WB-47E 51 2387 Arrives at Wichita's Kansas Aviation Museum - Last stationed at the 57th WRS at Hickam AFB, HI

Being held up with a wing jack, while looking for an outrigger landing gear.

The Kansas Aviation Museum acquired this Wichita built B47 in 2007. It was formerly located at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds and was in danger of destruction. The fair officials had to remove four aircraft from the parking lot including this B47, a B52D, DC-3 and Aero Commander to make room for facility expansion. We were the last Museum called before the B47 was to be destroyed. We had about 30 days to remove it. We were able to put together a group of volunteers, donations and companies to retrieve the aircraft from OKC and remove it to the Museum ramp located adjacent to McConnell AFB at Wichita . In May of this year reassembly started and now the aircraft is sitting on it’s main gear. We still need to find or fabricate outrigger gear and refinish the aircraft exterior. The aircraft had been setting on concrete pillers at OKC to which they had used the upper landing gear strut parts of the main trucks and outrigger struts to mount the aircraft and discarded the lower parts. We were able to acquire a used set of main gear from the Air Force museum and refurbish them and install them on the aircraft. Many of our volunteers on this aircraft had also worked on the restoration of 53-4213 which now rests inside the front gate of McConnell AFB.

 51-2387 sets on KAM’s ramp within site of the Boeing plant in which she was manufactured. More photos later when the aircraft is finished.

Tim Bonnell Sr., CIC  | President  |  Kansas Aviation Museum