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Cold War Mystery Plane: What am I?


Wailuna
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...That'd be an XB-47D...

XB-47D is the correct answer. Where do you want me to mail your prize?

 

I grew up a SAC-brat and B-47s seemed to be everywhere I went from about 1955 on. Moreover, my late father-in-law was a B-47 pilot and an uncle was a B-47 navigator/bombardier. When I recently saw this picture (which was not captioned) could not believe my eyes. First thought: PhotoShop. Of course, I had to find out: Is it a hoax or is it real? Link here for the rest of the story.

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I have a photo of a B-47, problem is a couple of people are standing in front of it, one is Paul Tibbits, he signed the photo for me! :thumbsup:

BKW

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BOEING XB-47D

 

From USAF National Museum:

 

Mission and Description (1 Jul 55)

 

The XB-47D is a high speed, long range composite turbo-prop, turbo-jet bomber

 

whose mission is to serve as a test bed for determining feasibility of turbo-prop utilization.

 

The normal crew consists of pilot, co-pilot-gunner, and bombardier-navigator.

 

Features incorporated for improved crew comfort and efficiency are automatic heating, ventilation, and pressurization; hydraulic boost on all control surfaces.

 

Reversible propellers as well as an emergency braking parachute are used to decrease landing roll distance.

 

Single-point ground refueling is provided.

 

The XB-47D's first flight was Aug. 26, 1955.

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Ok, I'll see your cool Cold War airplane and raise you one!

 

YB-60! Basically an all jet swept wing B-36, it was definitely a leap above it's straight wing recip ancestor, but it was up against the B-52, and the YB-60 just wasn't good enough to beat that.

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Cobrahistorian

Roger that!

 

It was a little "too little too late" and offered no significant improvement over the B-52 which was already gearing up for production. Would have been pretty cool though!

 

Ok, who's next?

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Cobrahistorian

Ok here's another. You need to tell us two things, 1) what is it, full designation AND nickname, and 2)how it got to the battlefield. The winner has a choice between a WWII AAF wing & star patch or Far East Air Force patch from yours truly.

 

USMFquizbird.jpg

 

Let me just add that there is no amount of money you could pay me to fly one of these things... Straddling a jet engine??!! No thanks!

 

Jon

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Ok here's another. You need to tell us two things, 1) what is it, full designation AND nickname, and 2)how it got to the battlefield. The winner has a choice between a WWII AAF wing & star patch or Far East Air Force patch from yours truly.

 

USMFquizbird.jpg

 

Let me just add that there is no amount of money you could pay me to fly one of these things... Straddling a jet engine??!! No thanks!

 

Jon

 

XF-85 Goblin (the Flying Egg), carried in the bomb bay of the B-36 bomber. Designed to be launched from the bomber and HOPEFULLY recovered by means of a trapeze device. They had one of these displayed with the B-36 at the museum at Wright Patterson, not sure if they still display it since they moved the B-36 into its new quarters and I have not been there since the move.

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Cobrahistorian
XF-85 Goblin (the Flying Egg), carried in the bomb bay of the B-36 bomber. Designed to be launched from the bomber and HOPEFULLY recovered by means of a trapeze device. They had one of these displayed with the B-36 at the museum at Wright Patterson, not sure if they still display it since they moved the B-36 into its new quarters and I have not been there since the move.

 

 

Ok Gary, PM me your address and which you'd like!

 

You've got the honor of choosing the next oddball bird!

 

Jon

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Jon, no prize is necessary (save it for your next quiz), and I am really not an air historian. The Goblin has always stuck in my mind because many years ago I coached a Junior Rifle Team, and we attended a tournament every year near Dayton. I always took the team to the museum, and the Goblin was a hit with the kids when I explained how it was used.

 

I can't remember the year now, but it was quite awhile ago, a neighbor who had been a WW2 B17 pilot in the 8th Air Force took me to the museum on a day that it was closed. The director at the time (or some other high ranking official) had been a fighter pilot that he knew quite well, and he gave us a great private tour. I was permitted to sit in some of the planes and got a lot of personal history from the two of them who had actually been pilots.

 

In my youth I had dreams of being a Navy carrier pilot. My uncle had been a boilermaker on the USS Coral Sea in the early 50s and we went aboard her during a family day or the like (I was about 10 at the time so don't really remember) and got the bug. But when I turned 18 and took some of the tests, I found that a 6'4" person did not fit a cockpit all that well, but more importantly, my lousy depth perception guaranteed that I would never land a jet on a carrier.

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Cobrahistorian

:D I know it, but lets see if someone else gets it.

 

Gary, I'll pass the prize on to the next winner.

I wish I'd gotten more time during my one visit to the USAFM. I spent about two hours there total because my then fiancee (now ex-fiancee) was cranky and didn't want to look at airplanes. I can't wait to take my son (and my wife!) there someday soon.

 

I hear ya about dreams of being a pilot. It was my life's ambition and I kept getting told I couldn't do it for various reasons (mainly by my parents). Finally at age 30, I'd had enough and took the plunge and enlisted. I've been flying for half my time in the Army now (3 of 6 years) and I am so glad I just finally went ahead and did it. Still would love to see what flying a fast jet is like though!

 

Jon

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Douglas XB-43, which was converted from the earlier XB-42 that had twin Allison engines driving contra-rotating props. The same airframe had a jet engine installed to become the XB-43.

 

A factor not yet mentioned was that in the late 1940's there was a headlong rush to go to jets -- while the "yardstick" for bomber performance (speed, range, etc.) was the B-29. Thus the little planes were judged against the Boeing and the designers had only pretty puny output jets to work with. This is why so many engines in the B-47 for example. As engines improved, the B-47 was redesigned to take four, as the XB-56.

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XB-70 "Valkyrie"

 

The other crashed in the California desert when a F-104 collided with it during a test flight. thus scattering the XB-70 wreckage from one end of the desert top the other. Almost a 10 mile debris field. Visited both sites. The site of the XB-70 and 2 years later we found the what was left of the F-104. Pieces of both crashes have been donated to the "Planes of Fame" museum at Chino CA.

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teufelhunde.ret

From bottom left: the Bell X-1A, the Douglas D-558-1, the delta-winged Convair XF-92, the Bell X-5 (the first aircraft to use a variable-sweep wing), the Douglas D-558-2, the Northrop X-4 (with no horizontal tail surface), and (in the center) the dart-shaped Douglas X-3. s/f Darrell

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