A detailed review of the massive Boeing bomber programme from The Aeroplane, 70 years ago
At the time of this article the Boeing B-47 Stratojet was Strategic Air Command’s most important bomber. While we can say with hindsight the rumoured force of 5,000 aircraft never materialised there was still an impressive 2,032 examples built. It was also revolutionary with its swept wings and podded engines. Indeed, Boeing has stated: “It represented a milestone in aviation history and a revolution in aircraft design. Every large jet aircraft today is a descendant of the B-47.” There were also reconnaissance variants and some B-47s were modified to gather information on weather. Despite the innovations, the bomber B-47s only served for 15 years having been superceded by the legendary B-52 Stratofortress.
Here’s a review of the B-47 from 1951…
