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Boeing B-52 with CONECT Upgrade Accomplishes 1st Test Flight
Alert 5 ^ | 1/29/2010 | Alert 5

Posted on 01/29/2010 8:26:59 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

Boeing announced that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions.

The more than three-hour flight around the Edwards area included an initial system build-up test, interphone test and communication test. The test process included power-on of each system in flight to determine that there were no adverse effects on flight-essential systems.

(Excerpt) Read more at alert5.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Technical
KEYWORDS: aerospace; b52; buff; communications; conect; edwardsafb

1 posted on 01/29/2010 8:27:00 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove
The “Energizer Bomber”, it just keeps on going and going and goi.....
2 posted on 01/29/2010 8:28:17 PM PST by BallyBill (WARNING:Taking me serious could cause stress related illness.)
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To: sonofstrangelove
"upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions. "

I'm very happy that our B-52's can now communicate with the outside world while their aircraft is in the air. (Am I missing something?)

3 posted on 01/29/2010 8:50:44 PM PST by matthew fuller (Year II- Barak Hussein Obama versus The United States of America.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Think about using Sopwith Camels in Viet Nam. That’s the equivalent in time to using B52s today. Simply amazing!


4 posted on 01/29/2010 8:51:28 PM PST by Dogbert41
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To: sonofstrangelove

The “Old Dog” just keeps flying.


5 posted on 01/29/2010 9:02:02 PM PST by Mike Darancette (Obama's only 2012 hope; lose one or both houses of Congress in 2010.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

21st century BUFF bump.


6 posted on 01/29/2010 9:05:31 PM PST by Sender (It's never too late to be who you could have been.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Oblahblah wanted to make sure the crews could get his speeches..


7 posted on 01/29/2010 9:09:20 PM PST by apastron (I miss the good old days - when bankers just jumped out of a window...)
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To: apastron

Man I worked on my first B52 in 1956 and that dog just keeps hunting. And I am old dog and can’t hunt.


8 posted on 01/29/2010 9:17:04 PM PST by ully2 (ully)
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To: Dogbert41

If something works, don’t fix it.


9 posted on 01/29/2010 9:26:27 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get.)
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To: All

When the last B-2 bomber is retired, the crew will be ferried back home on a B-52


10 posted on 01/29/2010 9:39:25 PM PST by ak267
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To: sonofstrangelove
An amazing aircraft. Does anybody know the average hours on the airframes?
11 posted on 01/29/2010 9:46:18 PM PST by montanajoe
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To: montanajoe; sonofstrangelove

I think they keep refurbishing them...so they are actually newer than you might think.


12 posted on 01/29/2010 10:26:51 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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The B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program is now in an initial phase at the Wichita Development and Modification Center . The program will improve the B-52’s ability to share data with other military systems and platforms through enhanced communications, added tactical data links for increased situational awareness, and new technology to allow aircraft crews to dynamically retask missions and weapons during flight.


13 posted on 01/29/2010 10:29:20 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The B-52 is to be operational until 2040


14 posted on 01/29/2010 10:30:41 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: montanajoe

The average airframe time in the B-52H fleet is just 13,000 hours, and the average annual flying time for the past two years is just 395 hours per aircraft.


15 posted on 01/29/2010 10:32:32 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: montanajoe

And every four years each aircraft undergoes programmed depot maintenance, a five-month workover roughly equivalent to being reborn


16 posted on 01/29/2010 10:33:22 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Thanks, I thought it was something like that but I could not remember exactly..amazing aircraft


17 posted on 01/30/2010 12:53:05 AM PST by montanajoe
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To: montanajoe

As long as the continue the upgrades its going to last until its end date of 2040. The B-52 at Edwards AFB has less hours on its airframe


18 posted on 01/30/2010 12:55:38 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: montanajoe

Though the oldest B-52 flying(Edwards AFB) had the least number of flight hours - 2,443.8 hours over almost 50 years - due to its exclusive use in flight testing.


19 posted on 01/30/2010 12:58:32 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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