Academy B47

[Adam Poultney]

I just bought an Academy 1:144 B47. Thing is though, I know next to nothing about the Stratojet. 

The box art is simple and effective. It shows you what you're buying. I quite like this style.

 

A decent quality copy of the instructions are here:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/academy-12618-usaf-b-47-306th-bw-m--1092768

So... there are a number of schemes covering a few variants. Could anyone explain what each variant is? I get the basics, B47B, E etc just updates to the aircraft, but what's a B-47B-II, RB-47H-1-BW, etc?

I had a look through the wiki page for these but there are a lot of variants with confusing designations so I'm referring it to people more knowledgeable than myself. 

I've ruled out schemes with a light grey underside, I want a full silver model, unless anyone provides any particularly interesting info that persuades me otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

I think parts D1 and D2 are RATO?

But I read there's a different system on E models? Are those the parts from the G sprue? (bottom right)

 

I'd love to learn what most of the bits on the airframe are. If you've seen my Vulcan builds you will know the level of detail I like to build to so no rivet is too pedantic.

[dov]

There exists films. Yes, about the B-47 and B-52 early years.

I suggest you, buy such a film, entertainment film.

One I remeber was called  The Commodore. 

This can give you as the first hint.

This was in 60s Top Gun equivalent.

Happy modelling 

 

[John_W]

Looks to be a nice kit. 

Always fancied doing a WIFF in SEAC camouflage or modern low vis.

[alt-92]

1 hour ago, dov said:

There exists films. Yes, about the B-47 and B-52 early years.

I suggest you, buy such a film, entertainment film.

One I remeber was called  The Commodore. 

 

Could it be you mean 'Strategic Air Command' with James Stewart?

 

 

[Hook]

Here are some pointers on the various models:

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b47.html

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[dov]

Yed, this is the film of B-47. The other 52 one. 

Hopes it helps you more, and afterward decide. 

Happy modelling 

[theplasticsurgeon]

Just for @Adam Poultney

Here's 2 copies of that kit that I built in December last year.

An Academy RB-47H

A Hobbycraft B-47E 

from these two boxes.

I'll re-reading the original post for any questions that I might be able to help with.

1. what's a B-47B-II, RB-47H-1-BW, etc   BW refers to the Boeing Wichita manufacturing plant.  Described on Wiki in the B-47B.  II is probably a typo. 

2.  RATO - only applicable to the B-47B, so neither of my models.

3.  But I read there's a different system on E models? Are those the parts from the G sprue?   

    Yes, a jettisonable horse-collar around the fuselage, then bottles attach to that.   No parts on sprue G.

 

[Gmat]

There were early plans to base B-47s at Guam to fill the role ultimately given to B-52s during the Vietnam War. The rapid running down of the B-47 force put paid to those plans. Besides the RB-47H shot shot down by the Russians, that's the closest to combat the bomber ever got.

[f111guru]

13 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

I just bought an Academy 1:144 B47. Thing is though, I know next to nothing about the Stratojet. 

The box art is simple and effective. It shows you what you're buying. I quite like this style.

 

A decent quality copy of the instructions are here:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/academy-12618-usaf-b-47-306th-bw-m--1092768

So... there are a number of schemes covering a few variants. Could anyone explain what each variant is? I get the basics, B47B, E etc just updates to the aircraft, but what's a B-47B-II, RB-47H-1-BW, etc?

I had a look through the wiki page for these but there are a lot of variants with confusing designations so I'm referring it to people more knowledgeable than myself. 

I've ruled out schemes with a light grey underside, I want a full silver model, unless anyone provides any particularly interesting info that persuades me otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

I think parts D1 and D2 are RATO?

But I read there's a different system on E models? Are those the parts from the G sprue? (bottom right)

 

I'd love to learn what most of the bits on the airframe are. If you've seen my Vulcan builds you will know the level of detail I like to build to so no rivet is too pedantic.

@Adam PoultneyHave some display aircraft I took from not to long ago to some 10 years ago. The first is from Tinker AFB Oklahoma City Oklahoma. It's overall gray and believe the plaque was that it was a WB-47 Stratojet. This is very much photo heavy. Use what you like

Another angle.

Nose

Center Weapons Bay Area.

Aft Section, Behind the weapons bay

And Tail

Left Inboard Engine Pod

Next is the example RB-47H Stratojet from the Museum of the Air Force Dayton Ohio. This is the newest I took June 2019. It's mostly metal finish except for a few panels that were painted.

Aft of the left rear fuselage of the blister antenna.

Moving forward toward the nose.

Weapons Bay and looking forward.

Color changes on the weapons bay panels

Blister antennas on right side aft of the weapons bay area and in front of the right aft gear door.

Close up of the aft right antenna array.

Aft right side looking forward of the antenna array.

Interior of the aft wheel well

Another view

Interior of the forward wheel well

Another view

Left outboard engine nacelle behind the trailing edge.

Another Angle

Right outboard engine nacelle trailing edge

Right Engine assembly outrigger wheel well

Right side tail

Wing tip. Both sides are the same

This last one is the oldest from July 2011 Plattsburg AFB Plattsburg New York.

Front of the left engine nacelle

Close up of the left engine nacelle

Left side aft wheel well

Nose wheel well looking aft

Right side nose

Left side nose.

The plaque

Hope these will help in your decision to what version your going to do. At any rate. I do have other photos of these in greater detail with the modeller in mind. Enjoy

 

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

[e8n2]

The all gray one should actually be an RB-47H.  It had a longer, pointier nose than the standard B-47s with the small window near the windshield.  IIRC, when they started the Looking Glass mission (back up airborne command post in case SAC Hq was taken out in a nuclear strike) in the early 60s, the RB-47Hs out of Forbes AFB, in Kansas I think, flew the missions.  Later the mission was transferred up to Offutt AFB, Nebraska, which was also SAC Hq and flown out of there with EC-135C aircraft.

Later,

Dave

[Space Ranger]

SAC B-47s (the atomic bombers) almost always had undersides painted white, an anti-flash finish like the RAF’s atomic bomb carriers. RB-47s and WB-47s are a whole different kettle of fish.

[Giorgio N]

B-47B-II was a non-official designation used to indicate the B-47Bs that passed through projects High Noon and Ebb Tide to be modified to a standard practically identical to that of the B-47E

In a similar way, the B-47Es went through a number of updates and aircraft can sometimes be seen designated as B-47E-II or B-47E-IV. Again, non-official designations that however were useful to identify the upgrade level of each airframe.

 

As for things like "RB-47H-1-BW". this is the complete designation of the aircraft: RB-47 is the type, H the variant, 1 the construction block number and BW the indication of the manufacturer. Every aircraft in US service has a similar designation, however we generally only care about type and version: we say that a certain airframe is for example an F-15E but the complete designation would be something like F-15E-41-MC, meaning a Block 41 F-15E built by McDD.

With aircraft built by one plant only, the manufacturer code is always the same however with types like the B-47, that were built at a number of plants by different companies, the code can vary depending on who built that specific airframe, so you can find BW (Boeing Wichita), LM (Lockheed Marietta), DT (Douglas Tulsa).

Aircraft built at different plants may or not differ in one or more aspects, making things often complicated for modellers... I don't think this happened with the B-47 but other types were not so simple

Edited April 13, 2022 by Giorgio N

[J.C. Bahr]

On 4/11/2022 at 10:11 PM, f111guru said:

@Adam PoultneyThe first is from Tinker AFB Oklahoma City Oklahoma. It's overall gray and believe the plaque was that it was a WB-47 Stratojet. This is very much photo heavy. Use what you like

Blister antennas on right side aft of the weapons bay area and in front of the right aft gear door.

 

On the bird at Tinker, the designation may have been changed at some point, but that was originally an RB-47E and is the only one still in existence.  Is a shame she's not restored to the level of the H-model at Dayton.  The gray paint and covering over the window at the tip of the nose is just weird!

 

On the second photo, those are not antennas but are blisters that cover the mountings for the ALD-4 pod that Silver King RB-47H's could carry.  Dayton would like to have an ALD-4 to mount on it, but sadly none seem to have survived.

[e8n2]

I just did a quick search on Yahoo for the RB-47H and found this shot, among others:

 

 

You can see how it has the longer, and a bit more pointed, nose.

Later,

Dave