# B-47 Beautiful bomber



## Wildr1 (May 23, 2018)



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## Capt. Vick (May 23, 2018)

Hey! That guy is stealing a tire!


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## Wurger (May 23, 2018)

Nope. IMHO he is going to sell that on Ebay as a Spitfire one.

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## Airframes (May 23, 2018)

If he got the wheels, who got the stereo ?
Great pics of a nice looking aircraft.


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## Wildr1 (May 25, 2018)



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## Wurger (May 25, 2018)




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## billrunnels (May 25, 2018)

Beautiful Aircraft. I think the wing tips had a flex of about 27 ft.


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## vikingBerserker (May 25, 2018)

I love the white-walls!


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## Donivanp (May 25, 2018)

Love the B-47, One of the sexiest designs every to come out of an aircraft company.

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## billrunnels (May 25, 2018)

The drooping wings when on the ground gave it the nick name "Sick Chicken". I think they used support poles under the wing tips when parked for a period of time.

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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

During the Cuban missile crisis Plattsburgh AFB dispersed a squadron of B-47s to BTV in hopes they'd survive a nuke attack on the base. Their KC-97 tankers had our local airport, MPV, as a designated recovery field for "after the blast" so they kept coming over to practice approaches and mix it up with the Cessnas, Pipers, and Ercoupes in the pattern. They couldn't land or even do touch and goes, as they were too heavy for the pavement, and the runway was too short for safety. If they had ever had to actually land, it would have been a last-ditch situation. When one of them would go missed approach from 200 feet over the runway with "four churnin' and two burnin' " you would wonder if WWIII had begun and hope all the little planes were securely tied down. Four 4360s and two J-34s could wake the dead! And create a mini tornado.
When the crisis was over and it was time to go home, the B-47s defueled til they only had their payload and enough gas to get across the lake to Plattsburgh, but they still had really long ground runs on takeoff, and wound up firing their JATOs to get off.
Cheers,
Wes

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## billrunnels (May 26, 2018)

XBe02Drvr said:


> During the Cuban missile crisis Plattsburgh AFB dispersed a squadron of B-47s to BTV in hopes they'd survive a nuke attack on the base. Their KC-97 tankers had our local airport, MPV, as a designated recovery field for "after the blast" so they kept coming over to practice approaches and mix it up with the Cessnas, Pipers, and Ercoupes in the pattern. They couldn't land or even do touch and goes, as they were too heavy for the pavement, and the runway was too short for safety. If they had ever had to actually land, it would have been a last-ditch situation. When one of them would go missed approach from 200 feet over the runway with "four churnin' and two burnin' " you would wonder if WWIII had begun and hope all the little planes were securely tied down. Four 4360s and two J-34s could wake the dead! And create a mini tornado.
> Cheers,
> Wes


Sounds like a real fiasco. That would give the Air Traffic Controllers a fit.


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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> Sounds like a real fiasco. That would give the Air Traffic Controllers a fit.


What air traffic controllers? Lazy Podunk country airport with a 5000 foot strip and one (DC-3) airline flight a day? Dream on! Vermont not only has the smallest capital city in the US, it also has the smallest capital city airport in the country.
Cheers,
Wes


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## billrunnels (May 26, 2018)

XBe02Drvr said:


> What air traffic controllers? Lazy Podunk country airport with a 5000 foot strip and one (DC-3) airline flight a day? Dream on! Vermont not only has the smallest capital city in the US, it also has the smallest capital city airport in the country.
> Cheers,
> Wes


Sorry about that. I didn't always hit the target during WWII
Sounds like a place I would enjoy!

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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

Did you see the shot of the -97 and the -47 tanking? Notice the deck angles of the two? My old Chief Pilot at the airline started out as a crew chief/flight engineer on 97s and then became a boomer. He said the B-47's stall speed at altitude was same as the 97's max level flight speed (on fresh engines), so they would routinely tank in a shallow dive at full throttle with the bomber throwing out all the drag it had available. Hairy business. He got tired of it and applied to the Air Cadet program and came back as a KC pilot, went on to 135s, then FB-111s and retired as a full bird and an FB-111 check airman and Director of Training.
Cheers,
Wes


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## billrunnels (May 26, 2018)

XBe02Drvr said:


> Did you see the shot of the -97 and the -47 tanking? Notice the deck angles of the two? My old Chief Pilot at the airline started out as a crew chief/flight engineer on 97s and then became a boomer. He said the B-47's stall speed at altitude was same as the 97's max level flight speed (on fresh engines), so they would routinely tank in a shallow dive at full throttle with the bomber throwing out all the drag it had available. Hairy business. He got tired of it and applied to the Air Cadet program and came back as a KC pilot, went on to 135s, then FB-111s and retired as a full bird and an FB-111 check airman and Director of Training.
> Cheers,
> Wes


The refueling sounds complicated. Your Chief Pilot had a great career.


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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> Sounds like a place I would enjoy!


You would have back then. It's kinda dead now. NO airline service, one UPS feeder flight a day, and the FBO laid off their last flight instructor a year ago. They still run a maintenance shop and pump gas, but they're withering on the vine.
Burlington International Airport, 29 miles by Interstate highway, has all the facilities, good airline service, reliable ILS approaches (to both ends of the main runway), two FBOs, two flight schools, a world class charter company, and any level of maintenance you could hope for, including a Pratt and Whitney service center. Hard to compete with that.
Cheers,
Wes


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## Gnomey (May 26, 2018)

Lovely shots!


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## billrunnels (May 26, 2018)

XBe02Drvr said:


> You would have back then. It's kinda dead now. NO airline service, one UPS feeder flight a day, and the FBO laid off their last flight instructor a year ago. They still run a maintenance shop and pump gas, but they're withering on the vine.
> Burlington International Airport, 29 miles by Interstate highway, has all the facilities, good airline service, reliable ILS approaches (to both ends of the main runway), two FBOs, two flight schools, a world class charter company, and any level of maintenance you could hope for, including a Pratt and Whitney service center. Hard to compete with that.
> Cheers,
> Wes


Sounds like Burlington International is filling the roll of a Regional Airport. I saw a lot of that taking place during my time in Commercial Aviation. The Regional Airports enabled Airlines to bring modern day jet service to the rural areas which they could not prepare for.


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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> Sounds like Burlington International is filling the roll of a Regional Airport. I saw a lot of that taking place during my time in Commercial Aviation. The Regional Airports enabled Airlines to bring modern day jet service to the rural areas which they could not prepare for.


Yup, that's what they do. I used to take my flight students over there to experience the RAPCON and Control Tower. In those days you could walk right in and get a tour of the facilities any time, day or night.
The facility chief got in trouble frequently with his Air Traffic Service superiors because he didn't meet his quota of FAR violation write-ups against pilots, and because he had so many controllers on staff who were licensed pilots, a combination that died-in-the-wool controllers are inherently suspicious of. It took them awhile to realize that BTV actually had a lower than usual violation rate, and that it was due largely to his (and his controllers) pilot education efforts, and his low-sress management style.
Cheers,
Wes


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## billrunnels (May 26, 2018)

XBe02Drvr said:


> Yup, that's what they do. I used to take my flight students over there to experience the RAPCON and Control Tower. In those days you could walk right in and get a tour of the facilities any time, day or night.
> The facility chief got in trouble frequently with his Air Traffic Service superiors because he didn't meet his quota of FAR violation write-ups against pilots, and because he had so many controllers on staff who were licensed pilots, a combination that died-in-the-wool controllers are inherently suspicious of. It took them awhile to realize that BTV actually had a lower than usual violation rate, and that it was due largely to his (and his controllers) pilot education efforts, and his low-sress management style.
> Cheers,
> Wes


I have a lot of respect for the controllers at busy airports. The level of stress is, as you know, very high.

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## XBe02Drvr (May 26, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> I have a lot of respect for the controllers at busy airports. The level of stress is, as you know, very high.


You couldn't pay me enough to do that job.
When I was in the Nav, I used to go out to the GCA/RAPCON trailer with a buddy on a slow night and play bridge with the two controllers on duty. After each set, we would move ninety degrees around the table, and whoever was by the scope had to put on the headset and work any traffic that called in. This sometimes got a little hilarious as a non-controller tried to sound professional over the air while being coached in the other ear. Fortunately, traffic in Key West airspace during the graveyard shift was mighty rare.
Cheers,
Wes

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## Prop Duster (May 30, 2018)

In the very early 50's my dad would take me down to the airfield fence in Wichita and we could watch B-47s taxi out and take off . Needless to say as a kid, I was awed and amazed by the plane my dad helped build. Boy they were so sleek compared to those old B29s, and if loud meant power and might they were IT!

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## fliger747 (May 31, 2018)

I remember as a kid climbing around in the cockpit of a B-47 at LAFB, yes every fifties kid's idea of a cool airplane! The guy I ice skate with every day was an electronics warfare officer on one before going on to a varied career including the B-52. The two EWO's rode in a capsule in the bomb bay. On takeoff they _sat_ in the isle below the pilots then entered their station via access through the nose wheel well into the bomb bay.

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## XBe02Drvr (May 31, 2018)

fliger747 said:


> I remember as a kid climbing around in the cockpit of a B-47 at LAFB


Laughlin, Loring, Lowry, Luke? What AFB? There's also Little Rock and Los Angeles, but I don't think there was any SAC activity at those.


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## 25Kingman49 (May 31, 2018)

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was certainly a beautiful aircraft particular for its role as the first all jet bomber to be introduced to SAC. 

Then came the Convair B-58 Hustler. For me, true elegance with its delta swept wing design. Sorry to the Stratojet and BUFF fans but I think the Hustler wins the beauty contest; simply one mans opinion.

In the air or on the ground one sleek airframe










Way too much Hustler info here

_View: https://youtu.be/0M8rzZB4qww_

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## Wurger (May 31, 2018)




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## Capt. Vick (May 31, 2018)

And the tires were so small!


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## 25Kingman49 (May 31, 2018)

And there were so many more (tires)...

For those nerds who care 

_View: https://vimeo.com/45996409_


It is a concern this "Hustler" content is dragging this thread off topic from its original focus.

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## Wildr1 (Jun 6, 2018)



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## Wildr1 (Jun 23, 2018)



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## Wurger (Jun 24, 2018)



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## Wildr1 (Jun 25, 2018)



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## vikingBerserker (Jun 25, 2018)

Nice!


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## Gnomey (Jun 25, 2018)

Good shots!


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## Wurger (Jun 26, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Jun 26, 2018)



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## vikingBerserker (Jun 26, 2018)

Very nice.


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## Prop Duster (Jun 29, 2018)

Ya gotta love the porotype drawing. Looks like they hadn't quite gotten off the idea of a bombardier yet. Technology changed very fast in the post WW II world.

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## Dimlee (Jun 30, 2018)

Do you know that you can "fly" this bird and make your own shots over terrain of your choice...

Just don't pay attention to the cockpit's model.

_View: https://youtu.be/LnxJ9tZLEKo_

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## Wildr1 (Jul 9, 2018)



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## Gnomey (Jul 31, 2018)

Good shots!


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## billrunnels (Jul 31, 2018)

Wildr1 said:


> View attachment 494861
> View attachment 494862
> View attachment 494863


I had an invitation from the Base Commander, Grand Forks, ND to ride a tanker and observe a refueling. Never found time to do it. Wish I had now.


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## Wurger (Aug 1, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Aug 23, 2018)



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## Gnomey (Aug 23, 2018)

Nice shot!


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## Wildr1 (Sep 7, 2018)



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## Wurger (Sep 7, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Sep 8, 2018)



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## Wurger (Sep 8, 2018)




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## Gnomey (Sep 8, 2018)

Good shots!


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## MIflyer (Sep 8, 2018)

Back in the 80's they wanted a B-47 for the museum at Castle AFB, CA. So a crew went down to MASDC at DM, dug out the old B-47 manuals, picked out a B-47 in the boneyard, got it in flying condition and flew it to Castle AFB. That must have been fun, having the only flying B-47 to play with for a few hours.

Would have be tempting to do a touch and go at a base en-route and have people saying, "Was that a....?"

When I was at Tinker AFB in the mid-70's we were the ALC for KC-97's. In addition to usual air refueling duties they were used to haul heating oil to Buffalo one especially bad winter; with their reversing props they could stop on ice covered runways while KC-135A's could not. Then one day the KC-97 structures guy got a call. At one base they had found serious corrosion at the MLG attach points. He called the other bases, had them look, and they reported the same thing. And that was the end of the KC-97 fleet.. They flew them all to MASDC at DM.

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## special ed (Oct 28, 2018)

As a cadet, I have great memories of about 10 minutes stick time in the KC-97 during which I could not keep it at set altitude because I flew as if in a light plane. When the next day, I got a half hour stick time in a KC-135 and found it easy to keep it on altitude, I asked why the difference between 135 and 97 and was told the swept wings made the difference. Also in the 97, I was fortunate to fly the boom under the sergeant's watchful eye and watch him refuel a B-47.

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## Wildr1 (Jan 12, 2019)



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## Wurger (Jan 12, 2019)




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## special ed (Jan 12, 2019)

Great artistic, dramatic effect with the clouds.


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## 25Kingman49 (Jan 12, 2019)

Make some popcorn, its movie time...

Stratojet: Meet Your Boeing B-47 - Restored Color - 1954


The B-47: Boeing B-47 Stratojet Bomber Pilot Familiarization circa 1951 USAF


Boeing B-47 Stratojet Aerial Refueling Testing


Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Low Altitude Bombing System) LABS Maneuver


Boeing B-47 Stratojet Combat Maneuvers


Boeing B-47 Stratojets; Andersen AFB Guam
Boeing B-47 Stratojet

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## Gnomey (Jan 12, 2019)

Good shots!


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## Wildr1 (Mar 28, 2019)



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## Wurger (Mar 29, 2019)




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## Jager52 (Mar 29, 2019)

What a great looking aircraft. The movie Strategic Air Command is one of my favorites. In the link, note the ground crewman have no ear pro! 

Also it is a good painting resource.
Jager

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## davparlr (Mar 30, 2019)

The B-47 was a very clean machine and was quite fast on anemic engines, 6,000 lb thrust J47. The B-47 was never updated engine wise. I was wondering what the B-47 could have done with better engines like the J57 used in the B-52. The J57 had about twice the thrust of the j47. The J57 was slightly bigger and a bit over a 1000 lbs heavier. If it was not too hard to strengthen the wings to hold the weight and power, the B-47 may have been capable of high subsonic speeds. With the added speed and altitude the engines could provide, the B-47 could have been a continuing threat until the Mig-21 arrived in 1959. I think the Mig-19 would have had a hard time intercepting it. Of course the AF was only interesting in getting the B-52 at that time and there was no thought of adding money to the B-47 program.


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## GreenKnight121 (Mar 31, 2019)

Dimlee said:


> Do you know that you can "fly" this bird and make your own shots over terrain of your choice...
> 
> Just don't pay attention to the cockpit's model.
> 
> _View: https://youtu.be/LnxJ9tZLEKo_



Does the game include a random chance of blowing up in midair?

Broken Bombers – How the U.S. Military Covered Up Fatal Flaws in the B-47 Stratojet with Disastrous Results - MilitaryHistoryNow.com


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## Gnomey (Apr 3, 2019)

Cool shots!


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