The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept-winged,
jet bomber that was built in any meaningful quantity. It became the
backbone of the Strategic Air Command’s bomber fleet for much of the
1950s. More than 2000 B-47s were produced. The origin of the B-47
can be traced back to a request in mid-1943 by the USAAF asking
several aircraft manufacturers to commence studies of the
feasibility of producing a multi-engined jet aircraft for
photographic reconnaissance and or medium bombing missions. By
November of 1944 formal requirements were issued for a jet-powered
aircraft capable of 550-MPH, a ceiling of 45,000-feet, and a range
of 3,500 miles. Boeing aircraft had been experimenting with jet
engines for its B-29, but had encountered problems during wind
tunnel tests. In 1944 Boeing was awarded a study contract designated
XB-47 for a Model 432. The 432 was a highly modified B-29 with a
cluster of 4 jet engine mounted inside the fuselage. Martin, Convair,
and North American all received contracts for studies on other
competing aircraft. In 1945 George Schairer, Boeings' chief
aerodynamicist visited German research facilities. The Germans had
done research proving the advantages of swept wing design for
high-speed aircraft. Boeing modified its design to a swept-wing
version, and at the urging of the USAAF eventually removed the
in-fuselage jet engines in favor of externally mounted engines. Work
on the B-47 prototypes began in 1946. The aircraft would have a crew
of only three. Pilot, co-pilot/gunner, and bombardier/navigator. The
pilot and co-pilot would sit tandem in a fighter style Plexiglas
bubble cockpit whereas the navigator/bombardier would sit in the
nose behind a transparent nose cone. The B-47 had a thin wing, and
all its fuel was carried inside the fuselage. Managing fuel during
flights was important to prevent the aircraft from becoming
unstable. Because of its high speed it was expected that the B-47
would only be attacked from the rear. Hence the only defensive
armament incorporated in the design was a pair of
remotely-controlled, radar-managed, machine guns in a rear turret.
The first prototype flew on December 17, 1947, only two months after
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. In September of 1948 the Air
Force placed its first order for production B-47s. In early 1949 one
of the prototypes set an unofficial continental speed record of
602-MPH. The first production B-47A flew on June 25, 1950. In Stan
Stokes’ painting a pair of the new breed of bombers pass over some
interesting scenery in the western portion of the United States.
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Collector Sized Lithograph:
$40
16" x 11 1/2"
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Giclee on Canvas:
$445
18'' x 27''
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