B-47E's down under!

[Spinners 15,968]

Boeing B-47E Stratojet - No.6 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1965

By early 1963 the Australian Government's search for a replacement for their Canberra force had narrowed down to a straight fight between the British TSR.2 and the American F-111. With the F-111 programme running well ahead of the TSR.2 the UK Government made a bold move by offering to lease 20 Vickers Valiant bombers to Australia to plug the gap until TSR.2 deliveries could commence but this was quickly countered by the US Government's offer to 'free loan' 30 surplus B-47E's.

In July 1963 this offer was accepted at the same time that a preliminary order for F-111's was made and soon formalised in early 1964. In August 1963 Boeing were contracted by the American Government to refurbish 30 B-47E's all of which were given a modest avionics upgrade and emerging from the Wichita plant in a new South East Asia camouflage scheme and the first B-47E's entered service with No.6 squadron of the RAAF in March 1965. Whilst due to be fully replaced by F-111C's by 1968 the wing-box problems and price escalation of the F-111C saw the Australian Government cancel the controversial swing-winger in 1967 and the B-47's were finally replaced by TSR.2's in 1971.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Spinners

[dsawan 613]

Nice!

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

It's funny, I was reading in an F-111 special around the time of their retirement how the British were potentially going to lease us either Vulcans or Victors as part of the TSR2 sale and how the US was looking (at different points before putting the F-111 on the table) to sell us either A-5 or A-7s but threw in the B-47s as a sweetener too, but the RAAF really didn't want them! lol.

 

These look fantastic though Spin!

[Spinners 15,968]

 

These look fantastic though Spin!

 

Thanks mate. It's pappychksix's fictional USAF SEA skin but I thought it would good with Roo's on it (what doesn't?).