A Boeing B-47 Stratojet, the workhorse medium bomber of Strategic Air Command through much of the 1950s, is photographed in flight alongside a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter serving as chase aircraft. The B-47's swept wings and paired underwing engine pods represented a revolutionary departure from piston-engine bombers, while the diminutive, rocket-like F-104 embodied the era's pursuit of speed at the edge of the sound barrier. Official air-to-air photographs like this one, shot against a blacked-out sky for maximum contrast, were widely used by the Air Force for recruiting, public relations, and technical documentation during the Cold War. Project: 218218