Delta 21
Posted on 11/28/2001 1:54:40 AM PST by JohnHuang2
SEATTLE, Nov 28, 2001 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- When Guy Townsend took the B-52 bomber on its first test flight nearly 50 years ago, he knew it was well-designed. But he never imagined it would still be in use today."Never. None of us ever dreamed the airplane would stay in service this long," Townsend, 81, said Tuesday. "Three generations have flown the B-52. By the time it's retired we ought to have two more generations."
The plane is now being used in Afghanistan after seeing service during the Vietnam and Gulf wars.
The B-52 has never been used for its initial potential: dropping hydrogen bombs on a cold war enemy. But the Air Force has found other reasons to keep it around - for conventional bombing, photographic reconnaissance and launching missiles.
It was on Nov. 29, 1951, that the first prototype of the B-52 emerged from Boeing's south Seattle plant, under cover of night and a huge tarp. The tail fin was folded down to help conceal the plane's radical, eight-engine, swept-wing design.
That prototype was damaged during testing and never flew, but it was followed by a second prototype on March 15, 1952, and the maiden flight came a month later. In the first photographs released to the press, its landing gear was airbrushed out to hide its configuration.
In all, eight models of the B-52 were built over the next decade, a total of 744 planes. About 100 H models remain in service. The Air Force says it may retain them until 2040.
The 390,000-pound plane has a 185-foot wingspan and can carry a crew of five at speeds up to 650 mph. It can fly as high as 50,000 feet or as low as 200.
In a fast-changing world of laser-guided missiles and stealth bombers, the plane's longevity is like something out of a much older arsenal, such as the catapult. It has outlasted several other bombers, including the North American B-70 Valkyrie.
"It was a design that had a lot of growth potential," said Al Lloyd, a Strategic Air Command historian and former Air Force officer who works for Boeing. "It was designed to carry nuclear weapons, but it grew as the threat changed, as far as what kind of weapons they could put on it and what kind of electronics can be put on it."
Townsend, who went on to become a brigadier general, agreed.
"We used to have a big, open flight deck," he said. "That's all full of equipment now. It's doing a beautiful job."
Others have been less enthusiastic about the bomber's use. During the Vietnam War, it was reviled by the peace movement as an indiscriminate killer.
Since the 1980s, the B-52s have been upgraded with improved electronics, environmental controls, autopilots, radar and the capability to launch cruise and short-range missiles.
Boeing has suggested replacing the eight engines with four more powerful ones, such as those used on the Boeing 757.
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On the Net:
Boeing: http://www.boeing.com
By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
Copyright 2001 Associated Press, All rights reserved
Great day, truly impressive aircraft (but not as impressive as the SR-71).
hehehe
Delta 21
Indeed! Thank goodness for my cable modem..hehe
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