Originally Posted by
RAFEngO74to09
In addition, ELINT RB-47Es/Hs were operated from Brize Norton then Upper Heyford until December 1965. I used to see them as a kid at UH - usually in a hangar near the public road with the tail sticking out through a specially fitted opening in the hangar doors.
In about 1977 I saw a Navy EB-47E on the ramp at NAS Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. It was flown by a civilian Boeing Wichita crew as a 'Pandora' plane, used to do jamming in fleet electronic warfare exercises. I climbed up into the cockpit and briefly chatted with the crew. They said the plane would be soon retired and sent to Dyess AFB in Texas as a gate guard.
I seem to remember that VAQ-33 had an Electric Whale, EA-3B, on the ramp at Rosey as well.
The B-47 on display at Dyess appears to be 52-0412 which the Navy supposedly called 24120. It now has SAC markings, I'm pretty sure it said Navy on the side when I saw it in 1977 or so.
I found this online about the Navy EB-47E's:
Two EB-47Es (s/n 24100 and 24120) were loaned to the US Navy for electronic countermeasures (ECM). Modified and redesignated as EB-47Es, they were operated and maintained by McDonnell Douglas Tulsa, OK.
Each aircraft had it's long-range external wing tanks replaced with electronic countermeasures equipment, multiple antennaes were added and chaff dispensers were installed. Each remained operational with the Navy long after the last USAF B-47s were retired from service.
The final operational flight of a B-47 occurred on 20 December, 1977, when after accumulating more than 10,000 hours on it's airframe, 24100 was flown to Pease AFB, NH, where it was demilitarized and put on display.
https://b-47.com/wp-content/uploads/...14.-EB-47E.pdf
As I said, I remember the crew I met as Boeing ICT, but maybe they were McDonnell D folks out of Tulsa. It's been a few years...