And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It's been a long time since I watched it but I'm sure in the movie Strategic Air Command a former B29 pilot is recalled into SAC to fly B36s and then B47s. Jimmy Stewart was qualified to fly the B47 and B52. I wonder how many B47s are left. Were they all destroyed as part of SALT? Al_in_Ottawa
SALT I (1972) did not affect bomber numbers at all; besides that theB-47 bomber had been retired for six years by that point. A few reconnaissance and EW versions, RB-47s and EB-47s, continued until 1977.
SALT II (1979) had limits on number of delivery vehicles, again B-47 was long gone by then.
START (1991) and and New START (2010) were the treaties that resulted in retirement and actual destruction of some bombers, but this affected only FB-111A and some B-52s.
Some flew from Eielson AFB outside of Fairbanks when I was there as a child in the early Sixties. Brave men headed west to tweak the nose of the Russian bear. Some didn't return.
And they started designing it during WWII, like someone slipped them some tasty aerospace engineering. Just saying, got no proof, just that it appears way forward in a lot of technological aspects the rest of the industry. Took about a decade for this bomber to begin to be out dated. Long time at that stage.
I see Jimmy Stewart waving from the cockpit.
ReplyDeleteGreat movie…
DeleteThat was a B29.
DeleteStrategic Air Command
It's been a long time since I watched it but I'm sure in the movie Strategic Air Command a former B29 pilot is recalled into SAC to fly B36s and then B47s. Jimmy Stewart was qualified to fly the B47 and B52.
DeleteI wonder how many B47s are left. Were they all destroyed as part of SALT?
Al_in_Ottawa
You're right Al, I erred. 6 turnin' 4 burnin'.
DeleteSALT I (1972) did not affect bomber numbers at all; besides that theB-47 bomber had been retired for six years by that point. A few reconnaissance and EW versions, RB-47s and EB-47s, continued until 1977.
DeleteSALT II (1979) had limits on number of delivery vehicles, again B-47 was long gone by then.
START (1991) and and New START (2010) were the treaties that resulted in retirement and actual destruction of some bombers, but this affected only FB-111A and some B-52s.
A most beautiful example of design.
ReplyDeleteThere's probably half of the American nation out there that would say war was their profession yet they still roam free.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad wrenched on those planes in mid/late 50s. - Snakepit
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSome flew from Eielson AFB outside of Fairbanks when I was there as a child in the early Sixties. Brave men headed west to tweak the nose of the Russian bear. Some didn't return.
And War was just a hobby...
ReplyDeleteAnd they started designing it during WWII, like someone slipped them some tasty aerospace engineering. Just saying, got no proof, just that it appears way forward in a lot of technological aspects the rest of the industry. Took about a decade for this bomber to begin to be out dated. Long time at that stage.
ReplyDelete