Edward,
I'm not condemning the Wichita folks at all, only commenting on what appears to have been a poorly executed attempt at removing the wings. What you said is exactly right about the folks that have moved other B-47s for the NMUSAF, but who did NOT move the OKC bird. (Case in point, the beautiful B-47 on display at the NMUSAF). The difference is in something you said- the "engineered splice." When that firm executes an engineered splice, as it did on the NMUSAF display bird, holes are predrilled when the wing is still attached for the bolts that will ultimately hold the wing after reassembly. The wing is then separated at precisely the middle of the wing, on top of the fuselage, allowing for demating of the wings. When reinstalled with a proper splice, the wing (if I remember correctly) maintains about 97% of its original structural integrity. It has been computer modeled and tested, at great expense, to make sure that it is done properly. That is NOT what was done with the OKC bird, as the pictures that have been previously posted show. (see the linked thread)
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ty+wichita
The OKC bird's wings were just sawed off outboard of the fuselage, without any apparent regard for how they will be reinstalled. For those wings to actually stay on the B-47 will require some pretty clever structural modifications to the inside of the wings at the newly created attach points, along with the original outrigger gear to support the weight of the wingtips.
The wings on a B-47 can be removed, in one huge piece, and then reinstalled. It's just a matter, as with most things, of time, tooling, equipment and money. With the relative abundance of B-47 survivors out there, and the fact that they are almost all owned by the NMUSAF and will not fly again, there is little incentive to go to such trouble and expense on someone else's airplane. The wing could be removed in one piece, transported by helicoptor (don't laugh, it's been done several times with other aircraft) and then reinstalled. But it is an incredible headache and would cost lots of $$$.
Again, I am not condemning the Wichita folks. I am thrilled that the B-47 was saved, and that it was not scrapped. I also think the Wichita folks will be excited to know that two preserved B-47s are in their city, which (I think) is a unique situation. Oklahoma has two, and we're proud of them both. I wish the Wichita folks well, and am jealous of the original terminal building they've got for the museum!
Not to derail the topic, I just wanted to point out that trucking an aircraft is something that is a little more difficult and expensive than "oh let's just truck it."
kevin