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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Boeing B450 / B-47 Stratojet
    Latest Model:B-47E-25-DT Stratojet
    Last Military Serial:52-0166 USN
    Construction Number:44020
    Compressed ID:Douglas B-47E-25-DT sn 52-0166 USN...
    Latest Owner or Location:Castle Air Museum, Castle Airport (formerly Castle AFB), Atwater, California

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a B-47E-25-DT by Douglas at Tulsa, OK, USA.

    25 October 1952

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 52-0166.
    The delivery date is provided.

    Transferred to 93BW, Castle AFB.

    Transferred to 9th BW, Mountain Home AFB, ID.

    From time to time Spirt would be stationed at RAF Fairford U.K.

    By 1957

    To 509th BW, Walker AFB, NM.
    By 1958 52-0166 was sent to 40th BW at Forbes AFB, KS.

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 52-0166.

    Transferred to NAS China Lake, CA.

    From 1958 to 1980

    Roy Simmons comments (19 May 2019): From 1958 til 1980 she was to be come a smoking hole in the earth but my shear fate her location near a highway turned her into a photographic target.

    Withdrawn from use.
    Retired at China Lake.

    1981

    Restored.
    Roy Simmons comments (19 May 2019): Castle air museum personnel and from Castle AFB would travel to China Lake to get her airborne one last time. so from 1981 til 1986 they worked.

    To National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    17 June 1986

    Last flight.
    Roy Simmons comments (19 May 2019): On the last flight of a B-47 took place, with chase planes in tow Spirit flew the 45 min from NAWS China lake to Castle AFB. So with the help of Maj. General J.D. Moore and Lt. Col Wolfe Spririt made a safe landing to complet 40,000+hrs of work.

    Loaned to Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA.

    Placed on display with Castle Air Museum, Castle Airport (formerly Castle AFB), Atwater, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    By 1991

    Markings Applied: 0166, Spirit, 0-20166
    Finished in the markings of 93BW.

    2 September 1991


    Photographer: Robert Nichols

    2 September 1991


    Photographer: Robert Nichols

    19 April 1999


    Photographer: Tom Tessier
    Notes: At Castle Air Museum.

    12 September 2010


    Photographer: Mike Henniger

    12 September 2010


    Photographer: Mike Henniger

    1 May 2017


    Photographer: Marcin Rogowski
    Notes: At the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA, USA.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     National Museum of the United States Air Force
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Individual Contributors
     Mike Henniger
    Robert Nichols
    Roy Simmons
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