Posted on 06/13/2014 7:49:31 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Once used to conduct "carpet bombing" the B-52 is now more likely to carry cruise missiles and Laser Guided Bombs
I know they say airplanes never “get old” as parts are replaced on a schedule of their fatigue life.
But it’s still pretty darn impressive.
Strangest landing gear ever and nowhere near as pretty as the Vulcan, but still an amazing aircraft.
They were offering rides in a 1929 Ford Trimotor at my local airport. It’s pretty impressive that they can still find parts to keep an 85 year old aircraft flying.
Needs new engines.
But they’ve been saying that since 1963.
I have read that the DOD projects the B52 to still be in service in 2055. Over 100 years of service. that is amazin. B52 and Ma Deuce. Two success stories from the much maligned Military, Industrial Complex. Air force friends that worked on and flew B52s always referred to them as “The Buf”. Translated to mean, Big Ugly Feller. FELLER? Right!
Dale Brown was right - they just keep teaching the Old Dog new tricks. Amazing, really.
I remember the 52s when I was stationed very shortly at Robins AFB, GA before heading overseas (one of my TWO short assignments in CONUS during the entire 8 years I did - second was 6 months at NORAD NCMC - the rest was OCONUS).
There, the 52s were part of the 19th Bomb Wing of SAC. They were separated from the rest of the base.
They also ran 52s out of Kadena right before I got there but the Okinawans complained and they moved them to Guam.
Instead of a fully laden B52 crashing on takeoff (their fear), they had no problem with the fully loaded KC-135s that the AF replaced them with - go figure, flaming gas or bombs.)
Gear is steerable IIRC
I just find it amazing that the airframe is original. How do they not have problems with metal fatigue?
He can barrel in that baby so low!
I always chuckle about the "nuclear capable" line reporters like. An F16 is capable of carrying nukes. B-61
Which nukes can the F16 carry?
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/tabid/131/Category/728/Default.aspx
We had them at Ellsworth. Part of the Triad.
I would love to see them en masse going into Iraq and just taking out the entire ISIS military wing in one bombing run.
B61.
I googled B-61 gravity bomb. This is an excerpt from wiki. There are hundreds of these in Europe, 12 in Turkey (NATO ally).
I was a SAC trained killer for my first 9 years, 76-85. Barksdale and Griffiss had Gs at that time, and Andersen still had Ds, the tall tails. Amazing birds. They must’ve been over-engineered to a fare-thee-well.
There could literally be grandsons of the first H pilots now flying those same Hs (the only ones left in the active inventory). And if they’re around as long as they claim, there could be great, great grandsons flying them.
The pucker factor maxed out whenever we saw the crews run to the birds cocked on alert on the Christmas tree. You hoped that when they got to the end of the runway, they didn’t go full military power and MITO. That would’ve been a bad day.
Thank you!
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