Boeing B-47 Stratojet guided tour.

Join me in this detailed tour around a Boeing B-47E Stratojet on display at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum near Omaha, Nebraska.

Other videos:

0:00 intro
0:38 Strategic Air Command and Aerospace museum
0:52 background and history
1:50 start at the nose, in-air refueling and bombing sight, ejection seat
4:00 unique landing gear
5:00 General Electric J47-GE-25A single-shaft turbojets
5:40 wing mounted fuel tank
6:20 water-methanol injection system
7:30 JATO system
08:00 bombbay and Mk 36 thermo-nuclear bomb
09:00 electronic counter measure system
09:30 tail and gun
10:30 high-mounted swept wing design
11:30 chaff container
12:16 interior, navigator-bombardier, pilot, copilot seats
18:45 RB-47H and ELINT missions
19:40 remote control B-47s
20:10 bomb lofting
20:35 WB-47
20:55 EB-47E
21:10 RB-47E
21:45 F111 testing

[PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks for watching everyone! If you enjoyed it, please give it a 'thumbs up' as that helps promote the video so I can afford to make more of these. :)

[rolliedorsett]

I was a bomb nav technician on the B 47 in the late 50s at Dyess AFB outside Abilene Tx. I spent a lot of time in the navigator’s seat checking the electronics. Some electronic equipment was accessed out side the airplane so it was cold/hot work. Love the B 47, it is a bit sad that it was soon overshadowed by the B 52. Thanks for bringing back so many memories for this 87 year old veteran.

[wesleybender]

Great presentation Paul. A little clarification on the "Toss Bombing". I was a crew chief on a B-47 (tail number 51-7052) for three years at Plattsburgh AFB, NY in the late 50s. The B-47 was originally designed as a high altitude bombing platform. As Russian capabilities improved and the B-47 became more vulnerable at high altitude, low level bombing was undertaken. A number of B-47s were modified for Low Altitude Bombing Systems (LABS). I'm not sure how many were so modified, but mine was one of them. During these bombing runs, the B-47 was stressed somewhat above its designed strength, but seemed to handle it. The B-47 would come in toward the target at a very low altitude and high speed, hiding from radar in the ground scatter of the terrain if possible. At a certain point prior to reaching the target, the plane would pull up into a steep climb. At a predetermined altitude, the bomb
would be released and the plane would continue over onto its back and once it was angled back down about 20 degrees below horizontal and moving away from the target, it would roll back to a right-side up position, diving back down to the relative safety of the terrain. This worked well for fighter aircraft that were stressed for aerobatics. The maneuver was a bit outside the B-47s intended or designed capability though. Tests were done and it was found that, as long as the pilot maintained no more than 2.5 positive Gs during the initial pull up, the airplane could take it. The maneuver was actually a half Cuban eight in aerobatic terms. Eventually, the wear and tear on the planes from performing maneuvers
that were beyond the design limits of the airframe took its toll. Between March 13th and April 15th of 1958, five B-47s disintegrated in flight. One of these was a B-47 approaching a tanker for inflight refueling over northern New York. The boom operator on the tanker, who had the plane in sight, said he thought the wings failed at the fuselage just before the explosion. This prompted a thorough inspection of several high-time B-47s. Numerous cracks were found in the fittings around the “Milk Bottle” bolts that fastened the wing to the fuselage. Shortly thereafter the entire B-47 fleet was grounded, pending inspection of the
wing root area. Some planes were relatively free from defects. Most, however, had at least a few cracks. My plane had a fair number of cracks and was only cleared to fly with a reduced fuel load to the depot in Oklahoma City for extensive repair and modification in what was called “Project Milk Bottle”. No more "over the top" toss bombing was accomplished after that. It was replaced with a different maneuver called a "Pop-UP" which was not as stressful on the airframe.

[applejacks]

I was there at Offutt the day the Blackbird flew in for its retirement. My teacher was not happy that my mom wrote me a note saying to excuse my absence as I was 'going to watch an airplane land'.
I still have the VHS tape that I recorded the flyby's and landing on (well, and Air Force guy recorded it and made me a copy). Good stuff!

[rexmyers]

This video provided my first look inside the B-47. My father flew them for several years before transitioning to the B-52. Once a year during the Armed Forces Day celebration we could walk right up to the B-47 but everything inside was Top Secret. I have a home video of my brother and I standing next to one of the airplanes our father was assigned to.

Thank you for such an in-depth tour.

[DL-bzml]

I was about 10 years old when Pease AFB base was finished and started flying the B-47 around the skies of the seacoast. What a magnificent sight for a young boy to see. My eyes were always in the sky. I did not want to miss one flying overhead.
Not long afterward as a cub scout, we had the privilege to climb inside the B-47 at Pease. I can still picture the inside to this day.

[VergilDevilMayCry]

If you do read this, me watching your videos always brightens my day, always glad theres fellow plane geeks out there

[frasermitchell]

We lived about 5 1/2 miles to the east of Greenham Common where the USAF operated B47s, and it was commonplace to see them on landing approach. However when I went to Newbury Grammer School in 1957, I saw the B47s take off over our playng fields in a scramble alert, which was quite spectacular. One after another the B47 soared into the sky trailing black smoke. One day, being a member of the school army cadet force, we were invited to the base to see the aircraft.
And now, as I write at the age of 78, it's all back as a common !

[MrJames_]

Wow, your level of access is amazing.

[johndornoff]

Didn't know about this museum but I am going to have to visit it since my son lives in Omaha and we love going to museums like this.

[paullewis]

Thanks for sharing the cutaway cockpit from the Jimmy Stewart movie. The scene shot there was an intense landing event! That film is also loaded with amazingly beautiful B-36 and 47 flight scenes.

[Oldnoitall]

I had the pleasure of knowing a member of the SAC ! RIP Frank Greere

[davidbaro]

Nice video. As a former Nav I always found the 47 crew layout fascinating. As a minor point, we usually use the term “instruments” rather than “dials”. Looking forward to more videos. Thanks

[tdhawk]

I had no idea they built so many of these. Amazing.

[dougmyers]

My Dad was a TAC fighter pilot that was also an instructor pilot on loan to SAC teaching the "loft launch" otherwise known by those fighter pilots teaching SAC pilots as the "over the shoulder maneuver". Because SAC bomber pilots were mostly L/Col in rank they had a real problem with 1LT Fighter Pilots as Aircraft Commanders & instructors but collectively they had never "looped" any aircraft much less a bomber. Dad's flying experience included 103 "type rated airframes" during his lifetime of 30+ years as a fighter pilot from WW2 through 3 combat tours in Vietnam retiring @ 47 yrs old in 1975. He continued as a instructor & instrument instructor well into his 70's. When Greg Boyington was told he needed an FAA Instructor to sign off on his civilian license, it was my Dad that did the check ride with him while we were living California @ March AFB, in later years he flew his close friend Gen "Bud" Day several times to DC to practice before the Supreme Court when arguing for VA WW2 medical rights as promised enlistees against Songbird McCain's relentless atteempts to strip lifetime medical care from those that had enlisted in ww2 and were still living in the 70's & 80's.

[renorailfanning]

You are like the "Rick Beato" of aircraft tours. You have earned the respect of the curators of these aircraft.

Bravo
👍

[mikesimon]

I went to the SAC museum in Nebraska back in 2017. Impressive assortment of aircraft, some that I never thought I would ever see. Thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

[flanerpete]

Went to tech school on the B-47 at Amarillo AFB in 1964. The engine run up was awesome. Never saw one after that.

[Chris_at_Home]

I remember seeing an EB-47E when I was at Roosevelt Roads in the winter of 1974. It was the one the Navy had on loan from the Air Force.

[staralliancefan]

Such a fascinating journey through history again Paul! Thanks for showing us inside this great jet.