Military Wednesday – Boeing B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed 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.

B-47 Stratojet on desert floor (Birds Eye)
B-47 Stratojet on desert floor

Boeing EB-47E Stratojet (Birds Eye)
Boeing EB-47E Stratojet
Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bomber (Birds Eye)
Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bomber

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum (Birds Eye)
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

Boeing B-47 "Stratojet" (Birds Eye)
Boeing B-47 "Stratojet"

B-47 Stratojet (Birds Eye)
B-47 Stratojet
Boeing B-47E Stratojet (Google Maps)
Boeing B-47E Stratojet

"Spirit" Boeing B-47E Stratojet (Google Maps)
"Spirit" Boeing B-47E Stratojet
B-52, B-47, C-47 & early Aero Commander twin (Google Maps)
B-52, B-47, C-47 & early Aero Commander twin

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