enough thrust to have a 4,660 foot rate of climb and could cruise at 557 MPH. It had a service ceiling of 33,100 feet, but many other models, which were lighter in weight, such as the RB-47 could fly much higher. It had a ferry range of 4,647 miles, with reserves and it could defend itself to some degree, using 2, 20MM tail cannon, fired and aimed by a AN/APG-39 radar system.
This is one of the aircraft which was featured in the Jimmie Stewart movie, Stratgic Air command, and was filmed at MacDill AFB near Tampa in 1955. The bombardment wing was the 306th BG which furnished the B-47's for the movie.
One of the key flights was an overseas transfere of the whole wing to Yakoda AFB in Japan, non stop, with in flight refueling, featuring Jimmy Stewart as an aircraft commander on one of the B-47's.
Would be difficult to pick the most beautiful bomber between this B-47 and the B-36 Peacemaker!
