Posted on 01/29/2010 8:26:59 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Boeing announced that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions.
The more than three-hour flight around the Edwards area included an initial system build-up test, interphone test and communication test. The test process included power-on of each system in flight to determine that there were no adverse effects on flight-essential systems.
(Excerpt) Read more at alert5.com ...
I'm very happy that our B-52's can now communicate with the outside world while their aircraft is in the air. (Am I missing something?)
Think about using Sopwith Camels in Viet Nam. That’s the equivalent in time to using B52s today. Simply amazing!
The “Old Dog” just keeps flying.
21st century BUFF bump.
Oblahblah wanted to make sure the crews could get his speeches..
Man I worked on my first B52 in 1956 and that dog just keeps hunting. And I am old dog and can’t hunt.
If something works, don’t fix it.
When the last B-2 bomber is retired, the crew will be ferried back home on a B-52
I think they keep refurbishing them...so they are actually newer than you might think.
The B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program is now in an initial phase at the Wichita Development and Modification Center . The program will improve the B-52’s ability to share data with other military systems and platforms through enhanced communications, added tactical data links for increased situational awareness, and new technology to allow aircraft crews to dynamically retask missions and weapons during flight.
The B-52 is to be operational until 2040
The average airframe time in the B-52H fleet is just 13,000 hours, and the average annual flying time for the past two years is just 395 hours per aircraft.
And every four years each aircraft undergoes programmed depot maintenance, a five-month workover roughly equivalent to being reborn
Thanks, I thought it was something like that but I could not remember exactly..amazing aircraft
As long as the continue the upgrades its going to last until its end date of 2040. The B-52 at Edwards AFB has less hours on its airframe
Though the oldest B-52 flying(Edwards AFB) had the least number of flight hours - 2,443.8 hours over almost 50 years - due to its exclusive use in flight testing.
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