Boeing B-47 Stratojet — Primary-Source Technical Documentation Collection

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet established the fundamental architecture for every swept-wing jet transport and bomber that followed. Guided by captured German aerodynamic research evaluated by Boeing aerodynamicist George Schairer in May 1945, the 35-degree wing sweep delayed the onset of critical transonic drag rise by reducing the effective chordwise Mach number across the airfoil section. Entering SAC service in 1951 and produced in over 2,000 examples, the Stratojet served as America's primary strategic nuclear delivery platform throughout the 1950s. This collection preserves 18 primary-source USAF technical documents spanning the complete B-47 family — from the XB-47 prototype of 1947 through the R-47H reconnaissance variant of 1962 — including the bomber, trainer, weather reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, and tanker refueling procedure variants.

Aerodynamic & Aeroelastic Engineering

The B-47's high-aspect-ratio thin swept wing was highly susceptible to aeroelastic deformation under structural loads, exhibiting substantial bending and twisting. NACA flight studies using the B-47A (NACA 150) formally documented these effects. At high speeds, outboard wing twisting induced aileron reversal — trailing-edge aileron deflection twisted the wing structure in the opposite direction, cancelling or reversing the intended roll command. Engineering modifications introduced spoiler panels on the upper wing surfaces for lateral control. Boundary-layer separation on outboard wing sections caused a dangerous high-speed pitch-up tendency, mitigated by vortex generators re-energising the boundary layer. Wing tip flex of up to 17 feet was recorded during RATO takeoffs.

Podded Engine Architecture

The B-47 pioneered the use of podded engines suspended on forward-reaching pylons beneath the wing — an innovation that became the universal standard for all subsequent jet transports. The configuration provided three critical advantages: clean airflow preservation over the lifting surfaces; forward pod weight acting as a counterweight relieving structural bending stress and dampening aeroelastic flutter; and fire isolation separating the main fuel cells from engine failures. Production variants standardized on six General Electric J47-GE-25 axial-flow turbojets producing 7,200 lbs static dry thrust each, augmented by water injection. Heavy gross weight operations required a jettisonable aft RATO rack of 33 solid-fuel rocket units delivering a combined 33,000 lbs of additional thrust.

Handling, Stability & Coffin Corner

The swept-wing configuration combined with low aerodynamic damping at altitude introduced Dutch roll — a coupled out-of-phase yawing and rolling oscillation. The B-47's natural aerodynamic damping was insufficient to control this, driving the development of one of the earliest operational yaw damper stability augmentation systems integrated into a military aircraft. At operational ceilings between 40,000 and 45,000 feet, the margin between low-speed stall and high-speed buffet (Mach tuck) narrowed to less than 10 knots — the coffin corner — demanding precise airspeed management to prevent an unrecoverable dive or aerodynamic stall.

Performance Data

Project Milk Bottle — Structural Crisis 1957–1958

SAC's shift to low-altitude LABS toss-bombing profiles subjected the flexible wing to severe dynamic G-loads far beyond original design assumptions. By 1958, mid-air wing fractures and fatal accidents drove Boeing's Project Milk Bottle — a fleet-wide structural retrofit scanning primary load paths for micro-fractures, replacing fuselage-to-wing attachment pins with high-strength components, and reinforcing lower wing skin panels with external splice plates.

Documents in This Collection (18 Titles)

Prototype — XB-47

• D-8005 — Pilot's Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions, XB-47 Airplane — Prepared by Boeing Aircraft Company — 1 October 1947 (RESTRICTED, declassified)

Experimental & Development Variants

• T.O. No. 1B-47(D)(Y)E-1 (formerly AN 01-20ENE-1) — Utility Flight Handbook, YDB-47E Aircraft — 1 March 1954, Revised 25 July 1954 (RESTRICTED, declassified) · Supplement S-2

Bomber Variants — B-47A / B-47B / B-47E

• B-47A Flight Handbook
• T.O. 1B-47E-1 — Flight Handbook, B-47B (AF 51-2192 thru -2356) & B-47E Aircraft — 31 December 1954, Revised 31 March 1955 · Supplement S-2 (two editions preserved)
• B-47B Training Manual — Document No. 13060 (RESTRICTED, declassified)
• B-47E Training Charts — Boeing Airplane Company, Wichita Division — Effectivity: 125th as Modified, WD-13604 (RESTRICTED, declassified)

Trainer Variant — TB-47B

• T.O. 1B-47B-1 — Flight Handbook, TB-47B Aircraft — 31 August 1956 (replaces T.O. 1B-47B-1 dated 15 December 1955) · Supplement S-1

Weather Reconnaissance — WB-47E

• T.O. 1B-47(W)E-1 — Flight Manual, WB-47E USAF Series Aircraft — 30 June 1963, Changed 30 September 1963 · Supplement S-2

Strategic Reconnaissance — RB-47E / RB-47K / R-47H

• T.O. 1B-47(R)E-2-18 — Technical Manual Organizational (Flight Line) Maintenance Instructions, Airframe Systems, RB-47E – RB-47K Aircraft — 10 February 1958, Changed 1 November 1958
• RB-47E/K Maintenance Manual — Airframe Systems
• T.O. 1R-47H-1 (formerly T.O. 1B-47(R)H-1) — Flight Manual, R-47H USAF Series Aircraft — 28 February 1962 · Supplement S-2

Maintenance & Inspection

• T.O. 1B-47E-2-2 — Handbook Maintenance Instructions, Airframe Group, USAF Model B-47B–B-47E — 10 February 1956
• T.O. 1B-47E-2-9 — Handbook Maintenance Instructions, Instruments, USAF Model B-47B–B-47E — 10 February 1956
• Handbook Inspection Requirements — B-47A through B-47E Aircraft — 15 June 1956

Air Refueling Procedures

• T.O. 1-1C-1-4 — Flight Manual, B/RB-47 Flight Crew Air Refueling Procedures with KC-135 — Supplement IV — 1 August 1966

Cancelled Successor

• B-54B Technical Manual — Boeing Model 464 (B-54B) — the cancelled B-47 successor programme

⚠️ Regulatory Notice: Under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13 and EASA Part-M, any mechanic performing maintenance on an active aircraft must use current, manufacturer-approved revision-controlled data. This archival document does not satisfy that requirement.

This is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, flight simulation, museum restoration, and educational use only. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorized distributor.

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