Nice.
I wonder how it feels to be the pilot (or crew) of an aircraft that was flying before their parents were born?
I feel sure most of them will still be flying in 25 years from now.
My Great-grandfather was born in 1868, at the height of the Indian wars. Bison still covered the plains, cattle drives were just starting North out of Texas.
He lived long enough to see the B-52 go into service.
The BUFF is as old as me.
5.56mm
The kid that lived next door just graduated USAF Flight School. Got assigned to the Buff. Pretty cool. He has wanted to be a pilot since he was 13, at least.
Somebody probably said that day: “It’ll never last. Obsolete within a year. No one will remember the B-52 a couple of years from today.”
But, can it fly on just seven engines if one goes out?
I remember those early B-52s.
They had a high tail fin and twin machine guns in the tail.
They kept the prototype for years at Wright Paterson at the air force museum(the old one).they moved and had to cut it up.Cant save them all which is a shame.
They kept the prototype for years at Wright Paterson at the air force museum(the old one).they moved and had to cut it up.Cant save them all which is a shame.
That's 92 per year. Why can't we do that anymore?
Too bad all the old water burners are gone.
Thee was nothing more awe-inspiring than seeing eight G-model BUFFS and six or seven A-model tankers performing a MITO (Minimum Interval Take Off). The noise, the black smoke, and aircraft taking off ten or twelve seconds apart made my heart race and made me proud to be an American and a Cold War fighter.
I feel pretty sure I am still alive because of them. Good people still debate whether or nor that was a good outcome.
B52s:
The ORIGINAL “BUFFY” the Vampire Slayer...
Heheh!!!!
I was employed in Minot and the job I was working on was hauling dirt in to fill a hole .
I had the pleasure of watching the take off and landing practices of the Buffs.
I was warned not to take any photos.
Guess I’m going to jail when they catch me
They could have used these in WW2 : )
Not many know there is a B-52 parked out front of Orlando International Airport.
Fewer probably know that Orlando International Airport was once a B-52 base and it’s airport code is derived from its original name - MCcOy AFB.
The contrast between the Convair B-36 and the Boeing B-52 is amazing. The B-36 was not in service very long and is largely forgotten. The B-52 first flight was less than six years after the B-36 first flight.
| B-36 | B-52 | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Convair | Boeing |
| First Flight | 8 August 1946 | 15 April 1952 |
| Operational Introduction | 1948 | 1955 |
| Year Retired | 1959 | TBD |
| Years Produced | 9 ('46–'54) | 11 ('52–'62) |
| Status | Retired | In service |
| Number Built | 384 | 744 |
| Max payload (lb) | 87,200 | 70,000 |
| Takeoff Weight (lb) | 410,000 | 488,000 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 230 | 185 |
| Nickname | Peacemaker (informal) |
Stratofortress |
I just watched "Strategic Air Command," the 1955 movie with Jimmie Stewart. It featured the B-36 even though it was made the year the Buff was introduced. The movie was quite interesting and taught me something new. In the early Cold War years, the U.S. was not accustomed to having to keep non-stop patrols in the air ready to retaliate against the Soviet Union. The men in the Air Force were not used to keeping a large fleet operational around the clock in peacetime. The movie was created to educate Americans on the new realities of defense in the Cold War.