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Did you ever get a chance to top up the Sled?
Posted on 12/27/2017 6:31:47 AM PST by C19fan
America’s fleet of B-52H Stratofortress nuclear bombers are on track to outlast their engines, and the planes need new ones to remain viable past 2030. The U.S. Air Force, which received its first B-52H during the Kennedy administration, wants to replace existing engines with cheaper, more power ones to keep the lumbering jets flying into all the way into the 2040s.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
That's a great idea. Which means it's probably not even under consideration.
So you install new wings when needed. It isn’t that big of a problem
Each a-10 probably has 20 take offs and landings on crappy strips for every takeoff and landing in nice strips for a b-52 still in service.
The A-10 is a great plane and should be modernized. But bc it’s a great plane it’s been beat to death.
In the early ‘70’s I used to drive past March AFB outside of
Riverside, CA with some regularity when a squadron on B52’s was there. It was a highway then and not a freeway and almost everyone would pull to the side of the road when one of them was taking off. An awesome sight and sound of freedom!!
““I was in the USAF from 1970 - 1974. The BUFF has an honored place in my heart.”
Was stationed at Ellsworth 80-83. I loved watching the BUFF’s takeoff and land.”
Was stationed at Westover at tail end of Gen. LeMay’s career. 8th Air Force (heavies) HQ. Gen. LeMay had a “liking” for alerts...at any and all times night and day. Also liked minimum interval take offs. When they happened you stopped doing whatever you were doing...including sleeping. Unforgettable roar of power...teeth shook.Awesome.
Real Story:
B52 had lost one engine and declared an emergency landing.
Immediately after a new radio transmission from an unidentified aircraft (probably a fighter jock) was heard to say, “Ah, the dreaded 7 engine approach.”
Unless I’m mistaken, the Air Force ordered all of the tooling and dies for the A-10 to be destroyed. They hated it so much they wanted to make sure it could never be resurrected.
I am on board! Keep the BUFF flying!
You can say that again!
Yep. The next turn will have to be with improvements and new tooling.
Did you ever get a chance to top up the Sled?
Bookmarking...
The "Water Wagons"?
Built when man thought water could burn!
Nothing more awe inspiring than watching a MITO with water.
So the BUFFs are moving away from coal power. About time!
BUFFs already have sons flying their fathers’ planes.
Suppose it won’t be long until grandpa, father and son can have a reunion with the same plane.
Although I was in ICBMs I had many friends in the bomber and tanker business. I heard a few stories about whether or not the tankers would get off the ground with an EWO load and heard of a few large loads where the mains left the concrete on the overruns.
Onbe of my tanker crew friends at Grand Forks said the joke was the first tanker would clear out the GCI and trees and the rest would use the uplift from the fire to get airborne.
Not if there’s a will to do it. The Navy re-winged a good portion of the A6 Intruder fleet back in the 80’s. But cracks in the wing-boxes have killed other aircraft types prematurely.
The problem with the A-10 is the size of the fleet keeps dropping. This is partly intentional, but its mostly due to wear & tear. They’ve done modest upgrades to some of the remaining aircraft, but its becoming a budgetary problem. The Marines see this and its the reason they don’t want the planes.
Go here to the bottom, and read the "way forward" recommendations.
http://www.airpowerstrategy.com/2016/11/22/old-dog-new-engines/
Yes 8 engines and fitting in the existing nacelle would be sweet, I'd have to research what fits that is approx the same thrust w/ a much lower TSFC.
Their recommendation that the TF-33's need to be purged from all aircraft and retired, that is a much bigger issue clearing out those spare parts and logistics.
IMHO upgrading the B-1 w/ F-119 engines was the proposal that should have been done, maybe even before this one as it might get the B-1 to supercruise/supersonic again. Their were some B-1 drivers here back in the day they floated that idea, and they seemed very happy....
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