The venerable B-52: 50 years and counting

Air Force Link ^ | 04/12/02 | Raymond Puffer

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

There's a saying in the B-52 community: When the last B-2 is retired at Davis-Monthan AFB, the crew will be picked up and taken home in a B-52.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Ping!

[shekkian]

Happy birthday, you big ugly fat f**ker.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep. It's ugly but it's tough! During the Persian Gulf War, there was a B-52 that took hits from two surface-to-air missiles. They flew it back to base.

[Doc On The Bay]

What a Tribute!

Dale Brown wrote a series of fun "Techno-Thrillers" based on the "B-52 Frame" beginning with the "Flight of the Old Dog!"-----Totally GREAT fun to read!

The '52 seems to be an Airframe Design that NO ONE has been able to exceed!

Doc

[shekkian]

My father worked on them back in the 60s. It's amazing they stayed around this long. It's like sailing the Maine into Tokyo Harbor for the surrender ceremony.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I say it's time to start up production again. They started building U-2s again and called it the TR-1. I say it's time to start building new B-52s. It's combat-proven, that's for darn sure!!

[dts32041]

I walked the line at -40 F guarding the Buff.

She was ugly then she is ugly now, but I still would like to fly in her just once as a Tail gunner.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Ping!!

[petuniasevan]

When the last B-2 is retired at Davis-Monthan AFB, the crew will be picked up and taken home in a B-52.

True! It WILL happen; I won't be surprised to see B-52s flying for at least a generation yet.

My squadron had an unofficial motto,

Pound it to fit, paint it to match!

Which had more than a grain of truth.
You name me any other active-duty aircraft which can take such rough handling and yet still remain airworthy.

USAF Barksdale AFB 1984-1988.

[PhilDragoo]

We went to my son-in-law's Commencement from the USNA in May, 1994. The low point was the 32-minute lie by the traitor-rapist 42 re Bosnia. The high point was the air show at Andrews: was able to admire the F-117 from the Lethal Force rope, cavernous C-5 Galaxy big as a tunnel under the Hudson, and when the sudden rainstorm came up, whipping wind horizontal and plunging the mercury, we dashed inside the B-52 bomb bay--with dozens and dozens of others.

After we have air superiority over Saddamland, these wonderful beasts will once again deliver the mail.

When they did this right, they did it right.

[Don Carlos]

Ping!

Thought you might enjoy this!

[petuniasevan]

Oops sorry, they removed the tail gun. Darn!

Maybe I can find something to take your mind off it....yeah, here it is...

[texas booster]

<>

A mock-up of an F-111 cockpit section drops out of the bomb bay of NASA's B-52 mothership on a test flight of a new parachute system for the F-111 "Aardvark" bomber. The F-111's ejection system separated the entire cockpit from the rest of the aircraft, and a large parachute was then deployed to lower the cockpit section to the ground.

Big BUFF Bump!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oh man, great patch!!

[arly]

An incredible aircraft! I too would like to see it go back into production!...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Pound it to fit, paint it to match!

Wow, that sounds like my Navy ship!! That saying has some serious inter-service truth, too.

[SBeck]

I just finished writing a paper on an accident involving Czar 52, the B-52 that crashed during an airshow practice at Fairchild AFB. The 33-year old airplane was an absolute beauty and had it not been for a rogue pilot would probably still be an important part of our strategic bomber force. Truly an extrodinary airplane, the B-52 is expected to be in service until 2040.