Wednesday, October 8, 2014

B-47 Stratojet

John J. Floherty, Aviation From the Ground up, Lippincott 1960
In the book this picture was from, this plane was referred to as the "famous" B47. To me, an unqualified observer fifty-odd years later, the B-47 was just an interim plane between the B-29 and the enduring B-52.
   Although 2,032 of various types were built from 1951 to probably 1956, the most famous one from a Canadian perspective was the one loaned to the RCAF for testing of the Orenda Iroquois engine during the Avro Arrow development. One test engine was mounted to the right rear of the fuselage and was used in flight tests. From what I've read, the airplane was a real bear to fly (didn't want to fly in a straight line- imagine!) and was scrapped shortly after its return to the USAF. Various theories were presented, the  fuselage was damaged beyond repair, the plane was bent... All in all it does seem like cruel and unusual punishment for an aircraft.
 http://www.avroland.ca/al-other-aircraft.html


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