I’ll Be Damned, These Boneyard B-52s Can Still Fly

War is Boring ^ | February 18, 2015 | Joseph Trevithick

[C19fan]

The Air Force is working to get a B-52 bomber back into service after it sat collecting dust for seven years at the famous Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

On Feb. 13, the B-52H—with the serial number 61–0007—left the desert for its new home with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This is the first time the Air Force has “regenerated” one of these bombers from the Boneyard back to active duty.

[rlmorel]

BFL

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I’ve always read that due to the cost of engineering the current B-52 fleet to the way they want them it would be cheaper to build entirely new planes.

[IYAS9YAS]

The Shah’s helicopter was probably an AH-1 Cobra.

That's it. It was a Cobra.

[IamConservative]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Davis-Monthan+Air+Force+Base/@32.1656811,-110.8523853,9843m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x86d6653db2375c9b:0xdf50c8f87748ce38

A Google Satellite link. Pretty amazing. I’ve driven around it.

[wjcsux]

The only bad part of a re-engine is no more black smoke coming from those B-52s at takeoff. :0

If I remember correctly, only the B-52 G and H had TF-33's. I think the B, C, D and F models had Pratt J-57's. D-M had a Buff Squadron in the early sixties. As kids, we loved watching them blow out bunches of black smoke as they took off.

[QT3.14]

Remember this amazing feat after loss of the tail?

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Nope. The G & H model have 8 engines.

[chaosagent]

Back in the early 70’s I was doing IRAN’s on EB-57’s at Otis AFB in Massachusetts.

Only jet I ever saw with Buick jet engines on it. Not sure of the model number, but I think it was a J-65.

[af_vet_rr]

The reason for the re-engine proposal is not only eliminating the smoke contrails, but also more power at takeoff (220,000 lb. thrust from four F103's versus 144,000 lb. thrust from eight TF33's) and way lower fuel consumption. Just the more engine power makes it easier to carry the massive GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb that weighs 30,000 lb., some 8,000 lb. more than the famous World War II Grand Slam bomb.

If the re-engine proposal goes through, combine it with the internal upgrades, and it will be an aircraft that is even more amazing than it already is.

And the savings in fuel could easily pay for the engines - some of the original studies about new/different engines were extremely flawed.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

G models had the J-57.

[Redleg Duke]

They will probably be on the expedite the chopping list.

[skeptoid]

Back when Men thought water could burn ...

Actually, the early models burned coal.

[21twelve]

I remember doing a job in Fort Worth - around 1987 I suppose. Was off the end of some approach. It was amazing to watch them come in to land in the dusk, one after the other with their landing lights on. I forget now - but it seemed like an endless stream of them - at least a dozen planes all lined up. And much closer together than commercial landings.

[az_gila]

It was so beautiful and practical, that the Ruskies created their own version. I love this plane almost as much as the SR-71.

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Then you would like the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, next to the D-M boneyard.

Outside they have three B-52’s you can walk around and a SR-71 in one of the display hangars.

[fallujah-nuker]

Only jet I ever saw with Buick jet engines on it. Not sure of the model number, but I think it was a J-65.

You are correct, the J-65. Originally started life as the Armstrong-Whitworth Sapphire and was adapted by Wright as the J-65, and Buick was selected as a second source. This link has a story from 1955 about production beginning at Buick, interesting to read the paper. Another story is of the B-47D beginning flight testing, powered by a Wright T-49 (which was a turboprop version of the J-65). And A&P has picnic hams for $0.33 a pound!

[SunkenCiv]

On Feb. 13, the B-52H -- with the serial number 61–0007 -- left the desert for its new home with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This is the first time the Air Force has "regenerated" one of these bombers from the Boneyard back to active duty.

Otherwise, it's a hell of a stupid idea to "boneyard" them in the first place. I hope Zero doesn't read about this in the papers or see it in the news, he'll Executive Order the whole bunch of them scrapped.

[Paleo Conservative]

I wonder how if would perform with 4 GE90’s?;)

[agincourt1415]

You just gotta luv the B-52! What a work horse! I wish they would outfit them with glass cockpit and high bypass turbo fan engines and fly them another 60 years.

[az_gila]

Otherwise, it's a hell of a stupid idea to “boneyard” them in the first place. I hope Zero doesn't read about this in the papers or see it in the news, he'll Executive Order the whole bunch of them scrapped.

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A bunch were scrapped and laid out for Ruski satellite pics at the D-M base. Part of one of the nuclear disarmament treaties -

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks az_gila.