There are times each year when I read a book and am completely blown away with the depth of the material, the quality of the images and its ability to hold my interest beyond where other books tend to 'fall off'. This is one of them.

Those of  you who have read some of the other Specialty Press hardbound books like this over the last few years will know that when they decide to cover a subject, they do a superlative job of it. This volume is on America's first really successful jet bomber, the still very cool looking B-47 Stratojet. It was designed just after WWII as a medium jet bomber, capable of carrying both standard and nuclear weapons. Much information from German tests and experimentation in terms of the airframe itself was incorporated into the design, hence the swept wings and podded engines, something that directly comes from that research.

After the usual design studies, a final product was fixed in place and the first prototype took to the air in December of 1947. What was to follow were over 1400 examples, making it the largest US jet bomber program ever done in the US Air Force. Thanks to what was then a radical design, it was as fast as current jet fighters, quite maneuverable, and, through in-flight refueling, able to reach targets around the world.

In addition to its pure bombing capabilities, it was developed into other types, the most numerous of these variants being RB-47 strategic reconnaissance and EB-47 electronic intelligence aircraft. It was with these variants that the type saw combat during some of the warmer periods of the Cold War.

All of this is ably documented for us by the author, Alwyn T. Lloyd. Through his descriptions we follow the development, production, training, and operations of the aircraft. There are sections on experimental versions, a thorough technical description of the aircraft and its systems (including weapons carried). A too-short section of color photos is also included within these pages as are several appendices. These cover  production numbers, units and markings, model numbers and accidents. In fact, quite a few of the over 400 images are of Stratojets that have suffered some sort of an accident.

It is all here and waiting for you to discover on your own. This is the story of what has to be one of the most influential designs on American aviation that has been developed since WWII. It is a book that you absolutely must have on your shelves.

December 2005

Review book courtesy of , where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Call 1-800-895-4585 for phone in orders.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that has over 300,000 visitors a month, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.