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Description
| Manufacturer: | Boeing | |
| Base model: | B-47 | |
| Designation: | RB-47 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Stratojet | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1924-Present | |
| Basic role: | Bomber | |
| Modified Mission: | Reconnaissance | |
Specifications
| Length: | 108' 0" | 32.9 m | |
| Height: | 28' 0" | 8.5 m | |
| Wingspan: | 116' 0" | 35.3 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,428.0 sq ft | 132.6 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 76,130 lb | 34,526 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 180,000 lb | 81,632 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 4 | ||
| Powerplant: | General Electric J47-GE-23 | ||
| Thrust (each): | 5,800 lb | 2,630 kg | |
Performance
| Range: | 3,870 miles | 6,231 km | |
| Max Speed: | 616 mph | 991 km/h | 535 kt |
| Ceiling: | 45,000 ft | 13,715 m | |
Recent comments by our visitors
| TSgt (Ret) Glenn Chapman Tucson, AZ | I was in 7oth Recon Tech Squadron, LRAFB, from June, 1957-July-1958, When I arrived, the photo lab was still off-base and it was slangingly called "TECON." I only worked on the RB-47E for Camera Upgrade Training, and the rest of my time was as a Camera Repairman in Recky Tech. In late 1957, our new lab was finished on the Flight Line street between the Jumbo Hgr and Ops. Little Rock was a good place to be stationed, but as a new two-striper, I was too dumb to realize that the only two good bases are the one you're going to and the one you just left. I left in July, 1958 and joined the 4080th SRW and Lockheed U-2 in Laughlin AFB, TX. Was there for eight years. An awful lot of 70th SRW people made up that wing in the early days. I was with good people, good command structure, and I look back on it as great duty for those days.
05/14/2012 @ 19:46 [ref: 57267] |
| M. Lawrence Waxler Tamarac, FL | I was a B-47 Radar Navigation (K-Series) Technician, after being trained at the Air Force Electronics School at Lowry AFB, Colorado in 1955. Upon graduation, my assignment was with the Strategic Air Command, 8th Air Force, 100th A&E Squadron, 100th B-47 Bomb Wing based at Pease AFB, NH. 1955-58 with TDY's to Brize-Norton AFB, England and Terrejon AFB, Spain. 09/25/2010 @ 09:02 [ref: 30370] |
| Jeff Wilkinson Oklahoma City, OK | Ref the note above about the B-47 explosion at Little Rock. The website featuring the crash has had a change of URL: it's now okwreckchasing.org 03/11/2007 @ 16:08 [ref: 15855] |
| J.C. Bahr Topeka, KS | The caption of the picture of "34-294" below is incorrect. It was not the ship shot-down over the Barents Sea on July 1, 1960. That RB-47H was 53-4281 and was being crewed by Willard Palm, Eugene Posa, John McKone, Dean Phillips, Freeman Olmstead and Oscar Goforth. Only McKone and Olmstead survived to return to the U.S. A picture of 53-4281 sitting on the ramp of Boeing's Wichita facility can be found in the book "Boeing B-47 Stratojet: True Stories of the Cold War in the Air" by Mark Natola. 10/22/2005 @ 03:17 [ref: 11540] |
| Glen (G.I.) Lindas , AR | I was one of the initial group to arrive at Little Rock AFB in 1955. I was in the 70th A & E Squadron and because the A & E building was not yet built, we maintained the RB-47s out of the jumbo hanger. I was a Bomb Nav flight line type and later worked in the shop, repairing the radar equipment (RT Units, Modulators, Syncronizers etc.) I would love to hear from any "old" Bomb Navers or anyone stationed at LRAFB between 1955 and 1962. 04/08/2005 @ 19:26 [ref: 9909] |
| Robert (Bob) Munger Kirkland, WA | ECM Tech (30153A) at Forbes 1957-1960. Went to Det 50 with the three ERB-47H. During the cold war about 300 plus guys lost thier lives to the enemy. Remember them, I knew a few from our unit, as I worked on thier aircraft. It was all classified. But no longer, watch the history channel for "cold war espionage". You might want to read the book "Operation Solo". The Soviet Premier, was I think, thinking about having a few of us assasinated! (purly conjecture on my part, based on other readings also) 04/05/2004 @ 16:17 [ref: 7143] |
| Frank T. Hayes Port Washington, NY, NY | During Korean War, I was a Bomb Nav Radar technician with the 91st Strat Recon Wing RB-47Es stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Columbus, Ohio. The 91st first had RB-45Cs, received when they were at Barksdale AFB, LA. The navigators only exit was out through his door on the left side, in front of the two left engines. In 1951 the 91st moved to Lockbourne.The RB-45s were temporarily replaced with RB-47Bs, which had no ejection seats and had bomb bays fitted with camera pods. The K-Series Bomb Nav System and APS-23 Radar were unique, with computerized tracking capability and radar or optical sight for targeting and wind correction, with a polar grid capability for world wide operations. The RB-47E was a fine airplane, with ejection seats, but the navigator ejected downward. The 91st SRW was commanded by Col. Joseph J. Preston and was made up of the 91st Air Refueling Squadron (KC-97) and three RB-47E squadrons, the 323rd, 322nd and the 324th. A second RB-47E unit, designated the 26th Strat Recon Wing was formed at Lockbourne and was commanded by Col. Henry R. Sullivan, Jr. It was RB-47Es of the 91st that were deployed to RAF Fairford in April and May of 1954. During that deployment, the KC-97s of the 91st ARS were based at RAF Mildenhall. Serving under Col. Joe Preston was a grand honor. After four years, I was discharged on January 9, 1955. I later became a Philco Techrep, with SAC units, thea 506th SFW, at Tinker AFB (Republic F-84F)in 1955 - 1957, then the 4080th SRW (Lockheed U-2)at Del Rio, TX 1957 to October 1958. I then joined Republic for the F-105 and A-10A programs (29 years) followed by 12 years at Grumman on the E-2C Hawkeye.
01/01/2003 @ 11:21 [ref: 6231] |
| Bob Smith Naples,, FL |
I was a Nav Aid repairman stationed in the 70th A&EMS at Little Rock AFB from January '58 until October '60. I then cross trained into PMEL and spent the rest of my enlistment there in the 825th CSG and finally the 384th A&EMS. For those who were stationed at Little Rock AFB in 1960, there is an article at http://okwreckchasing.com/lrb47.html about the B47 from the 384th Bomb Wing that crashed into the center of Little Rock. 05/03/2002 @ 20:37 [ref: 4864] |
| monty lundberg cloquet, MN | My dad was a pilot with the 321 recon sqd in kansas somewhere. looking for any one who might have known him His name was Paul Lundberg 02/21/2002 @ 20:43 [ref: 4373] |
| Dick Nashua, NH | I was a crew chief on a RB-47 in the 321st Recon. Sqdn. at Forbes AFB Kansas from 1953-1957. I am looking for any other members of the Sqdn during that time. I grew up in Saugus, Mass. 07/22/2001 @ 15:30 [ref: 2722] |
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