The XB-47 first flew on December 17, 1947, the 44th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk. Boeing took a huge design risk when they developed the XB-47. The prototype plane included both a wing swept back 35 degrees and six jet engines attached to the wings with pods. This arrangement of engines was necessary to avoid interference with airflow over the very thin wings. These pods also offered better weight distribution, made maintenance easier, and had positive effects upon the plane's stall characteristics. As a weapon system, the B-47's success depended upon two innovations -- in-flight refueling and new radar bombing and navigation systems.
