The Boeing B-47A Stratojet: A Pioneer of the Jet Age

A photograph captures a B-47A Stratojet in flight near Boeing’s factories in Wichita, Kansas—a sleek, swept-wing bomber embodying the bold transition from piston engines to the jet age. The exact date of the image is unknown, but its subject remains unmistakable: the first jet-powered strategic bomber to enter large-scale service with the United States Air Force.

The B-47, and especially the early A-models, marked a revolution in military aviation. More than just a new aircraft, it was a blueprint for decades of jet bombers and transports to follow, introducing technologies and design philosophies that reshaped the future of aerospace.

Birth of the Stratojet

In the closing years of the Second World War, the United States sought to harness the potential of jet propulsion for long-range bombers. Propeller-driven giants like the B-29 Superfortress had carried the nation to victory, but it was clear that the future lay in faster, higher-flying aircraft that could outpace enemy defenses.

The Boeing Company, already synonymous with heavy bombers, answered the call. In 1944, Boeing engineers began work on Model 450, a radical design that would evolve into the B-47. Drawing inspiration from German aerodynamic research—particularly swept-wing data obtained after the war—Boeing embraced concepts that were daring and unconventional for American aircraft at the time.

A Radical Design

The B-47’s most distinctive feature was its 35-degree swept wing, mounted low on the fuselage. This design reduced drag at transonic speeds, enabling the aircraft to achieve far higher performance than straight-wing bombers. Beneath the wings hung six General Electric J47 turbojet engines, each in its own streamlined pod.

Other innovations included:

Bicycle landing gear – two main wheels in tandem under the fuselage, with smaller outriggers on the wings. This unusual arrangement saved weight and allowed the thin wings needed for high-speed flight.

Ejection seats for the crew, an emerging safety feature in jet aircraft.

A pressurized cockpit housing three crew members: pilot, co-pilot, and navigator/bombardier.

The result was an aircraft unlike anything seen before: sleek, fast, and futuristic.

From Prototype to Production

The first prototype, the XB-47, flew in December 1947. Test pilots were astonished. The Stratojet handled more like a fighter than a bomber, capable of reaching speeds over 600 mph and altitudes above 30,000 feet. Its performance outclassed anything in the U.S. inventory, let alone potential adversaries’.

The Air Force quickly recognized the aircraft’s potential and moved toward production. The B-47A, the first production version, was ordered as a batch of 10 aircraft primarily for evaluation and training. These were built at Boeing’s Wichita plant, the same site where countless B-29s had rolled off the line only a few years earlier.

The B-47A in Detail

The B-47A was not a full combat aircraft but rather a stepping stone toward operational models. Key characteristics included:

Engines: Six J47-GE-11 turbojets producing around 5,200 pounds of thrust each.

Performance: Maximum speed of about 600 mph and service ceiling near 35,000 feet.

Range: Roughly 2,000 miles without refueling—later extended with in-flight refueling capability.

Crew: Three, in a pressurized forward fuselage.

Externally, the B-47A looked nearly identical to later versions, but it lacked the sophisticated bombing systems, defensive armament, and other equipment of combat-ready models. Still, these aircraft were crucial for ironing out design flaws and training aircrews to handle the new jet bomber.

Wichita: The Heart of Production

Boeing’s Wichita, Kansas plant was the main hub of B-47 production. The city, already a center of aviation manufacturing, became synonymous with the Stratojet. Thousands of workers built and tested the sleek bombers, which became a common sight in the skies over Kansas.

The image of a B-47A flying near the Wichita factories is symbolic: the aircraft returning to the skies where it was born, part of the massive industrial effort that underpinned America’s Cold War arsenal.

Operational Role and Strategic Impact

Though the B-47A itself was never deployed as a combat bomber, it paved the way for the more advanced B-47B and B-47E, which entered service in the early 1950s. These aircraft formed the backbone of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), tasked with delivering nuclear weapons deep into Soviet territory.

The Stratojet was the first truly strategic jet bomber in operational service anywhere in the world. Its speed and altitude performance gave it a decisive advantage over contemporary air defenses, at least until the advent of high-performance Soviet interceptors and surface-to-air missiles.

Challenges and Evolution

The B-47’s radical design was not without difficulties. The bicycle landing gear made ground handling tricky, and the thin wings flexed dramatically in flight. Takeoffs and landings were demanding, with long runways required and little margin for error.

Nonetheless, the Stratojet was continually refined. Later variants incorporated more powerful engines, improved avionics, and in-flight refueling capability. By the mid-1950s, hundreds of B-47s filled SAC bases across the United States and overseas.

Legacy of the A-Model

The B-47A occupies a unique place in aviation history. While only 10 were built, their role as test and training aircraft was vital in transitioning the U.S. Air Force into the jet age. They provided the experience needed to operate and maintain a revolutionary aircraft, smoothing the path for the thousands of B-47s that followed.

The Stratojet as a whole influenced nearly every jet bomber and transport that came after. Its swept-wing design, podded engines, and overall configuration became standard practice, shaping aircraft from the KC-135 Stratotanker to the B-52 Stratofortress and beyond.

Wichita’s Symbol

For Wichita, the B-47 symbolized both continuity and change. The same city that had built the piston-powered B-29 now led the world into jet-powered strategic aviation. The sight of B-47s climbing into the Kansas sky was a daily reminder of the city’s role in the Cold War—and of the thousands of men and women who made it possible.

Conclusion

The Boeing B-47A Stratojet was never intended to drop bombs in anger. Instead, it was a pathfinder, bridging the gap between the piston-driven bombers of World War II and the sleek jets of the Cold War. Its flights near the Boeing factories in Wichita, Kansas, captured in that undated photograph, symbolize the dawn of a new era in aviation.

Though overshadowed by its more numerous successors, the B-47A was the essential first step in a lineage that defined American air power for decades. In its swept wings and roaring turbojets lay the blueprint of the modern jet bomber—an enduring legacy born in the skies over Kansas.