In the politically correct 2000s, nose art has been hidden in wheel-well doors or, in the case of the A-10, behind the integral ladder door, and often as not, simply does not exist. CENTCOM commander H. Norman Schwartzkopf demanded continual B-52 strikes-- eventually forty percent of all ordnance expended--and the results were devastating. After extensive renovations, the "BAFB Exhibition", at the former Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base, is open for business. Evans at Blytheville air show in 1980. 35 57.54 N, 89 57.74 W. Marker is in Gosnell, Arkansas, in Mississippi County. On the evening in question, Bruce was working for a local radio station, performing tests on their transmitters. This facility trained Army Air Cadets on Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita advanced trainer planes to learn to fly North American B-25 Mitchell bombers in all theaters of World War 2. Notable people who were stationed at the base durring this time include Carl Jr. and Frank . In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. Jwt708 Well-Known Member. Timeline photos. After Eaker Air Force Base was B.R.A.C.d, multiple buildings on the base were put up for sale, but never put to use properly. My father manufactured this and built a front wheel carrier for my motorcycle so I could mount the front wheel and removed the chain and allow the rear wheel to freely roll as we towed it down the road. As the 97th Bomb Group it's B-17 were the first to drop bombs on the Germans in France in 1942. See All. Holes in the roof create entryways for birds and rain. Movie Theater. Though it is referred to these names, the airport officially goes by Arkansas Aeroplex. School trips were to other countries LOL. The Blytheville Air Force Base Capehart Housing Historic District encompasses a large residential area built between 1957 and 1962 as part of a military housing program for service members stationed at the now-closed Blytheville Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. Since its organization on 21 March 1946, SAC had continuously used C-47s or Gooney Birds as they were usually called, for support and administrative purposes. I was stationed there from 1966-69. Use code: FLICKR10, International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. Profile pictures. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. The Future of Eaker Air Force Base and the National Cold War Center/BAFB Exhibition, https://abandonedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/YouCut_20220127_115729032.mp4. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. thrust each. No photo description available. It is aRead more . In any case, out of a sense of history and because commanders were now favorable to the idea, nose art began to return, though the USAF was very careful to ensure any "painted ladies" to have nothing more risque than bikinis. Notice my Mustang has what appears to be a trailer hitch. "Valkyrie" would fly a few more missions during the war, the only time she would drop bombs in anger. On January 11th, during Agile Combat Employment training exercises performed by the U.S. Air Force at Eaker Air Force Base, work had begun on the restoration process of Building 1225. The KC135, along with the B52 is one of the only fixed wing aircraft with over fifty years of service. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. The heavier steel fuel tanks of the tall-tail series were replaced by integral fuel tanks, in which the entire wing served as a tank. In selected cases, due to ground water table conditions, the moleholes were built fully aboveground, with the lower story earthen bermed for semi-hardening. Veteran C. Young. The G models were not equipped with the same robust electronic countermeasures suite as the Ds, nor did their crews have the same training. I was one of four Production Supervisors who coordinated the P-Check maintenance and retrofitting of existing 737-200's (42 aircraft) for MetroJet; this included all coach interiors and . Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. The communication building of the 97th Bombardment Wing is in terrible condition as well. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. The base closed in December 1992 and has re-opened as a general aviation/commercial airport and industrial park known as the Arkansas Aeroplex. The majority of the bases housing is still in use, a few buildings are in use, and the tarmac is now the Arkansas Aeroplex. Like many B-52s, 58-0183 was shuttled around through several units--in this case, no less than eleven bomb wings. Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, Blytheville: See 8 reviews, articles, and 21 photos of Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 6 attractions in Blytheville. In July 1963 the aircraft was stationed at Beale AFB, California, with the 456th Bombardment Wing (H). Opened in late 2020, the BAFB Exhibition features memorabilia, video and personal stories of the base from its 1942 beginnings until closure in 1992. Gosnell reported losing over half its students. Suggest edits to improve what we show. However, two years later they proved him and everyone else wrong. The KC135 replaced the KC97, as the latter could not keep up with newer, larger and faster aircraft. Microscopy, Atomic Force Pulmonary Ventilation Acoustic Impedance Tests. I grew up on Army bases overseas. Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eaker Air Force Base. In order to give the property on which the base was located back to the local authorities, the USAF hired a cultural resource management firm to conduct a survey of the archeological sites on the base property (Cande and Lafferty 1991). My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. Leaving Little Rock as Arkansas only active base. Setting near the base is a memorial bench for Army Spc Christopher Stark killed in Afghanistan Feb 28 2011. Communism had shriveled in the world. Eaker Air Force Base was complete with swimming pools, tennis courts, a grocery store, a dental office, a nine hole golf course, a theater, multiple clubs, visitation centers, a gym, and on-base housing for military families. During WWII, my Dad and his best friend, John Whittington, would go to the base (teenagers) and work. A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.. Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Hoosier Hotshot", Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Valkyrie", N915DN Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | Arkansas International Airport, N502DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport, 59-1514 Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker United States Air Force, N907DL Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Arkansas International Airport, www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5714, www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM&feature=related, B-52G with an North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, Photoshopped image of Rick OKelley Age 20 on his 1972 Suzuki GT750J Le Mans, Post Card KC 135 refueling a B-52G from Blytheville AFB, Sign that set at the Main Gate at Blytheville Air Force Base, 1977477_10202915854723496_3494507586333601988_n, www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm, Blytheville Air Force Base exhibit at DGM, Rickie D O'Kelley Staff Sergeant 1975 - Age 22. Gosnell appears right center of the photo.. Today it is the headquarters for the group that runs the old base for civilian use and the aircraft are: I was promoted to Staff Sergeant after 37 months of active duty plus 5 months delayed enlistment program. The Museums C-47 was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and delivered to the USAAF on July 14, 1944. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. The airport was developed from the closed Eaker Air Force Base (formerly Blytheville Air Force Base), after its closure by the U.S. Air Force in 1992. . 18 (Feb. 26, 1904). Here's a little blurb about the alert facilities themselves (aka "mole holes"): "The SAC alert crew quarters, like the SAC command post, were partially below ground structures. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. By October of the same year the aircraft was moved to Robins AFB, Georgia. The Iron Curtain was torn down. The pictures and history lesson accompanying are amazing. I was stationed at Eaker from 89-91 in the comm building pictured. On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. Full view. Over 1,000,000 pictures [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. B.R.A.C. The Air Force needed a long-distance bomber that could travel all the way to the former U.S.S.R., drop a payload on a target and travel back without needing refueling. . The B-52G entered service in February 1959, and eventually 193 would be built, making it the most produced B-52 variant. Wing Headquarters. By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment 3. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Some of the land has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. The first DC-3s were ordered by the USAAF in 1941 under the designation C-47, but there was no way to predict that simple designation would become a legend, that over 10,000 would be built and that the plane would be listed by General Dwight Eisenhower as one of the four pieces of equipment most vital to our success in Africa and Europe. There were countless modifications to the C-47 fleet, some taking place at the factory and some in the field. And this is a photo of the HULK 46 design that the . I also lived in the dorms that are pictured. In August 1991 this Stratofortress was dropped from the Air Force inventory and made available to the USAF Museum Program. Pictures, photos and images from Blytheville, AR. Touch . Due to the high amount of asbestos flying around in the air, and the safety concerns. Some were torn down. While the B-52Hs remained on nuclear alert standby, the G models were used in the conventional bombing role after the first few nights of cruise missile strikes; at first, this was done at low altitude, but switched to high altitude later onnot because of the threat of Iraqi air defenses, which had been badly degraded, but of the psychological effect. Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). Blytheville AFB became fully operational when it was equipped with a wing of three squadrons of B-57 bomber on 19 July 1955. Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. The Hound Dog was withdrawn in the 1970s and replaced with the AGM-69 SRAM, which could be carried in groups of 20 rather than just two of the huge Hound Dogs. Location. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. Today. I saw this jet in the Thunderbird performance at Blytheville Air Force base Oct 25 1972.. My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. New in 1960. Though, the program and its members were not considered truly military nor pilots until the 1970s. From its days as an Army Airfield until closing in 1992 as a major Strategic Air Command facility, the Blytheville Air Force Base told many stories. . Armament: Four .50-cal. The 2nd Bombardment Wing (H) at Barksdale AFB acquired the plane a second time in February 1987. action specifically caters to closures and revitalization of U.S. military bases. Vietnam saw a return of nose art (or, in the case of the F-105, "armpit art" as it was carried beneath the high wing), but while pilots and crews didn't have to worry about irate wives, they did have to worry about irate commanding officers, some of whom saw nose art as unprofessional and childish. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. Fighter units also rarely carried nose art or even a name, though they made up for it with very gaudy colors and flamboyant unit crests. 732 of the aircraft were specifically aerial tankers. This article was made possible by the help of Barrett Harrison, President of the Arkansas Aeroplex, Technical Sergeant Robert Charles, curator of the BAFB Exhibit, many Air Force veterans and the National Cold War Center. 2, no. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. Details on 57-6486 are sparse; it may have seen combat over Vietnam with another unit. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. 766 th BS headquarters. These women had proved their selves capable of flying aircraft such as the B25 and the B29. And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. If was really not abandoned til 10 year ago becuae I went to preschool on the base then I got shut down because all of us got sick becuase the heat and air went out. To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war for this purpose. It seemed like every morning at 5:00 AM the flight line maintenance crews would fire up some of the airplanes engines. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. [1] Then the airfield briefly became a processing center for the rapid demobilization of military personnel being discharged. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. There were trainer versions designated TC-47 and reconnaissance versions designated RC-47. All the glass is shattered. Enter your email address to subscribe to Abandoned Arkansas and receive notifications of new posts by email. Armament: Four defensive .50-cal. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000 lbs. Explore. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. The airbase was phased out years ago, but Blytheville has emerged as a steel production center and agri-business is strong. Arkansas had six Army airfields. Pilot Mike Bush, Co Pilot Larry J Houser, EWO Wayne Carver, Navagtor Doug "D.R" Kincannon, Gunner Jack Alexander. The 97th deployed to Edwards AFB, California, while operating this aircraft. Serial Number 61-0023 landed safely in Blytheville. It was immediately assigned to the 72nd Bombardment Wing (Heavy) at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. Under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 the United States government is obligated to consider utilization, procurement and disposal of government property. Since Eaker Air Force Base went under B.R.A.C. I was stationed at 3 bases that closed during this BRAC (Eaker, George and Chanute) and took an early out at the same time (volunteer compensated RIF in 1992). An exploration of the base's history and its impact on the community. Those dorms were pristine (almost new if I remember correctly) when they were abandoned. Best years of my life. This one is at the old (now closed) SAC base near Blytheville, Arkansas. This VC-47D had been assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Property is disposed of, and the government cleans up after itself. Coupled with the more regulation bound USAF of the 1950s, almost no B-36s or B-52s carried nose art, despite a larger "canvas" than the B-29 or B-17. The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill Air Force Base. In June 1965 B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. On a Bravo alert, while taxiing the aircraft, the pilot was waiting (and hoping!) 88 of the aircraft built are modified versions to serve specific purposes such as reconnaissance aircraft, and cargo carriers. Fill out the form and sign up to help us protect: By signing up, you are not committing to anything, you are simply subscribing to be notified of upcoming volunteer dates. . Businesses have come and go, but the wear and tear of Mother Nature and Father time have taken their toll on many buildings on base. 2023 Getty Images. The airfield was used as the Southeastern Training Command's flight training school, which closed in October 1945 after the Second World War ended. Operated by the 97th Bombardment Wing based at Eaker AFB, Blytheville AR. 326th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 21 July 1942-30 April 1944 2111th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-16 June 1945 Became Blytheville Air Force Base / Eaker Air Force Base (1951-1992) Now: Arkansas International Airport (IATA: BYH, ICAO: KBYH, FAA LID: BYH) (1992-Present) Newport Army Air Field, 6 miles northeast of Newport Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "blythevilleairforcebase" Flickr tag. Links: Thule AFB . This has led to the current dilapidated state of some buildings. [1], On 15 July 1955, the facility was reopened as Blytheville Air Force Base (AFB), when the 461st Bombardment Wing was moved from Hill Air Force Base in Utah. [1], The base closure cost the community over 700 civilian jobs, but half of these were recovered through the adaptive reuse of the former base, such as United States Post Office's utilization of the base in the late 1990s as an airport hub during the holidays, some of the base housing being converted by Westminster Village of the Mid-South for a retirement community, the construction of a $2.5 million sports complex by the local community, and the private investment of some $3 million for the creation of the Thunder Bayou Golf Course. I saw this jet fly Oct 25 1972 at the Blytheville AFB air show. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Thank you! [2] In July 1959, the 97th Bombardment Wing subsequently assumed control of the base and brought with it the long-range B-52G bomber and the KC-135A Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft to support bomber operations. The worst building on base is the hospital. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . I don't have a clue who captured or created this image but this is it is an excellent computer generated image of a Pre-Vietnam War SAC Paint Scheme with a North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile. Was stationed there from 1967 to 1970 with 97th AMS, the old A&E Squadron. [3] Unfortunately, Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command's list of base closures in 1991 and with the Cold War coming to an end, the installation was officially chosen; in March 1992, the last aircraft left the base. KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base by Darren Currie 19 International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. This has been an ongoing project for over a year. In 1988, the based was renamed to honor World War II General, Ira C. Eaker. If you wish to support our current and future work, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of our many books. 1-2 hours. Officials had hoped, after hearing rumors of the base's possible closure, that the name would endear the base among military leaders and be enough to incentivize its continued existence. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. The Southeast Asia War section of the Modern Flight Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/). Arkansas Razorbacks. The rest I earned via my service to my country. Who knew that 41 years later I would have a new Mustang or even still be alive. The process is called B.R.A.C.. Ash. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . The B-52G was also built from the start to deliver standoff nuclear weapons, beginning with the AGM-28 Hound Dog. Five feet of water was pumped out of the basement of the building. . The B52 Stratofortress was the answer to all the problems found in the Convair B36 Peacemaker and the B24. Almost immediately, this was proven to be a vain hope: the only aircraft able to replace the B-52 was, it seemed, another B-52. Did you serve with BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE? Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. Renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 honoring Gen. Ira Eaker, the entire facility closed in 1992. The B-52 Stratofortress force had always been intended to be supplemented by newer designs, allowing older types and eventually the B-52 itself to be retired. My job was to keep the alert aircraft supplied with the parts they needed to be mission ready. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. Base Theater. From an extreme case of having to be boarded up like a top secret quarantine, to simply being an old tool shed that never got used. The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. After a brief hiatus of less than a decade, the facility reopened as the Blytheville Air Force Base. Marker is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Chestnut Drive, on the right when traveling east on Memorial Drive. As a result, the B-52Gs took heavy casualties in the first days of Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, losing 15 aircraft; it was decided to pull the Gs out of operations after the first week. The 456th completed deployments to Anderson AB in Guam with this B-52G. ADM-20 Quail Decoy used to produce a fake B-52 signature on radar making a single B-52 appear to be as many as eight B-52s causing the Soviets to waste their SAMs chasing the Quails. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Glad to see the alert pad will be saved. if I remember correctly it was one of the rooms pictured (162). When I arrived in July 1972, Blytheville Air Force Base's B-52s, KC-135s, pilots, navigators, electronic warfare officers, tail gunners and many . The incident over Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on January 21, 1976, would not only stretch to a second night but was also witnessed by pure chance by a student journalist known only as "Bruce.". Electrical work and flood damage repair have begun. This had the added benefit of giving the gunner an ejection seat, eliminating the need for a manual bailout system. However, the B-58 was delayed, and in accordance with General Curtis LeMays prescient worries that the B-52 force would simply fall apart, Boeing began development of a new variant of the B-52, the B-52G. Americans did not have to fear every day of an imminent Soviet missile strike. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. Ritz. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. Washington -- Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas, the "National Cold War Center." The Eaker base opened in 1942 as a World War II advanced pilot training school, and later became an alert center during the Cold War. At one point, sharkmouths were banned by 7th Air Force in Saigon as being "too warlike"--despite, of course, the "non-warlike" aircraft carrying tons of bombs and missiles. (USAF Museum Official Website), Objects and images related to Blytheville Air Force Base, aka Eaker Air Force Base, The patch for the 340th Bomb Squadron assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eakers Air Force Base. After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. Home of 96th Bombardment Wing: 1953-1957; 11th . Pinterest. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Branch of Service: Air Force. Two B-52G bombers were readied to strike the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons if necessaryfor which the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance during the crisis. Part of the reason was the USAF's adoption of "Combat Warrior," which was meant to instill a sense of history among its pilots and airmen, requiring the study of the USAF/USAAF historical record. The hospital has been tightly sealed up. All photos. Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. The top attractions to visit in Blytheville are: Historic Greyhound Bus Depot Visitor Center; The Ritz Theatre; Delta Gateway Museum; Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition; That Bookstore in Blytheville; See all attractions in Blytheville on Tripadvisor In June 1972 General Brown assumed command of the 416th Bombardment Wing at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y. Evans was from Osceola AR. As a CAP cadet 1966-1969 the lore of this base was discussed often. In June 1965, B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. It was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an aviation pioneer and second . There was some concern that female aircrew--which were becoming far more common in the 1980s than in years previously--would object to the nose art, but no such objections materialized. 07-4637 photos; United States - US Air Force (USAF) Airline: United States - US Air Force (USAF) Reg: 07-4637 photos; Aircraft: Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules; Serial #: 382-5597; . https://nuke.fas.org/guide/usa/bomber/kc-135.htm#:~:text=The%20KC%2D135%20can%20haul,transferable%20for%20global%20refueling%20missions. Eaker Air Force Base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the communities of Gosnell and Blytheville in Mississippi County. Had many good times there. These jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. As a kid in nearby Jonesboro, our cub scout pack got to visit what was then Blytheville AFB. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. Eaker Air Force Base Historic District, Arkansas International Airport, and Blytheville Municipal Airport. BX and Cafeteria. It originally provided housing, school and community resources to the families of military personnel who were stationed at the adjacent Blytheville Air Force Base (which is now operated as Arkansas International Airport). The B-47 Stratojet was slated to be replaced by a mix of both the heavy Stratofortress and the Convair B-58 Hustler high-speed medium bomber. Posted June 9th, 2014 by NFFF & filed under Uncategorized. Charles Fisher would forever be known as Mr. Copyright 2009-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) - Abandoned Atlas Foundation - board@AbandonedAtlas.com | Designed By Prairie Nation Creative, LLC - Disclaimer, Eaker Air Force Base (Click the Thumbnails to See Full Album), Extras (sirens, wildlife, monument, signs). As I recall, crew members were typically on alert for 10 days of every month. of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs.