The venerable B-52: 50 years and counting

04/12/02 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The B-52 Stratofortress, considered by many to be the Air Force's workhorse bomber, celebrates its 50th anniversary April 15.

On April 15, 1952, Boeing Co. test pilot "Tex" Johnson and the Air Force Flight Test Center's Lt. Col. Guy Townsend took the first B-52 on its maiden flight, from the Boeing runway in Seattle.

Although few people realized it then, the nation gained a strategic weapon that would outlive the Cold War. The new bomber had a number of design features that would make modifications and upgrades simple, leading to the bomber's long service life.

Boeing designers, aware that their thoroughbred B-47 Stratojet had barely enough wing area, gave the new plane a generous 4,000 square feet. This made the wingspan so long that it was necessary to develop an ingenious swivel action for the landing gear trucks that allowed the plane to yaw during crosswind landings so the wingtips wouldn't contact the runway.

The boxy fuselage contained landing gear, bomb bays and most of the fuel cells, but still had space for equipment additions and modifications.

The first two prototype aircraft were configured with tandem seats for the pilot and co-pilot, who sat beneath a long, fighter-style canopy. Gen. Curtis LeMay, Strategic Air Command commander, directed a change to a side-by-side arrangement to improve communication between the pilots and provide space for more instrumentation. The XB-52 -- the first prototype aircraft but the second to fly -- arrived for evaluation Nov. 21, and was soon joined by the YB-52.

Townsend and Capt. William Magruder completed the flight test phase by the following June, and in July the YB-52 took off from Edwards' Rogers Dry Lake bed for an 11-hour basic radius test sortie. That flight confirmed the bomber's ability to take off with a heavy fuel load, fly more than 2,700 miles at combat altitude, conduct simulated combat maneuvers and return.

This capacity to project power on a global scale changed the entire strategic equation with the Soviet Union, and had immense effects on America's defense posture for the rest of the century.

A long series of airframe, engine and weapon system evaluations continued throughout the next two decades. These programs involved young AFFTC pilots and engineers such as Capt. Fitzhugh Fulton and Capt. Phil Conley Jr., who became AFFTC commander twenty years later.

The first three production B-52s were designated A models and arrived here for performance and stability testing March 3, 1955. One of these, tail number 003, was kept by Boeing for various test flight duties for the next ten years. In November 1958, it was modified to an NB-52A and began service as an X-15 mother ship. NB-52B, tail number 008, arrived at Edwards for the same duty on June 11, 1959, and began a career of flight test support that has lasted until today.

A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. Only the H model bombers are still in the Air Force inventory and are assigned to Air Combat Command and the Air Force Reserve.

The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles. It can also carry the conventional cruise missile, the weapon that was launched in several contingencies during the 1990s, starting with Operation Desert Storm.

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

I won't say that "rogue pilot's" last name, but his nickname was "Bud." In short, he was a prick.

Many people refused to fly with him. The reason the squadron commander was his co-pilot that day of practice for the airshow at Fairchild was because he wouldn't let any of his people fly with this maniac.

Most pilots have type "A" personalities, but aviation requires judgement. "Bud" was an ego-centric jerk. He once flew a B-52 about 20 feet off the desert floor. Photographers on the ground were almost hit! People feigned stomach flu or other aliments to avoid flying with him. "Bud" parked his car illegally on base wherever he felt like it--just to be a jerk. He never listened to anyone. He thought he was "the world's greatest pilot." Yeah - right.

If you go to an airshow today--and it seems boring: NO flybys, no acrobatics, no excitement, thank "Bud." He put that B-52 into a 90 degree bank at 200 feet, and killed several good men in the process. Right in front of many of their families (by the way who were videotaping the practice show).

Here's a few more pictures

B-52 Profiles

NB-52A. USAF serial number 52-20003. The B-52A was the first production series. Three were built and delivered to the Air Force in the summer of 1954, but they were immediately returned to Boeing for flight test duties. In the late 1950's, the one shown above was modified to carry the experimental X-15. Another was assigned to Chanute AFB, Illinois and permanently grounded for use as a teaching aid at technical school training center. The third was scrapped.

B-52C. USAF Serial No. 54-2672. This is the 19th of the 35 Model Cs produced. It was assigned to the 2nd Air Force (number on tail) and the 7th Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB (shield on nose). This is one of the original silver finish planes with white underbelly. Note the "O" that precedes the tail number. It stands for obsolete, indicating that the plane is more than ten years old.

B-52E USAF serial number 57-0028A, as she appeared when assigned to the 17th Bomb Wing, based at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. She displays the original B-52 finish, natural metal with white undersides. The SAC milky way band is one her nose, with the SAC crest. Such planes with the backbone of the deterrent force.

B-52F. USAF serial number 70144. On February 1965, Viet Cong guerillas attacked US forces in the central highlands of South Vietnam. Four days later the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered B-52F squadrons of the 2nd and 320th Bomb Wings to Okinawa for strategic bombing. Shown above is the "Mekong Express," from the 454th Squadron, 320th Bomb Wing. It has an impressive mission tally on the side of its fuselage.

B-52D, USAF serial number 56-680. 170 "Ds" were produced, more than another model. In 1966, it was anticipated that the Viet Nam could become protracted. Rather than risk newer planes to anti-aircraft fire, it was decided to use the older B-52D, which was then considered obsolete. Combat modifications included a much larger bomb bay to carry more conventional weapons and a camouflage paint scheme. The D flew most of the combat missions. Crews called her the BUFF, an acronym for Big Ugly Fat Fucker. The term stuck. This plane is from the 306th Bomb Wing.

B-52H USAF serial number 10024 was assigned to the 29th Bomb Wing. BUFFS returning from duty in Vietnam, were repainted in three tone green over gray scheme that became known as the Strategic or SIOP scheme. This aircraft has the EVS system turrets on her nose..

B-52G. USAF serial number 58-0239 of the 69th Bomb Squadron, 42nd Bomb Wing. It is equipped with EVS. Shown as it appeared at the "Giant Voice" bomb competition held at Barksdale AFB, La. in 1974.

B-52G. USAF serial number 76492. "Old Crow Express" saw combat in Operation Desert Story attacking Iraqi positions in Kuwait. She was with the 379th Bomb Wing that was based in Saudi Arabia.

B-52H. USAF serial number 00014. This BUFF was assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing, based at Carswell AFB, Texas during the early 1990s. The last B-52H left Carswell on December 18, 1992.

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