Early B-47’s according to Wiki had nine integral RATO (rocket assisted takeoff) bottles in the rear fuselage for use during heavy weight takeoffs.
Later model B-47E versions used a ‘horse collar’ cradle externally mounted under the rear fuselage with 33 JATO (jet assisted takeoff) bottles, these expendable cradles, Wiki says, were dropped over prescribed range area’s after take off.
I am old enough to remember the B-47’s at Greenham Common with their JATO packs but where were the ‘prescribed range’ areas where the cradle was dropped, how high were they when they dropped them, was it over water, did they always drop them, does anyone know.
By: pogno - 12th March 2024 at 17:14
Thanks gents, for the suggestions.
I am asking the question because I went to a school just a mile off the Western end of Greenham’s runway and I am sure we would have noticed large lumps of rocketry falling around us, the noise and smoke was bad enough (actually it was brilliant because a stream departure would spoil a whole lesson).
By: Sabrejet - 12th March 2024 at 15:37
JATO F-84F ops from Manston required the bottles to be dropped in the Channel.
By: J Boyle - 12th March 2024 at 14:52
Usually they were dropped just off the end of the runway in the overrun area.
That’s fine for the many large rural bases in the U.S. which were specifically built (or greatly upgraded from WWII bases) for Stratojet operations, but for the U.K. bases that would be an issue. The “Horsecollars” were reusable… I think the bottles were refillable, so dropping them in the ocean was not an option.
It’s a question worth pursuing… There must some aviation history groups near the UK base which might know the answer. Likewise, check to see if there is a B-47 group/forum online.
There was a B-47 crewmembers group but as soon as I found it, it shut down due to there being so few members left. They donated club funds to charity and found a home for its archives. SAC ended B-47 ops in the mid ’60s (the weather ships in 1969), so the youngest crewman would be in his mid-80s now. That makes me feel old.
By: Duggy1 - 11th March 2024 at 20:10
A close up of the second XB-47 (46-066) and its rocket installation.
And a B-47E with the “Horse collar”.(no idea of the ranges etc.)
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March 11, 2024 at 10:08 am