Posted on 04/15/2012 6:32:45 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Along with the ICBM, it was one of the defining pieces of military technology during the Cold War: the B-52 bomber.
Those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s knew the B-52 Stratofortress as a central figure in the anxiety that flowed from the protracted staring match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On the one hand, it was reassuring to know that the Strategic Air Command was ready at a moment's notice to scramble its B-52s to counter any potential nuclear attack. On the other hand, if the bombers were flying that mission, well, things might well have ended badly for everyone.
But while the nuclear-tinged Cold War has come and, thankfully, gone, the B-52 is still going strong. And this after a half-century of service.
It was 60 years ago today, on April 15, 1952, that a B-52 prototype built by Boeing took off on its maiden flight. The 1950s-vintage B-52s are no longer in the U.S. Air Force inventory, but the 90 or so that remain on active duty (a total of 744 were built, counting all models) aren't that much younger. They're all the H model of the B-52, delivered between May 1961 and October 1962. That means the youngest is on the cusp of its 50th birthday.
That feat of longevity reflects both regular maintenance and timely upgrades -- in the late 1980s, for instance, GPS capabilities were incorporated into the navigation system.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.cnet.com ...
Good ol’ American know how!
Always loved watching them take off from Carswell AFB in Ft Worth. Two B-52s, followed by a KC-135. Their saggy wings would gradually lift as they reached take off speed. Hard to see much after that, though. Buffers were pretty smoky.
I’m sure she was a fine bird in her time, but I’m also pretty sure she should have been retired L-O-N-G ago.
>>Along with the ICBM, it was one of the defining pieces of military technology during the Cold War: the B-52 bomber.
Hey, what about the SSBN, which is the only leg of the strategic deterrent triad still viable?!?
41 for Freedom!
Like the battleship, the B52 represents the apex of evolution of a system. It would take a saltatory leap to render it obsolete. The B1 and B2 are out there, but when we needed a craft to loiter around the Afghan plain, only one airplane filled the bill.
Born and grew up here, and now I'm back. Saw/heard Hustlers crack a bedroom window going supersonic.
Saw the MITO take-offs. One BUFF after another, water injection on, roaring. I was probably 6, standing in my back yard, fingers in my ears, spring in the air, and feeling my chest cavity viberate from the sound.
And they were smokey, back in the day.
I did wind up in the AF eventually. TAC, not SAC, first time around.
/johnny
/johnny
God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.
God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.
bump johnny #9.
There’s something else about the Buff, as evidenced from EGPWS’ pic above:
The B-52 isn’t subtle. There’s no stealth. There’s no “environmental impact assessment.” From the moment the throttles go forward, the outward message of a B-52 rolling off the runway is:
“We are coming to kill you. We don’t care who knows. We’re not going to be crafty, stealthy, quiet or nuanced. When the bomb bay doors open, you will see a seemingly limitless succession of bombs drop out of this beast upon your head. Enjoy your last moments.”
Look back at what happened when Nixon finally bombed North Vietnam with B-52’s instead of attack or fighter aircraft. The Commies came back to the table right damn quick...
If we practiced a foreign policy of “speak softly and carry a big stick,” the B-52 is the biggest, ugliest piece of wood one could carry around.
That's not possible, according to the bean-counters.
I once worked out an engineering solution on a quadrille pad with a pencil at a meeting, and it included some greek characters! Oh, my! Basic algebra. No integration or anything.
I presented the solution and got told by the bean counters that I would have to explain some of it, and they wouldn't sign off until they understood it.
3 weeks later....it was the same answer down to 4 decimal places.
/johnny
Likewise and more. The Buffs used to fly almost directly overhead on their landing pattern for Carswell. I lived just west (1/4 mile or so)of the primary runway and just north of the West Freeway. I could almost count rivets as they flew overhead. Always a treat to see them as well as comforting to know they were always on the job.
Slide Rules Rule!
Most amazing thing I ever saw there was a British Vulcan bomber in the ‘83 airshow. It performed maneuvers I never believed possible in an aircraft of its class.
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