B52 60 years and still flying!

[billymach4]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/us/b-52s-us-air-force-bombers.html?_r=0

Look at the B52. Not a glamorous looking aircraft. The center of gravity is supported by a quadrant of 4 sets of landing gear. Within that quadrant is the bomb bay, and outboard on the wings are hard points for more ordinance. Surrounded by tanks of fuel to take this flying freight truck to any point in the globe to deliver a bang.

You coward terrorist cannot hide from the USAF!

 

[billymach4]

Oh and BTW Happy Hanukkah my flying menorah

Happy Hanukkah to the B52!

Eight Engines. One for each night of Hanukkah!

 

[MULTIZ321]

I have a friend who is a retired USAF B-52 crew chief. He told me he flew on the first B52- H models.

He also explained to me the built-in landing-gear/wheel systems designed to prevent skidding when landing on a snow-bound runway. He said it worked well and was very impressive.


Richard

 

[ajsmithtx]

I flew on B-52Gs out of Barksdale AFB, LA from 1981 to 1986, as an Electronic Warfare Officer.

 

[x3 skier]

A photo collection from Air Force Magazine

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine Documents/2015/December 2015/1215buff.pdf

Cheers

 

[MULTIZ321]

A photo collection from Air Force Magazine

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine Documents/2015/December 2015/1215buff.pdf

Cheers

X3 -

Thanks for posting the photos.


Richard

 

[x3 skier]

X3 -

Thanks for posting the photos.


Richard

You're welcome. When the 17th Bomb Wing was at Wright-Patterson AFB in the 60's, my office was in a two story building in line with the runway. In the really hot days of August, if there was a scramble, I looked out my window and saw the B-52's and KC-135's screaming directly at me straining to climb out. All activity ceased since we couldn't communicate anyway.

Cheers

 

[friedshrimp]

Happy Hanukkah to the B52!

Eight Engines. One for each night of Hanukkah!

I'm not Jewish but I love it! :rofl::hysterical:

 

[billymach4]

I flew on B-52Gs out of Barksdale AFB, LA from 1981 to 1986, as an Electronic Warfare Officer.

You are "Da Man"!

Must have been a great job!

 

[billymach4]

I'm not Jewish but I love it! :rofl::hysterical:

Think about it. There is no other regular ordinary aircraft in this day that has 8 engines. It is just mind boggling. Since the wings hang so low to the ground and the engines have a relatively low profile the design is a success. I am sure if the B-52 were to be redesigned today it would have 4 engines like the B-1, B-2.

I have seen tests where the B-52 was fitted with a single large turbofan on a pylon. Guess it was deemed a failure.

 

[friedshrimp]

Think about it. There is no other regular ordinary aircraft in this day that has 8 engines. It is just mind boggling. Since the wings hang so low to the ground and the engines have a relatively low profile the design is a success. I am sure if the B-52 were to be redesigned today it would have 4 engines like the B-1, B-2.

I have seen tests where the B-52 was fitted with a single large turbofan on a pylon. Guess it was deemed a failure.

Actually there are 11 aircraft (mostly military) to date that have/had 8 engines.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Aircraft_with_8_engines

I spent 21 years in the Air Force just because I love to watch planes fly.

 

[TUGBrian]

flight of the old dog was one of my favorite books reading years ago.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

For any interested folks - a still flying WWII Avro Lancaster in North America

a still flying WWii Avro Lancaster bomber - is based in the Hamilton Ontario
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

430 of 7377 were built in Canada - the rest in the UK

It visited the UK in summer 2014 to fly with only other flying Lancaster .

You could call it the Commonwealth's B 24
or is the B 24 the USA's Lanc.

I am not a airplane expert and will leave that for others .

 

[kwilson]

I flew on B-52Gs out of Barksdale AFB, LA from 1981 to 1986, as an Electronic Warfare Officer.

Thank You Tony!

 

[jonmaiman]

flight of the old dog was one of my favorite books reading years ago.

+1 one of my favorites too.

--Jon

 

[dwojo]

I worked on and occasionally flew on G and H models at Griffiss AFB and Minot AFB many years ago

 

[MULTIZ321]

Over 60 Years In, The B-52 Bomber is Still Kicking - Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday/ National Public Radio (NPR)/ npr.org

"The B-52 Stratofortress bomber was first developed by Boeing in 1952. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Wired's Eric Adams about how an aircraft that old has such staying power..."


Richard

 

[x3 skier]

Think about it. There is no other regular ordinary aircraft in this day that has 8 engines. It is just mind boggling. Since the wings hang so low to the ground and the engines have a relatively low profile the design is a success. I am sure if the B-52 were to be redesigned today it would have 4 engines like the B-1, B-2.

I have seen tests where the B-52 was fitted with a single large turbofan on a pylon. Guess it was deemed a failure.

Both Pratt & Whitney and General Electric used a leased B-52 as a test bed for their high bypass engines (JT-9D and CF-6 respectively) when they were being developed. That's the test you've probably seen. There's lots of proposals to re-engine the BUFF over the years but none have progressed past the paper study phase.

Cheers