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Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s, and NASA for over 40 years. The bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons [2] and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles (14,200 km) without aerial refueling.[3]

"B-52" and "BUFF" redirect here. For other uses, see B-52 (disambiguation) and BUFF (disambiguation).

Beginning with the successful contract bid in June 1946, the B-52 design evolved from a straight wing aircraft powered by six turboprop engines to the final prototype YB-52 with eight turbojet engines and swept wings. The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952. The B-52 has been in service with the USAF since 1955, and NASA from 1959 to 2007.[4] Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War–era deterrence missions, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker.


Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept them in service despite more advanced strategic bombers, such as the Mach 2+ Convair B-58 Hustler, the canceled Mach 3 North American XB-70 Valkyrie, the variable-geometry Rockwell B-1 Lancer, and the stealth Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. A veteran of several wars, the B-52 has dropped only conventional munitions in combat.


The B-52's official name Stratofortress is rarely used; informally, the aircraft has become commonly referred to as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker/Fella).[5][6][7][Note 1] There are 72 aircraft in inventory as of 2022;[9] 58 operated by active forces (2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing), 18 by reserve forces (307th Bomb Wing), and about 12 in long-term storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Boneyard.[2][3][10][11][12] The bombers flew under the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was disestablished in 1992 and its aircraft absorbed into the Air Combat Command (ACC); in 2010, all B-52 Stratofortresses were transferred from the ACC to the new Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). The B-52 completed 60 years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. After being upgraded between 2013 and 2015, the last airplanes are expected to serve into the 2050s.

Operational history[edit]

Introduction[edit]

Although the B-52A was the first production variant, these aircraft were used only in testing. The first operational version was the B-52B which had been developed in parallel with the prototypes since 1951. First flying in December 1954, B-52B, AF Serial Number 52-8711, entered operational service with 93rd Heavy Bombardment Wing (93rd BW) at Castle Air Force Base, California, on 29 June 1955. The wing became operational on 12 March 1956. The training for B-52 crews consisted of five weeks of ground school and four weeks of flying, accumulating 35 to 50 hours in the air. The new B-52Bs replaced operational B-36s on a one-to-one basis.[136]


Early operations were problematic;[137] in addition to supply problems, there were also technical issues.[138] Ramps and taxiways deteriorated under the aircraft's weight, the fuel system was prone to leaks and icing,[139] and bombing and fire control computers were unreliable.[138] The split-level cockpit presented a temperature control problem – the pilots' cockpit was heated by sunlight while the observer and the navigator on the bottom deck sat on the ice-cold floor. Thus, a comfortable temperature setting for the pilots caused the other crew members to freeze, while a comfortable temperature for the bottom crew caused the pilots to overheat.[140] The J57 engines proved unreliable. Alternator failure caused the first fatal B-52 crash in February 1956;[141] as a result, the fleet was briefly grounded. In July, fuel and hydraulic issues grounded the B-52s again. In response to maintenance issues, the USAF set up "Sky Speed" teams of 50 contractors at each B-52 base to perform maintenance and routine checkups, taking an average of one week per aircraft.[142]

United States Air Force

[9]

NASA

"Mothership" Launch Aircraft

In 1956, there were three crashes in eight months, all at .[268]

Castle Air Force Base

The fourth crash occurred 42 days later on 10 January 1957 in , Canada.[269][270]

New Brunswick

On 29 March 1957, B-52C (54-2676) retained by Boeing and used for tests as JB-52C, crashed during Boeing test flight from Wichita, Kansas. Two of the four crew on board were killed.

[271]

On 11 February 1958, B-52D (56-0610) crashed short of the runway at , South Dakota, due to total loss of power during final approach. Two of the eight crewmembers on board were killed in addition to three ground personnel. The crash was determined to be from frozen fuel lines that clogged fuel filters. It was previously unknown that jet fuel absorbs water vapor from the atmosphere. After this accident, over two hundred previous aircraft losses listed as "cause unknown" were attributed to frozen fuel lines.[272][273]

Ellsworth AFB

On 8 September 1958, two B-52Ds (56‑0661 and 56‑0681) from the 92d Bombardment Wing collided in midair near Fairchild AFB. All thirteen crew members on the two aircraft were killed.

[272]

On 23 June 1959, B-52D (56‑0591), nicknamed "Tommy's Tigator", operating out of , crashed in the Ochoco National Forest near Burns, Oregon. The aircraft was operated by Boeing personnel during a test flight and crashed after turbulence-induced failure in the horizontal stabilizer at a low elevation. All five Boeing personnel were killed.[272]

Larson AFB

On 15 October 1959, B-52F (57‑0036) from the at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, carrying two nuclear weapons collided in midair with a KC-135 tanker (57-1513) near Hardinsburg, Kentucky during a mid-air refueling. Four of the eight crew members on the bomber and all four crew on the tanker were killed. One of the nuclear bombs was damaged by fire, but both weapons were recovered.[274]

4228th Strategic Wing

On 15 December 1960, B-52D (55‑0098) from the collided with a KC-135 during mid-air refueling. The refueling probe from the KC-135 pierced the skin on the wing of the B-52. Upon landing at Larson AFB, the starboard wing failed, and the aircraft caught fire during the landing roll. The runway at Larson was damaged. All crew members were evacuated. The KC-135 landed at Fairchild AFB.[269]

4170th Strategic Wing

On 19 January 1961, B-52B (53‑0390), call sign "Felon 22", from the out of Biggs AFB, El Paso, Texas crashed just north of Monticello, Utah after a turbulence-induced structural failure, the tail snapped off, at altitude. Only the copilot survived after ejecting. The other seven crewmen died.[275][276]

95th Bombardment Wing

List of incidents resulting in loss of life, severe injuries, or loss of aircraft.

Length: 159 ft 4 in (48.5 m)

Wingspan: 185 ft 0 in (56.4 m)

Height: 40 ft 8 in (12.4 m)

Wing area: 4,000 sq ft (370 m2)

: NACA 63A219.3 mod root, NACA 65A209.5 tip

Airfoil

Empty weight: 185,000 lb (83,250 kg)

Gross weight: 265,000 lb (120,000 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 488,000 lb (221,323 kg)

Fuel capacity: 312,197 lb (141,610 kg), 47,975 U.S. gal (181,610 L)

: 0.0119 (estimated)

Zero-lift drag coefficient

47.60 sq ft (4.42 m2)

Drag area:

: 8.56

Aspect ratio

Powerplant: 8 × -P-3/103 turbofans, 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust each

Pratt & Whitney TF33

Data from Knaack,[297] USAF fact sheet,[298] Quest for Performance[299]


General characteristics


Performance


Armament



Avionics

– airborne computer built by IBM for the B-52

BRANE

James Lore Murray

Related development


Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era


Related lists

USAF B-52 Fact Sheet

B-52 Stratofortress history on fas.org

B-52 profile on AerospaceWeb.org

B-52 Stratofortress Association website

a 1957 Flight article by Bill Gunston

"Boeing B-52 – the Strategic Stratofortress"

(PDF). Air & Space Power Journal. 35 (3): 4–15. Fall 2021.

"Special Feature: The B-52 Stratofortress"