At the time of this photo the aircraft still had the transparent canopy

51-2151 and 51-2146, in the background, were both retired to MASDC from 340 BW at Whiteman in 1960. 51-2151 is also reported written off at Pinecastle AFB, Florida on June 26, 1954, but this is clearly incorrect. A search reveals that the aircraft lost an engine in flight on that date and suffered category 3 (Substantial) damage. Photo by: Gerald Massie / Missouri State Archives

Ca.1953: TOS USAF and assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, Mather AFB, CA. Ca.6/59: 305th Bombardment Wing, Bunker Hill AFB, IN (Later Grissom AFB). 3/61: The right outboard engine exploded during an in-flight refueling, taking 15 feet of the wing with it. The wing was repaired. 1968: A hard landing at Bunker Hill broke the aircraft's back, permanently grounding it. It was then provided to the aircraft collection at Bunker Hill.

Ca.1953: TOS USAF and assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, Mather AFB, CA. Ca.6/59: 305th Bombardment Wing, Bunker Hill AFB, IN (Later Grissom AFB). 3/61: The right outboard engine exploded during an in-flight refueling, taking 15 feet of the wing with it. The wing was repaired. 1968: A hard landing at Bunker Hill broke the aircraft's back, permanently grounding it. It was then provided to the aircraft collection at Bunker Hill.

Wearing the emblem of the 365th Bombardment Squadron, of the 305th Bombardment Wing. At first sight it seems as if the second and third aircraft are from the same batch with the fiscal year digit of the serial omitted, but they are in fact B-47E models, serials 52-312 and 52-317. Photo by: Ralph Morse / Life

Preserved within the confines of Whiteman AFB

Boeing's B-29 plant in Wichita was reopened to build B-47s. Nineteen are visible here. 51-2317 was damaged beyond repair in an aborted take-off at Homestead, Florida in 1957. 51-2220, 51-2284, 51-2294, 51-2312 and 51-2313 can also be identified. Photo from: Hagley Museum and Library

Currently on display at the Mighty Eighth air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia. Museum is adjacent to a I95 exit.

Air and Missile Museum, Florence, SC. Now closed

Photographer: Robert Burgess

Many US bases have impressive gate guard parks, many of those are high quality and not inferior for official air force museums! Most probably, this B-47B is wearing false serial 20271 and is believed to be 51-2315. The latter was in a major accident prior to 1968. 52-0271 was indeed at Bunker Hill AFB (later Grissom AFB), and maybe this plane is actually the real 52-0271? The plane currently bears the markings 12135 and a sign says that the plane broke its back on a hard landing at Bunker Hill AFB, which forced its retirement, so it may well be the real 51-2315.

This B-47 was stationed at Bunker Hill AFB (now Grissom AFB) when damage from an extremely hard landing caused it to be declared a write-off and retired. Fortunately, especially as it is a rarer B-version, the frame was not scrapped and is now on display at the super Grissom Air Museum.