THE 456th FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON

T PROTECTORS OF  S. A. C.

 

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The Boeing History Of The B-52

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B-52 Design: Dayton Hotel Birthplace of Jet-powered Bomber

 

Boeing received a contract from the Air Force in July 1948 to build two experimental long-range, heavy bombers under the designation B-52. Because jet engines were still in their infancy and considered insufficient for a heavy bomber, the contract called for turboprop engines to power the planes.

But Ed Wells, Boeing vice president of Engineering, and George Schairer, chief of Aerodynamics, preferred jets for the B-52. Boeing Senior Vice President Wellwood Beal told the two to work up a new design using jets but not to do anything that would jeopardize the contract in hand for turboprops.

The jet-powered B-52 was born in the Hotel Van Cleve in Dayton, Ohio, on an October weekend in 1948. How it happened has become a Boeing legend.

On Thursday, October 21, a three-man team — headed by Schairer and armed with plans for the turboprop bomber — walked into a conference room at Wright Field Air Force Base. Engineers Art Carlsen and Vaughn Blumenthal accompanied Schairer, whose briefcase also just happened to contain data for a jet-powered B-52.

The Air Force chief of bomber development, Col. Pete Warden, looked over the turboprop data and was clearly disappointed. He asked if the Boeing team could come up with an updated proposal for a B-52 powered by jets.

Schairer called Wells, who arrived in Dayton that night.

Back at the hotel, the team worked all night. Using the data that Schairer had brought along, they put together a design that incorporated jet engines but did not call for any major changes to the bomber's wing.

On Friday, Col. Warden carefully looked over the new charts and graphs. Finally he said, "I don't think you've gone far enough."

"Let's see what we can do," Wells said. "We'll be back Monday morning." It was almost noon Friday.

Returning to the Hotel Van Cleve, the team was joined by Bob Withington and Maynard Pennell, two top Boeing engineers who just happened to be in town on other business.

By late Friday night, they had laid out what was essentially a new airplane. The new design featured a wing that was swept back at 35 degrees with a 185-foot span. More significantly, it featured eight jet engines.

After a Saturday morning trip to a local hobby shop for balsa wood, glue, carving tools and silver paint, Schairer set to work building a model. The rest of the team focused on weight and performance data. Wells, who was also a skilled artist, completed the aircraft drawings.

On Sunday, a hired stenographer typed a clean copy of the proposal.

On Monday, Schairer presented Col. Warden with a neatly bound 33-page proposal and a beautiful 14-inch scale model on a stand.

Col. Warden was clearly impressed.

"Now we have an airplane," he said. "This is the B-52."

The Air Force quickly approved the proposal to develop an entirely new jet bomber under the same designation.

The B-52 that flew for the first time on April 15, 1952, looked and performed almost exactly like the plane presented in drawings, words, numbers and balsa wood assembled by six talented engineers who worked one very full weekend in Dayton's Hotel Van Cleve.

 

B-52 Rollout:  Extreme Security Measures Precede Debut

The proposal for a jet-powered B-52 that was born in Dayton's Hotel Van Cleve in 1948 resulted in a U.S. Air Force order for two prototypes. Design studies and wind-tunnel tests based on the proposal had been so convincing that the Air Force issued Boeing a "Letter of Intent" for the manufacture of B-52 production tooling in March 1951, more than a year before the first scheduled flight.

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XB-52 Rollout

Shrouded in tarpaulins and a veil of secrecy, the XB-52 is rolled out and moved quickly through the rainy night to the flight-test hangar.

The two prototype aircraft, the XB-52 and YB-52, rapidly took shape in a classified area of Boeing's Plant 2 in Seattle. The two planes were basically identical except that only the YB was instrumented for flutter tests.

At 9 p.m. on Nov. 29, 1951, shrouded in tarpaulins and a veil of secrecy, the XB-52 (tail number 49-230) was quietly rolled out of Plant 2 and quickly moved through the rainy night to the flight-test hangar.

The Air Force was extremely concerned for the security of its new bomber. To keep curious onlookers away, the Air Force had instructed Army troops from nearby Fort Lewis to block off the section of East Marginal Way that ran next to the plant.

Boeing engineers and factory employees who had worked on the prototypes were tempted to laugh at the use of tarpaulins to hide the shape of the B-52. To them, it was like trying to hide an elephant under a sheet. Even under acres of canvas, the outline of the aircraft's sweptback wings and long fuselage was obvious.

Soon after the rollout, a 2,500-foot extension to the south end of the Boeing Field runway was completed to accommodate the giant bomber. Boeing also began construction of a new flight-test hangar for the program still referred to by Boeing veterans as the B-52 Hangar and still the home of Boeing Flight Test at Boeing Field.

But it was the YB-52 (tail number 49-231), rolled out on March 15, 1952, that made the first flight of the B-52 series. This was because the XB-52 was damaged during a full-pressure test of its pneumatic system. The XB-52 made its first flight on Oct. 2, 1952.


 

B-52 First Flight:  Drama Equals Broadway Opening

National security concerns brought about by the Cold War led the U.S. Air Force to set up unusually tight security restrictions around its new bomber. But when the Air Force demanded that the first flight of the B-52 be made at night, Boeing officially complained.

Boeing and Air Force officials met, and logic prevailed. All restrictions were lifted, the plane was uncovered, and it would make its initial flight during the day.

The first flight of a B-52 Stratofortress (the YB-52 prototype) was publicly announced for Tuesday, April 15, 1952, which turned out to be an unusually warm and sunny Seattle day.

Boeing employees crowded office windows, the ramp and the roof of Plant 2. Some likened the tense excitement to that of a Broadway opening. The roadways, hills and rooftops near Boeing Field also were lined with spectators.

The pilot for that first flight was Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston, one of Boeing's top test pilots. Johnston got his nickname because of his fondness for wearing fancy cowboy boots, even during test flights. He became an aviation legend in 1954 when he put the 707 jetliner prototype into a complete 360-degree barrel roll over Lake Washington — not once, but twice during the plane's first public display.

The co-pilot was Lt. Col. Guy M. Townsend of the U.S. Air Force flight test center. During World War II, he had flown Boeing B-17s and B-29s. After a long Air Force career, Townsend retired as a brigadier general and joined Boeing.

Both pilots had extensive experience with Boeing's first jet bomber, the B-47.

Just before 10 a.m. the pilots in the cockpit began a final check of all instruments and controls. At 10:45 a.m. the big plane's eight jet engines came to life with an ear-piercing roar.

"This guy, Tex Johnston, isn't a fellow to sit around and play with the engines," a mechanic told the person standing next to him. "If they look all right, he'll go."

At 11:03 a.m. the B-52 headed down the taxiway, turned onto the main runway at the north end of Boeing Field and stopped. Johnston advanced the eight throttles to full power and released the brakes.

At 11:09 a.m. the wheels started to roll.

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April 11, 2002

The YB-52 prototype makes its first flight on April 15, 1952, from Boeing Field in Seattle.

The April 17, 1952, edition of "Boeing News" described the takeoff this way:

"This was it. The tremendous roar of the engines grew louder and louder as the plane gained speed. It raced down the runway with deceptive speed, past the other bombers that had made history taking off from here: the smaller B-47s, the B-50s, the B-29s and an old but proud B-17, nearly two decades of history-making bombers. The huge crowd that had gathered to watch the takeoff let out a spontaneous cheer."

One of the happiest people to watch the YB-52 climb into the air was Boeing President Bill Allen. The normally reserved Allen, standing with other executives and Air Force officials, waved his arms like a cheerleader. "Pour it on," he shouted. " Pour it on, boy."

Johnston and Townsend kept the plane over the Seattle area for about 40 minutes as they checked the landing gear, flaps and ailerons. They then climbed to 25,000 feet and headed for Larson Air Force Base at Moses Lake, Washington.

Arriving around noon, the YB-52 flew over the Moses Lake area for the next two hours as the pilots continued to perform a series of tests. Johnston radioed back to Boeing Field that the plane's performance appeared to be just as predicted by the engineers.

At 2 p.m. the YB-52 touched down on the 10,000-foot runway at Larson Air Force Base. The flight had lasted two hours and 51 minutes. At the time, it was the longest and most successful first flight in Boeing history.

Co-pilot Townsend knew the B-52 was well built. But he never imagined the plane would still be around 50 years later.

"None of us ever dreamed the airplane would stay in service this long," Townsend, 81, said recently in an Associated Press interview. "Three generations have flown the B-52. By the time it's retired we ought to have two more generations.

"If you would have told me that then, I would have said you were out of your tree."

 

B-52 Development History:  From A to H

The general layout of the two B-52 prototypes, the XB-52 and the YB-52, was similar to that of the B-47. Boeing engineers retained the 35-degree swept wing, pylon-mounted engines, braking parachute, bubble canopy and bicycle-type landing gear.

A notable difference was the use of four separate and steerable landing-gear units. This interesting capability allowed B-52 pilots to align the landing gear with the center of the runway while crabbing the aircraft into the wind during crosswind landings.

Another innovation was the use of a completely moveable horizontal tail, instead of conventional elevators, for pitch control. This system was standard for jet fighters of the period, but had not been used on jet bombers.

 

The B-52A  Side By Side Seating

By the time the B-52A made its first flight in 1954, a more traditional cockpit with side-by-side seating had replaced the prototypes' bubble canopy.

The bombardier and the radar operator were located in a compartment below and just aft of the flight deck. The gunner, in charge of four .50-caliber machine guns, operated from a pressurized compartment in the tail.

The B-52A carried 35,600 gallons of fuel housed in flexible bladders inside the wing and along the top of the fuselage. In addition, the B-52A also carried two 1,000-gallon drop tanks under each wing.

 

The B-52B: The 1st Production Stratofortress

The B-52A was followed by the B-52B, with increased gross weight and larger jet engines. The B-52B was the first production version of the Stratofortress because the three B-52As were primarily used as flight-test aircraft.

The B-52B entered service with the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command on June 29, 1955, with the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base, California.

With photographic reconnaissance or electronic capsules installed in their bomb bays, 27 of the 50 B-52Bs built were designated RB-52Bs.

 

The B-52C & D : More Weight, Range

Next off the line were 35 B-52Cs. Further improvements resulted in a higher gross weight of 450,000 pounds and unrefueled range extended by a total fuel capacity of 41,700 gallons.

The B-52D, built in both the Seattle and Wichita plants, made its first flight in 1956. The B-52D was essentially the B-52C without the alternative reconnaissance capsule feature.

A total of 170 B-52Ds were built: 101 in Seattle and 69 in Wichita.

 

The B-52E & F: Boom Extends Range

One hundred B-52Es and 89 B-52Fs followed the Ds. The Es and Fs were exclusively long-range, heavy bombers. Equipped with the Boeing-developed flying boom system for in-flight refueling, they had virtually unlimited range.

The B-52E first flew in 1957, with improved bombing, navigation and electronic systems. It was the least expensive of the series, costing just more than $6 million per airplane. At the time, the B-52 was criticized for its high cost.

Seattle delivered 42 B-52Es, while 58 came from Wichita.

The B-52F, the last model before the bomber went through a major redesign, used 13,750 pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney J57-43W turbojet engines.

Seattle production of B-52s ended in 1958, when the last of 44 B-52Fs rolled off the assembly line. However, another 45 B-52Fs were produced in Wichita, where the substantially improved G and H models also were built.

While B-52Cs and Es were phased out during the early 1970s and the Fs in the late 1970s, B-52Ds remained in service until 1983.

 

The B-52G & H  Redesigned, More Capable

The B-52G and B-52H looked very similar to earlier Strartofortress models, but they were substantially different and capable of a variety of new missions.

The B-52G, which made its first flight in 1958, was the first variant to introduce major innovations to the original design.

It had a redesigned wing and a shorter vertical fin. Its internal fuel capacity was increased to 46,000 gallons by using built-in wing tanks rather than the flexible bladders of earlier versions. This gave the B-52Gs a range almost 2,000 miles greater than the first B-52s.

The gunner left his rear compartment and was moved forward to be with the rest of the crew. This was because the tail guns on the B-52G were fired by remote control using a TV link.

While equipped as a standard bomber, the B-52G could carry two North American Aviation AGM-28 Hound Dog supersonic air-to-surface missiles on pylons under each wing. The Hound Dog, capable of streaking several hundred miles to the target on its own inertial guidance system, changed the B-52 into a missile-launch platform. In 1970, the Air Force decided to replace the Hound Dog with the Boeing-developed AGM-69A SRAM, for short-range attack missile.

B-52Gs also carried the McDonnell Aircraft GAM-72 Quail decoy missile, a miniature jet aircraft that could imitate the signature of the B-52 on enemy radars.

In 1985, 30 B-52Gs were modified to carry and launch the McDonnell Douglas AGM-84D Harpoon anti-ship missile.

A total of 193 G models were built, and they remained in service until 1994.

The B-52H first flew in 1961. Incorporating all of the B-52G's improvements, the H was developed specifically to carry four Douglas AGM-87A Skybolt missiles. However, after cancellation of the Skybolt program, the B-52H reverted to carrying AGM-28 Hound Dogs. Like the B-52G, the H was later provided with the SRAM. Later, B-52Gs and Hs were modified to carry Boeing AGM-86B ALCM air launched cruise missiles.

One major advancement for the B-52H was the switch to Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engines. With more than 17,000 pounds of thrust, the turbofans were much more powerful than the turbojets.

For the B-52H, the four .50-caliber machine guns in the tail were replaced with a 20-millimeter six-barrel rotary cannon. Other improvements included more refined electronic defensive and offensive systems, and the ability to fly at extremely low altitudes.

Like the G, all 102 H models were built in Wichita.

 

The B-52 Today

A total of 744 B-52s were built by Boeing in all versions between 1952 and 1962. Only the B-52H remains in service today.

Boeing has made several major modifications to the B-52 since it entered service and will continue to perform additional improvements in the future.

Upgrades have included many new and improved systems that have increased the B-52's flexibility and versatility as a weapons system. Today's B-52s can hit targets anywhere in the world, in all kinds of weather, with pinpoint accuracy.

 

The B-52 Timeline

The Forties
Feb 13, 1946 The U.S Army Air Force issues basic requirements for a new long-range, heavy bomber.
June 28, 1946 Boeing awarded engineering study and preliminary design contract for turboprop-powered B-52 bomber.
Oct. 25, 1948 Boeing presents the Air Force with a proposal for B-52s powered by eight jets engines.
Jan. 26, 1949 The Air Force informs Boeing that work can proceed on two experimental, jet-powered B-52s under the original contract.
 

The Fifties

April 15, 1952 YB-52 prototype makes first flight in Seattle.
Sept. 28, 1953 Boeing's Wichita plant announced as second source for B-52 production.
Aug. 5, 1954 B-52A first flight.
Jan. 25, 1955 B-52B first flight.
June 29, 1955 First B-52B for the Air Force's Strategic Air Command is delivered to 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
March 9, 1956 B-52C first flight.
May 14, 1956 First Wichita-built B-52, a D model, makes first flight.
Sept. 28, 1956 First Seattle-built B-52D makes first flight.
Dec. 6, 1956 B-52 wins National Aeronautic Association's Collier Trophy for 1955.
Jan. 18, 1957 Three B-52Bs fly around the world in 45 hours and 19 minutes, averaging 530 mph over the 24,325-mile course. This cuts the previous record in half.
Oct. 3, 1957 B-52E makes first flight in Seattle.
Oct. 17, 1957 B-52E makes first flight in Wichita.
May 6, 1958 B-52F makes first flight in Seattle.
May 14, 1958 B-52F makes first flight in Wichita.
Oct. 27, 1958 B-52G makes first flight in Wichita.
Feb. 25, 1959 Last Seattle-built B-52, an F model, is delivered.
April 23, 1959 First test flight of North American Aviation's AGM-28A Hound Dog supersonic air-to-surface missiles from B-52.
Sept. 17, 1959 NASA's X-15 research rocket plane makes its first powered flight, carried aloft and released from an NB-52A.
 

The Sixties

Feb. 1960 The McDonnell Aircraft GAM-72 Quail decoy missile goes into service on B-52Gs at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
March 16, 1961 B-52H makes first flight in Wichita.
May 9, 1961 First B-52H is delivered to 379th Bomb Wing at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich.
Oct. 26, 1962 Last B-52 (B-52H, tail number 61-040) is delivered by the Wichita plant to the 4136th Strategic Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
June 18, 1965 Strategic Air Command B-52s strike targets in Vietnam for the first time.
 

The Seventies

Sept. 15, 1972 Boeing AGM-69A Short-Range Attack Missiles, or SRAMs, become operational on B-52s with the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine.
Dec. 18, 1972 Staff Sgt. Samuel Turner becomes first B-52 gunner to shoot down an enemy aircraft when he hits a North Vietnamese MiG-21 during Operation Linebacker II.
June 24, 1973 First B-52H with Electo-Optical Viewing System, or EVS, to enhance vision when flying at low level at night is delivered.
Aug. 15, 1973 Strategic Air Command B-52s fly final mission in Southeast Asia.
Feb. 21, 1974 First B-52H equipped with Phase VI Electronic Counter Measures, or ECM, to upgrade defensive avionics system is delivered.
Dec. 7, 1979 First B-52G arrives in Wichita to receive computer-controlled Offensive Avionics Systems, or OAS, upgrade.
 

The Eighties

Jan. 11, 1981 First Boeing AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missiles, or ALCM, are delivered for carriage on B-52G under-wing pylons.
June 10, 1982 Strategic Air Command's first all-female KC-135 Stratotanker crew refuels a B-52 during a five-hour training mission.
June 30, 1985 McDonnell Douglas AGM-84D Harpoon anti-ship missiles are added to 30 B-52Gs.
June 30, 1987 The AGM-129A Advanced Cruise Missile, or ACM, is added to B-52 arsenal.
Jan. 1988 Boeing AGM-86C Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles, or CALCM, declared operational on B-52Gs.
 

The Nineties

Jan. 16, 1991 Operation Desert Storm: Air operations begin when seven B-52Gs take off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and head for the combat zone. After hitting targets in Iraq, the B-52s return to Barksdale, thus flying the longest air combat mission in history up to that time. The mission also sees first combat use of CALCM.
Sept. 1991 Strategic Air Command's B-52 ground nuclear alert status is ended.
Oct. 1, 1991 B-52 gunner position eliminated.
Sept. 30, 1992 The Boeing Common Strategic Rotary Launcher Integration, or CSRLI, modification is completed for B-52H fleet. The launcher is fitted inside the bomb bay and can carry up to eight AGM-86 cruise missiles.
Feb. 15, 1994 Boeing Wichita receives initial development contract to integrate precision-guided munitions (Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser and Joint Direct Attack Munition) on B-52Hs.
May 16, 1994 Due to retirement of the B-52G, the "Rapid Eight" modification program begins to provide the B-52H with guided-missile capability.
Aug. 24, 1994 Start of Conventional Enhancement Modification, or CEM, program. This gives the B-52H fleet capability for delivery of a new generation of precision-guided conventional weapons. Included in the upgrade is the addition of a Global Positioning System.
March 8, 1995 B-52H successfully launches AGM-142A Have Nap electro/optical guided missile.
July 25, 1995 The first live shot of Harpoon missile from B-52H using the Harpoon Aircraft Command Launch Control Set , or HACLCS.
Sept. 3, 1996 Operation Desert Strike was the B-52 missions flown in support of the larger U.S. effort called Operation Southern Watch.
Sept. 1998 Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, is declared operational for use on B-52H. JDAM uses Global Positioning System for precise hits on aim points.
March 24,1999 Operation Allied Force: B-52Hs open NATO's air campaign in the Balkans by launching CALCM cruise missiles at military targets throughout Yugoslavia. Later the bombers transition to delivering general-purpose weapons on Serbian army positions and staging areas.
June 1999 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser, or WCMD, declared operational for use on B-52H. WCMD uses a tail kit attached to a cluster bomb unit to adjust the bomb's flight path for wind changes.
Dec. 23, 1999 The B-52H Avionics Midlife Improvement, or AMI, program is initiated to modernize offensive avionics processors and navigation systems on the Stratofortress.
 

The 21st Century

April 1, 2000 Situational Awareness Defensive Improvements, or SADI, program is initiated to upgrade defense systems for the B-52H fleet.
Oct. 7, 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom: B-52H bombers take part in initial air attacks. The B-52H arsenal included JDAM and WCMD precision-strike weapons, AGM-142 Have Nap guided missiles, GBU-28 laser guided bombs and MK-82 general-purpose bombs. The B-52s were the first to use the WCMD in combat. They also participated in psychological warfare operations using their M129 leaflet dispensers.
November 2001 AGM-86D CALCM Penetrator is declared operational on the B-52H. The penetrating warhead allows the missile to destroy buried or reinforced targets from standoff ranges of hundreds of miles.
Jan. 31, 2002 B-52 nominated for National Aeronautic Association's 2001 Collier Trophy.
April 15, 2002 50th anniversary of B-52 first flight.

 

 

Fabulous 50s  What was happening in 1952?

 

 

Cockpit Conversion Clinches the Deal

 

The XB-52 and YB-52 introduced most of the basic features of the famous B-52 series, but they had one striking difference: Instead of the side-by-side cockpit that was standard on all production B-52s, they sported fighter-type tandem cockpits, similar to what was used on the Boeing B-47.

Though they did not consider the feature aesthetically pleasing, Boeing engineers included it in an effort to reduce drag. Almost everyone thought it was a great idea.

Everyone except Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, chief of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command. A plain-speaking, cigar-chomping pilot, LeMay had flown bombers since the early 1930s. He had definite ideas about a bomber's cockpit, and he didn't think it should look like a fighter's cockpit.

He believed that the traditional side-by-side seating arrangement allowed for better placement of the flight instruments and better coordination between the pilot and co-pilot.

In early 1951 Boeing President Bill Allen and other executives looked on as LeMay inspected the XB-52 mock-up.

According to Tex Johnston in his autobiography "Jet-Age Test Pilot," the conversation went something like this:

"How do you like her, General?" asked Allen.

LeMay stuck his cigar between his teeth, looked Allen in the eye and said, "You have a hell of an airplane, Allen. As soon as you put a side-by-side cockpit on it, I'll buy some."

It was too late to modify the two prototypes, but all production B-52s had side-by-side seating for the pilot and co-pilot.

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XB-52 Cockpit

B-52A Cockpit

Fighter-type cockpit of XB-52 with the eight engine throttles on the pilot's left.

Cockpit of the B-52A with the revised side-by-side pilots' stations. The eight sets of engine controls now are centered between the pilots.

 
 

Stratofortress Finds Records Made to be Broken

 

Almost from the start of its operational service, the B-52 proved to be a record-breaking aircraft. Time and again the B-52 demonstrated its speed, range, payload-carrying capability and endurance. These spectacular flights served as dramatic testimony that the Stratofortress could carry out its mission and reach any target on the globe, a mission it flew in actual combat in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

 

Other record-breaking flights include these:

Nov. 25, 1956
Operation Quick Kick: Four B-52Bs of the 93rd Bomb Wing and four B-52Cs of the 42nd Bomb Wing completed a 16,000-mile nonstop flight around the perimeter of North America. The flight required four in-flight refueling and included a pass over the North Pole.

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B-52B

Three B-52Bs of the 93rd Bomb Wing prepare to depart Castle Air Force Base, Calif., for their record-setting round-the-world flight in 1957.

Jan. 16, 1957
Three B-52Bs of the 93rd Bomb Wing flew nonstop around the world. With the help of several in-flight refuelings, the bombers covered the 24,325-mile route in 45 hours and 19 minutes, cutting in half the previous record. Average speed was 530 mph.

Nov. 17, 1957
Six B-52s flew nonstop from the United States to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and back. Average speed for the 10,600-mile flight was 560 mph. This was the first time B-52 jet bombers teamed up with the Boeing KC-135 jet tankers for an actual long-range refueling mission.

Jan. 11, 1962
A B-52H set a new straight-line distance record by completing a nonstop, unrefueled flight from Okinawa, Japan, to Madrid, Spain. The aircraft was flown by a 15th Air Force crew from the 4136th Strategic Wing based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The flight lasted 21 hours and 52 minutes and covered 12,519 miles.

Nov. 1, 1963
In a test flight with a Boeing Wichita crew, a B-52H remained in the air for 26 hours and 26 minutes as it flew 12,400 miles over the entire outline of the continental United States. At the time, the flight was the longest by a Boeing crew. The purpose of the test flight was to provide data on loads and stress exerted on the aircraft during high-altitude, long-endurance missions.

Jan. 16, 1991
Operation Desert Storm: Air operations in the Gulf War began when seven B-52Gs took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and headed for Iraq. After hitting their targets, the B-52s returned to Barksdale. The flight covered more than 14,000 miles with the planes remaining in the air for 35 hours, making it the longest air-combat mission in history at that time.

 

 

Even with No Tail, B-52 'Finest I Ever Flew,' Says Pilot

 

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January 10, 1964, started out as a typical day for the flight test group at Boeing's Wichita plant. Pilot Chuck Fisher took off in a B-52H with a three-man Boeing crew, flying a low-level profile to obtain structural data.

Over Colorado, cruising 500 feet above the mountainous terrain, the B-52 encountered some turbulence. Fisher climbed to 14,300 feet looking for smoother air.

At this point the typical day ended.

The bomber flew into clear-air turbulence. It felt as if the plane had been placed in a giant high-speed elevator, shoved up and down, and hit by a heavy blow on its right side.

Fisher told the crew to prepare to abandon the plane. He slowed the aircraft and dropped to about 5,000 feet to make it easier to bail out.

But then Fisher regained some control. He climbed slowly to 16,000 feet to put some safety room between the plane and the ground. He informed Wichita about what was happening. Although control was difficult, Fisher said he believed he could get the plane back in one piece.

Response to the situation at Wichita, and elsewhere, was immediate. An emergency control center was set up in the office of Wichita's director of flight test. Key Boeing engineers and other specialists were summoned to provide their expertise. Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control centers at Denver and Kansas City cleared the air around the troubled plane. A Strategic Air Command B-52 in the area maintained radio contact with the crew of the Wichita B-52.

As Fisher got closer to Wichita, a Boeing chase plane flew up to meet him and to visually report the damage. When Dale Felix, flying an F-100 fighter, came alongside Fisher's B-52, he couldn't believe what he saw: The B-52's vertical tail was gone.

Felix broke the news to Fisher and those gathered in the control center. There was no panic. Everyone on the plane and in the control center knew they could be called upon at any time for just such a situation.

In the emergency control center, the engineers began making calculations and suggesting the best way to get the plane down safely.

The Air Force was also lending assistance. A B-52, just taking off for a routine flight, was used to test the various flight configurations suggested by the specialists before Fisher had to try them.

As high gusty winds rolled into Wichita, the decision was made to divert the B-52 to Blytheville Air Force Base in Northeastern Arkansas.

Boeing specialists from the emergency control center took off in a KC-135 and accompanied Fisher to Blytheville, serving as an airborne control center.

Six hours after the incident first occurred, Fisher and his crew brought in the damaged B-52 for a safe landing.

"I'm very proud of this crew and this airplane," Fisher said. "Also we had a lot people helping us, and we're very thankful for that."

The B-52, Fisher said, "Is the finest airplane I ever flew."

 

B-52 Proves Its Value Time and Again in Combat

Although the B-52 was the mainstay of the U.S. Air Force's nuclear-deterrent force for more than 30 years, it never flew the combat mission for which it was designed: dropping nuclear weapons.

Like its Boeing predecessors, the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress, the B-52 became famous for delivering conventional weapons on tactical and strategic targets.

 

The Vietnam War

The B-52 first saw service as a conventional bomber during the Vietnam War. On June 18, 1965, 30 B-52Fs flying from Anderson Air Force Base on the island of Guam hit Viet Cong positions in South Vietnam.

D, F and G versions of the B-52 participated in the war. The F model was the first of the series to go into combat, but the D model bore the brunt of the missions, flying as airborne artillery in support of U.S. ground forces.

Most of the Strategic Air Command's B-52Ds were modified to carry more than 100 conventional bombs in their bomb bays and on pylons under their wings. Flying at 30,000 feet, the B-52s were astonishingly effective in attacking targets. Enemy forces rarely saw or heard the planes until bombs starting exploding around them.

B-52s also operated from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa and U Tapao Air Base in Thailand.
 

In what many consider the Stratofortress's finest hour, during Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, B-52s conducted an intense bombardment of North Vietnam. Eleven days of maximum effort missions finally forced the enemy back to the peace table, and the United States was able to extricate itself from the war.

 

The Persian Gulf War

Twenty-five years after its first missions over Southeast Asia, B-52s played a major role in Operation Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War.

On January 16, 1991, seven Strategic Air Command B-52Gs took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and headed toward the Persian Gulf. They flew a round trip of more than 14,000 miles, remaining aloft for 35 hours. The launch of their conventionally armed cruise missiles at Iraqi high-priority targets was one of the opening salvos of the campaign. According to Air Force records, the mission was the longest in its history up to that time. The mission also saw the first combat use of the Boeing AGM-86C CALCM conventional cruise missile.

Most B-52 missions flown during the Gulf War were staged from the British atoll of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The only version of the Stratofortress to be involved was the G. During the Gulf War, B-52Gs carried conventional bombs as well as cruise missiles. They delivered about 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces and flew approximately 1,620 combat sorties.

 

Operation Southern Watch

The B-52H made its combat debut on Sept. 3, 1996, during Operation Southern Watch. A pair of B-52Hs from the Air Force's 2nd Bomb Wing launched 13 CALCMs against targets in southern Iraq. The attack originated from Guam, with the aircraft refueling four times in midair.

 

Operation Allied Force

The B-52's flexibility was again evident during Operation Allied Force. B-52Hs opened NATO's air campaign in the Balkans on March 24,1999, by launching CALCM cruise missiles at military targets throughout Yugoslavia. Later the bombers transitioned to delivering general-purpose weapons on Serbian army positions and staging areas.

 

Operation Enduring Freedom

On October 7, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom began with air attacks against al Qaeda and Taliban targets throughout Afghanistan.

B-52H bombers flying from Diego Garcia carried out daily and nightly missions. These were the first air-combat missions in which the heavy bombers loitered above the ground action and delivered pinpoint close-air support on the request of friendly forces on the ground.

The B-52H arsenal included the Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM, for precise hits on aim points. Operation Enduring Freedom also saw the first combat use of the Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser. This weapon uses a tail kit attached to a cluster bomb unit to adjust the bomb's flight path for wind changes. B-52s also participated in psychological warfare operations by using their M129 leaflet dispensers.

Click on Picture to enlarge

XB-52 Final Assembly

For security reasons, the XB-52 is covered with acres of tarpaulins before its rollout from Boeing's Plant 2 final assembly area.

XB-52 Rollout

With its vertical tail folded down and covered with tarpaulins, the XB-52 is quietly rolled out on the rainy night of November 29, 1951.

Pilot Tex Johnson

Legendary Boeing test pilot A. M. "Tex" Johnston in the cockpit of the YB-52. Johnston made a name for himself when he rolled the prototype 707 jetliner - not once, but twice on its initial public display.

Boeing Photos

 

XB-52

The XB-52 waits at Boeing Field prior to its first flight in October 1952.

XB-52

The XB-52 on the flight ramp at Larson Air Force Base near Moses Lake, Wash.


 

B-52 Stratofortress - The Nineties and Beyond

 

Click on Picture to enlarge
B-52G, 57-6519 makes the tanker pass at the October 6, 1990 Edwards AFB Open House with NKC-135E, Serial 55-3135.

 

 

 Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 61-006 of the 2 BW from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana and Boeing-North American B-1B Lancer, 84-049 of the 412 TW at the Edwards AFB Open House display in October 1997.

 

 B-52G 58-0214 taxis with its drag 'chute deployed at Castle AFB on September 17, 1992. The CA tailcode and blue stripe at the tip of the stabilizer indicate that this Stratofortress flies with the 93BW based at Castle AFB. It is monochrome dark gray (FS-36081). Photographer: Brian Lockett.
B-52H, 60-0050 now in low visiblity camouflage, flies formation with NKC-135E, Serial 55-3135  October 6, 1990

 

 B-52G, 59-2565 of the 93BW, makes a no-flaps wave-off over Castle AFB on September 17, 1992. The ALE-25 forward firing chaff rocket pylon can be seen between the engine pylons on the right wing. B-52G, 59-2565 makes another wave-off over Castle AFB on September 17, 1992.

 

 
B-52G, 59-2565 departs from Castle AFB on September 17, 1992.

 

 B-52G, 58-0214 was met by an ambulance. One of the crew members was extracted and transferred by gurney from the bomber to the ambulance. 58-0214 then departed again. September 18, 1992, B-52G, 58-0258 makes a no-flaps approach to Castle AFB.

 
Detail of the forward fuselage of B-52G, 58-0258 of the 93BW, over the approach end of the runway at Castle AFB Detail of the forward fuselage of B-52-G, Serial 58-0258 of the 93BW, over the approach end of the runway at Castle AFB on September 18, 1992. B-52G, 58-0258 of the 93BW, on approach to the runway at Castle AFB on September 18, 1992.

 
A pair of Have Nap television-guided rocket-boosted glide weapons grace the pylon of B-52G, 57-6520 of the 34BS based at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

 

 

 The receiver and transmitter for the television guidance system of the Have Nap missile are contained in this AN/ASW-55 data link pod mounted on the aft point of the weapons pylon ofB-52G, 57-6520 of the 34BS based at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. It was on display at the October 24, 1993 Open House at Castle AFB. Iron bombs fill the bomb-bay of B-52G, 58-0163 of the 93OG, displayed at the October 24, 1993 Castle AFB Open House

 

 

 
B-52G, 59-0588 lands at the October 24, 1993 Open House at Castle AFB.

 

 

  NASA's NB-52B, 52-0008 equipped with a pair of J85 engines on a pallet in its bomb bay at Edwards AFB on June 30, 1995. It was testing fuel additives to reduce air pollution emissions The bomb bay doors are open for this simulated bombing pass at the 1997 Golden Air Tattoo at Nellis AFB by B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0008 from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. The 20mm gatling gun has been removed from the tail.
B-52H Stratofortress, 61-006 has made contact with the refueling boom of NKC-135E Stratotanker, serial 55-3135

 

 Three heavy bombers of the Air Combat Command, B-52H Stratofortress, 61-006, B-1B Lancer, 84-049, and B-2A Spirit of Ohio, 92-1070 at the Edwards AFB Open House display in October 1997. A formation that includes all three bomber types used by the Air Combat Command, B-52H Stratofortress, 61-006, B-1B Lancer, 84-049, and B-2A Spirit, 92-1070 at the Edwards AFB Open House display in October 1997.
 B-52H 61-006 and B-2A Spirit, 92-1070 at the Edwards AFB Open House display in October 1997.

 

 The landing gear on this Boeing B-52H ,  has just started to retract, note how the left gear struts retract toward the nose and the right gear struts retract toward the tail. Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 has been a fixture at Edwards AFB for a number of years.

 
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 is carrying Wind Corrected Munition Dispensers (WCMD), which are CBUs with an INS and steerable fins, on the inboard pylons

 

 

 Boeing B-52H-170 Stratofortress, 61-023 of the 2nd Bomb Wing on approach to Nellis Air Force Base during a red flag exercise in February 2000.

 

 

 Boeing B-52H-170 Stratofortress, 61-023 of the 2nd Bomb Wing. It is based a Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana carries tail code LA. An AGM-142 Have Nap  rocket-boosted television-guided glide bomb can be seen on the left weapons pylon. Its power and control unit is carried on rear station of the right pylon.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 61-023 of the 2nd Bomb Wing departs Nellis Air Force Base during a red flag exercise in February 2000.

 

 

 Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership, NASA 008 appeared at the Edwards AFB Open House display in October 2000.

 

 

 NASA's Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress mothership, 52-0008 at the Edwards Air Force Base  Two X-43A silhouettes, three X-38 captive carry silhouetes, and one X-38 parafoil silhouette have been added to the mission tally on the side 52-0008 since the 2000.

The sixth flight of the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle  was launched from the NB-52B, 52-0008 on Thursday, November 2, 2000.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0036 Tagboard Flyer October 26, 2002. It was used to launch Lockheed GTD-21B reconnaissance drones form 1967 to 1971.  Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0036 Tagboard Flyer

 

 NASA has received a refurbished NB-52H for air-launch missions.

 
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0050 Dragon's Inferno, of the 412th Test Wing at the Edwards AFB

 

 Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0042 of the 917th Wing based at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana departing Van Nuys on June 25, 2001.

The NB-52B launched the first X-43A, Hyper-X supersonic combustion ramjet on June 2, 2001.
 Take a detailed look at the as it appeared at its retirement ceremony. Read the history of the airplane as revealed by the mission marks running along the side of its fuselage. Illustrations are provided to assist in the construction of a model of the NB-52B.     Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0050 of the 412th Test Wing at the Edwards Air Force Base.

 

 

 

 

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

Longest-serving USAF warplane in history, the B-52 Stratofortress is known to crews as the 'BUFF,' for 'Big Ugly Fat Fucker'. Designed for trans-polar nuclear warfare with the Soviet Union, the B-52 has both nuclear and conventional duties today.

The B-52 was employed in combat as a conventional bomber in Vietnam (1965-73) and in the Persian Gulf (1991). B-52A, B, C, D, E, and F models had all been retired by the mid-1980s, but the B-52G and H soldiered on, as the largest part of the manned bomber portion of the American Strategic Triad. The 'BUFF' continues to have a major role as a much-reorganized US Air Force trims itself from 36 to 26 combat wings, and a new US Strategic Command takes over all long-range American nuclear forces.

XB-52 and YB-52 prototypes (49-0230/0231) were built in secrecy and the YB-52 flew first at Seattle. The B-52 resembled a B-47 Stratojet with its 35o swept wing, podded engines, and 'bicycle' undercarriage.

Fuel capacity was greater than in any previous production aircraft at 38,865 US gal (147120 liters) with drop-tanks. Power plants were eight Pratt & Whitney YJ57-P-3 axial-flow turbojets, delivering 8,700 lb (3946 kg) of thrust each and podded in pairs on four under wing pylons. The gigantic fin, with only its trailing edge hinged to form a rudder, made the bomber's height 48 ft 3 2/3 in (14.72 m) and could be folded to permit the bomber to enter standard hangers. The B-52 did not rotate on take-off but, rather, popped aloft, its wing set at an incidence of 8o for a flyaway with the fuselage horizontal. On landing, the B-52 employed a 44-ft (13.41-m) braking parachute, stowed in a compartment in the rear fuselage.

The B-52 changed little during its 10-year production run. Three B-52As (52-0001/0003) were followed by 23 B-52Bs, which entered service with SAC's 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle AFB, California, on 29 June 1955. Twenty-seven RB-52Bs came next. B-52Bs and RB-52Bs were eventually modified to B-52C standard, in addition to 35 new B-52Cs introduced from March 1956. These retained reconnaissance capability but not an R prefix.

The B-52D, of which 170 were built, was first flown on 14 may 1956. One hundred B-52Es followed, and 89 B-52Fs were manufactured, beginning in February 1959.

Boeing produced 193 B-52G aircraft at Wichita. The B-52G introduced a shorter vertical tail and numerous internal changes, including a new integral-tank wing with internal fuel capacity increased to 46,576 US gal (176309 liters) and with external drop-tanks reduced in volume to 700 US gal (2650 liters) each. The weight of the aircraft increased to 488,000 lb (221357 kg). The B-52G was designed for the GAM-87A Sky Bolt, and air-launched ballistic missile which underwent extensive Anglo-American design and development work before being cancelled. Its bomb bay was also configured to carry four ADM-20A Quail decoy missiles. B-52Gs also carried two North American GAM-77 (AGM-28) Hound Dog inertial-guidance stand-off weapons. Later, the B-52G was modified to carry 20 AGM-69A SRAMs (short-range attack missiles) or ALCMs (air-launched cruise missile).

Where earlier models had a manned tail gun position, the B-52G had its gunner relocated in the main crew compartment and operating his guns via the AN/ASG-15 fire control system. Armament of four .50-caliber (12.7-mm) machine guns in the tail was retained.

The USAF ordered 102 B-52H aircraft in 1960-61, taking delivery on 30 September 1960. With the short vertical fin of the B-52G, the H model was powered by eight 17,000-lb (75.62-kN) thrust Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-1 or -3 turbofan engines, developed from the familiar J57 but without the latter's water-injection feature. Gross weight of the B-52H went up to 505,000 lb (229068 kg) for take-off and a maximum of 566,000 lb (256738 kg) after in-flight refueling. Tail armament of the B-52H was again remotely operated by now comprised a single T-171 (later M61A1) 20-mm Vulcan cannon. The B-52H, like the G model, was configured to carry Sky Bolt, Quail, Hound Dog, SRAM and ALCM. The last B-52H was delivered to the USAF on 26 October 1962, ending production of 744 Stratofortresses.

In 1972, a program commenced to reconfigure most B-52s with an electronics suite to assist in low-level terrain following, a suite which included EVS (electro-optical viewing system), a low-light television, and FLIR (forward-looking infrared radar). In 1976 came the Rivet Ace program to update ECM equipment aboard the aircraft, enhancing the capabilities of the B-52 to take on enemy radars while flying in the head-on mode.

Today's SIOP-assigned B-52G and B-52H aircraft carry B61 and B83 nuclear bombs. Standard load is a 'clip' of four B61s, which can accommodate a variety of nuclear warheads - these being 'maximum-drogue' bombs designed to be severely retarded during a low-level drop to enable the 'BUFF' crew to get away. Also retarded by parachute when dropped, the B83 is a one- to two-megaton thermonuclear bomb which is 12 ft (3.65 m) long, 18 in (0.45 m) in diameter, and weighs 2,400 lb (1089 kg).

The B-52G and B-52H fly missions today with a crew of five - the pilot or aircraft commander (AC), co-pilot, electronic warfare officer (EWO), navigator and radar navigator (RN). In an economy move, the aerial gunner crew positioned was eliminated on 1 Oct 1991.

First successful test-firing of an ALCM from a B-52 was accomplished on 5 March 1976. On 25 March 1980, the USAF chose the Boeing AGM-86B over the competing General Dynamics AGM-109 Tomahawk. The AGM-86, conceived as a second-generation decoy, became a nuclear delivery vehicle and made it possible for a 'BUFF' to attack a target from a distance as great as 1,550 miles (2494 km). Powered by a 600-lb (272-kN) thrust Williams F107-101 turbojet, eight ALCMs can be carried on an internal rotary launcher in the B-52G and H, and 12 more on under-wing pylons. The first operational AGM-86B was placed in service in January 1981. Subsequently, the USAF has developed the AGM-129A Advanced ALCM, to be carried by the B-52H (but not by the B-52G).

The AGM-129A, also called ACM (advanced cruise missile), is 21 ft (6.5 m) long, powered by a 900-lb (4.0-kN) thrust Williams F112 turbojet engine, and combines low-observable features with low-altitude maneuvering to evade air defenses en route to its target. The AGM-129A was designed to be effective at a stand-off distance of 2,000 miles (3218 km). Displayed publicly in June 1991, the AGM-129A was expected to be carried on operational B-52Hs in the same manner as its predecessor.

At the outset of the 1990s, the USAF's position was that the B-52H would continue for a number of years in the stand-off role, while the B-1B remained the US's primary penetrator and the B-2 would begin to join the force in the mid-1990s. The B-2 remains a highly visible target for cost-cutting reductions.

During Operation Desert Storm, B-52G Stratofortresses served in provisional bomb wings and mounted combat missions from Diego Garcia; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Moron, Spain; and Fairford, England. B-52Gs flew 1,624 missions, dropped over 25,700 tons (23.32 million kg) of munitions on area targets in the Kuwait theater of operations and on airfields, industrial targets, troop concentrations and storage areas in Iraq. Gulf War B-52Gs had a mission-capable rate of over 81 percent, or two percent higher than the peacetime rate. B-52Gs also launched conventional-warhead AGM-86C cruise missiles.

Rapid changes affecting the B-52 force included the 27 September 1991 announcement of plans to create a US Strategic command (and of an end of nuclear alert by B-52 and other bombers), which seemed to overtake earlier USAF plans to place SAC aircraft into an Air Combat Command. Some B-52s were expected to join one or more composite 'intervention' wings. Today's force numbers 94 B-52H bombers.


 

The Mission Profile

Armament options: four 0.5-in (12.7-mm) machine guns (B-52G) or one 20-mm M61A1 cannon with 1,242 rounds (B-52H) fitted, but tail gun installation not used and tail-gunner crew position not filled in current operations; internal bomb bay and inboard wing pylons with provision for AGM-69A SRAM-A (short-range attack missile) not used in current operations; AGM-86B ALCM (air-launched cruise missile); (B-52H only) AGM-129A ACM (advanced ALCM); (B-52G/H) B61 or B83 nuclear bombs; provision for a variety of conventional bombs and AGM-142A Have Nap precision attack missiles.

Strategic Bombardment: on a nuclear mission, the B-52 would employ air refueling but could have a range up to 8,000 miles (12875 km) unrefueled with eight AGM-86B ALCM internally plus six on each of two wing pylons to a total of 20 missiles launched 1,500 miles (2414 km) from target; or (B-52H only) up to 20 AGM-129A ACM; or (B-52G/H) 'clip' of four B61 700-lb (318-kg) or B83 2,400-lb (1089-kg) maximum-drogued nuclear bombs

Theater/Conventional Bombardment: on a conventional mission, the B-52 would employ air refueling but could have a radius up to 3,800 miles (6115 km) unrefueled with (non-ALCM B-52G and B-52H) up to 27 internal and up to nine Mk-84 2,000 lb (907-kg) bombs externally on each of two inboard wing pylons with stub pylons and HSAB (heavy stores adapter beam) to total 45 bombs; 27 750-lb (340-kg) M117 or 1,000-lb (454-kg) Mk-83 bombs in internal bay plus 12 on inboard 'Hound Dog' wing pylon with MERs to total 51 bombs; AGM-142 Have Nap TV-guided precision missile carried externally provides 50-mile (80-km) stand-off capability with 1,975-lb (896-kg) high-explosive warhead; AGM-86C conventional cruise missiles available

 

USAF Variants

B-52A: Initial production version, with J57-P-1W engines and provision for in-flight refueling. First flown 5 Aug 1954, the three aircraft built were used by Boeing for technical development purposes. Delivered to SAC Nov 1957. Finally retired in 1969.
52-0001 to 52-0003

B-52B: First operational version, 23 of which were built. Also 27 RB-52B dual-role bomber/reconnaissance variants. First flown January 1955, with deliveries between June 1955-August 1956. Powered by J57-P-1W, -19W, -29W, or -29WA engines. Retired in the mid-1960s.
52-0004 to 52-0013; 52-8710 to 52-8716; 53-0366 to 53-0398

B-52C: Multi-mission version with increased gross weight and larger under-wing tanks. Powered by J57-P-19W or -29WA engines. First flown March 1956, 35 were delivered June-December 1956. Majority retired in 1971.
53-0399 to 53-0408; 54-2664 to 54-2688

B-52D: Long-range bomber version, first flown June 1956. Total of 170 were built, with deliveries beginning late 1956. Retired in 1982-83.
55-0049 to 55-0117; 55-0673 to 55-0680; 56-0580 to 56-0630; 56-0657 to 56-0698

GB-52D: Although long since retired from operational duty a single B-52D was used by a Technical Training Center as a ground instructional airframe.
56-0589

B-52E: Version with improved bombing, navigation, and electronic systems. First flown October 1957. 100 delivered October 1957-June 1958. Retired in 1969-1970.
56-0631 to 56-0656; 56-0699 to 56-0712; 57-0014 to 57-0029; 57-0095 to 57-0138

B-52F: Version with uprated J57-P-43WA engines, first flown in May 1958. 89 delivered June 1958-February 1959. Retired 1978.
57-0030 to 57-0071; 57-0139 to 57-0183

GB-52F: Although long since retired from operational duty two B-52Fs was used by a Technical Training Center as a ground instructional airframe.
57-0048; 57-0071

B-52G: 193 B-52Gs were ordered at the end of the 1950s with the majority still operational, although these are gradually being retired. A host of additional sensors has altered the nose profile considerably.
57-6468 to 57-6520; 58-0158 to 58-0258; 59-2564 to 59-2602

GB-52G: Surplus B-52Gs have begun to join Air Education & Training Command as ground instructional airframes, including three with the Sheppard TTC.
57-6469; 58-0200; 59-2578

B-52H: The most distinguishable feature to differentiate the B-52H from its predecessors is the fitment of TF33 turbofan engines in place of the J57 turbojets, and a six-barreled 20-mm rotary cannon instead of the four 0.5-in guns. 102 B-52Hs were obtained during 1960 and 1961 with all, except a handful lost in accidents, remaining operational.
60-0001 to 60-0062; 61-0001 to 61-0040

 

Specifications

Boeing B-52H


Wing: span 185 ft 0 in (56.39 m); area 4,000 ft2 (371.6 m2)
Fuselage and tail: length 160 ft 10.9 in (49.05 m); height 40 ft 8 in (12.40 m); tailplane span 55 ft 7.5 in (16.95 m); wheel base 50 ft 3 in (15.48 m)
Powerplant: eight Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 each rated at 17,000 lb (75.62 kN) dry thrust
Weights: maximum take-off mor than 505,000 lb (229068 kg)
Fuel and load: internal fuel 299,434 lb (135823 kg); external fuel up to 9,114 lb (4134 kg) in two 700-US gal (2650-liter) underwing tanks; maximum ordnance about 50,000 lb (22680 kg)
Speed: maximum level speed 'clean' at high altitude 595 mph (957 km/h); cruising speed at high altitude 509 mph (819 km/h); penetration speed at low altitude between 405 and 420 mph (652 and 676 km/h)
Range: maximum range on internal fuel more than 10,000 miles (16093 km)
Performance: service ceiling 55,000 ft (16764 m); take-off distance 9,500 ft (2896 m)
Inventory: 94
IOC: June 19, 1955

 

More On The History Of The B-52

 

CURRENT USAF OPERATORS
 

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
 
Air Force Flight Test Center   ED Edwards AFB, CA B-52G/H
 
Air Combat Command (ACC)
 
2nd Bombardment Wing 11th BS
20th BS
96th BS		 LA
LA
LA		 Barksdale AFB, LA
Barksdale AFB, LA
Barksdale AFB, LA		 B-52H
B-52H
B-52H
5th Bombardment Wing 23rd BS MT Minot AFB, ND B-52H
 
Air Force Reserves (AFRES)
 
917th Wing 93rd BS   Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H
PREVIOUS USAF OPERATORS
 

Air Combat Command (ACC)
 
366th Wing 34th BS   Castle AFB, CA B-52G
 

Strategic Air Command (SAC)
 
2nd Bombardment Wing 62nd BS
596th BS		   Barksdale AFB, LA
Barksdale AFB, LA		 B-52G
B-52G/H
5th Bombardment Wing 31st BS
72nd BS		   Travis AFB, CA
Travis AFB, CA		 B-52G
B-52H
6th Bombardment Wing 24th BS
39th BS
40th BS
4129th CCTS		   Walker AFB, NM
Walker AFB, NM
Walker AFB, NM
Walker AFB, NM		 B-52E
B-52E
B-52E
B-52E
7th Bombardment Wing 9th BS
20th BS		   Carswell AFB, TX
Carswell AFB, TX		 B-52D/F/H
B-52D/F/H
11th Bombardment Wing 26th BS
42nd BS		   Altus AFB, OK
Altus AFB, OK		 B-52E
B-52E
17th Bombardment Wing 34th BS   Wright-Patterson AFB, OH B-52E/G/H
19th Bombardment Wing 28th BS   Robins AFB, GA B-52G/H
22nd Bombardment Wing 2nd BS
486th BS		   March AFB, CA
March AFB, CA		 B-52B/D
B-52D
28th Bombardment Wing 37th BS
77th BS
717th BS
718th BS		   Ellsworth AFB, SD
Ellsworth AFB, SD
Ellsworth AFB, SD		 B-52H
B-52D/G/H
B-52D
B-52D
39th Bombardment Wing 62nd BS   Eglin AFB, FL B-52G
42nd Bombardment Wing 69th BS
70th BS
75th BS		   Loring AFB, ME
Loring AFB, ME
Loring AFB, ME		 B-52C/D/G
B-52C/D/G
B-52C/D
43rd Strategic Wing 60th BS
63rd BS (P)		   Andersen AFB, Guam
Andersen AFB, Guam		 B-52D/G
B-52D
68th Bombardment Wing 51st BS   Seymour Johnson AFB, NC B-52G
69th Bombardment Wing 337th BS   Dyess AFB, TX B-52D
70th Bombardment Wing 6th BS   Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK B-52D/E
72nd Bombardment Wing 60th BS   Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico B-52G
91st Bombardment Wing 322nd BS   Glasgow AFB, MT B-52D
92nd Bombardment Wing 325th BS
326th BS
327th BS		   Fairchild AFB, WA
Fairchild AFB, WA
Fairchild AFB, WA		 B-52D/G/H
B-52D
B-52D
93rd Bombardment Wing 328th BS
329th BS
330th BS
4017th CCTS		   Castle AFB, CA
Castle AFB, CA
Castle AFB, CA
Castle AFB, CA		 B-52B/E/F/G/H
B-52B/E/F/G
B-52B/E/F
B-52B/E/F
95th Bombardment Wing 334th BS   Biggs AFB, TX B-52B
96th Bombardment Wing 337th BS   Dyess AFB, TX B-52D/E/H
97th Bombardment Wing 340th BS   Blytheville AFB, AR B-52G
99th Bombardment Wing 346th BS
347th BS
348th BS		   Westover AFB, MA
Westover AFB, MA
Westover AFB, MA		 B-52B/C
B-52B/C
B-52B/C
306th Bombardment Wing 367th BS
347th BS		   McCoy AFB, FL
McCoy AFB, FL		 B-52D
B-52D
307th Strategic Wing 364th BS (P)
365th BS (P)		   U Tapao AB, Thailand
U Tapao AB, Thailand		 B-52D
B-52D
319th Bombardment Wing 46th BS   Grand Forks AFB, ND B-52G/H
320th Bombardment Wing 441st BS   Mather AFB, CA B-52F/G
340th Bombardment Wing 486th BS   Bergstrom AFB, TX B-52D
376th Strategic Wing Direct Wing Control   Kadena AB, Okinawa B-52D
379th Bombardment Wing 524th BS   Wurtsmith AFB, MI B-52G/H
380th Bombardment Wing 528th BS   Plattsburgh AFB, NY B-52G
379th Bombardment Wing 596th BS   Dow AFB, ME B-52G
410th Bombardment Wing 644th BS   K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI B-52H
416th Bombardment Wing 668th BS   Griffiss AFB, NY B-52G/H
449th Bombardment Wing 716th BS   Kincheloe AFB, MI B-52H
450th Bombardment Wing 720th BS   Minot AFB, ND B-52H
454th Bombardment Wing 736th BS   Columbus AFB, MS B-52D/F
456th Bombardment Wing 744th BS   Beale AFB, CA B-52G
461st Strategic Wing 764th BS   Amarillo AFB, TX B-52D
462nd Strategic Aerospace Wing 768th BS   Larson AFB, WA B-52D
465th Bombardment Wing 781st BS   Robins AFB, GA B-52G
484th Bombardment Wing 824th BS   Turner AFB, GA B-52D
494th Bombardment Wing 864th BS   Sheppard AFB, TX B-52D
509th Bombardment Wing 393rd BS   Pease AFB, NH B-52D
4038th Strategic Wing 341st BS   Dow AFB, ME B-52G
4039th Strategic Wing 75th BS   Griffiss AFB, NY B-52G
4042nd Strategic Wing 526th BS   K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI B-52H
4043rd Strategic Wing 42nd BS   Wright-Patterson AFB, OH B-52E
4047th Strategic Wing 347th BS   McCoy AFB, FL B-52D
4123rd Strategic Wing 98th BS   Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK B-52E
4126th Strategic Wing 31st BS   Beale AFB, CA B-52G
4128th Strategic Wing 718th BS   Amarillo AFB, TX B-52D
4130th Strategic Wing 335th BS   Bergstrom AFB, TX B-52D
4133rd Strategic Wing 30th BS   Grand Forks AFB, ND B-52H
4134th Strategic Wing 72nd BS   Mather AFB, CA B-52F
4135th Strategic Wing 301st BS   Eglin AFB, FL B-52G
4136th Strategic Wing 525th BS   Minot AFB, ND B-52H
4137th Strategic Wing 342nd BS   Robins AFB, GA B-52G
4138th Strategic Wing 336th BS   Turner AFB, GA B-52D
4141st Strategic Wing 326th BS   Glasgow AFB, MT B-52D
4170th Strategic Wing 327th BS   Larson AFB, WA B-52D
4228th Strategic Wing 492nd BS   Columbus AFB, MS B-52F
4238th Strategic Wing 436th BS   Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H
4239th Strategic Wing 93rd BS   Kincheloe AFB, MI B-52H
4241st Strategic Wing 73rd BS   Seymour Johnson AFB, NC B-52
4245th Strategic Wing 717th BS   Sheppard AFB, TX B-52D
4252nd Strategic Wing Direct Wing Control   Kadena AB, Okinawa B-52D
4258th Strategic Wing Direct Wing Control   U Tapao AB, Thailand B-52D

Information taken from the World Airpower Journal's US Air Force Air Power Directory, the Air Force Association's USAF Almanac, and Joe Baugher's Page

 

 

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