Sixty Years On, B-52s Are Still Going Strong 403
Hugh Pickens writes "Those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s knew the B-52 Stratofortress as a central figure in the anxiety that flowed from the protracted staring match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Now CNET reports that it was 60 years ago, on April 15, 1952, that a B-52 prototype built by Boeing took off on its maiden flight and although the 1950s-vintage B-52s are no longer in the US Air Force inventory, the 90 or so H models delivered between May 1961 and October 1962 still remain on active duty. 'The B-52 has been a wonderful flying box,' says retired Brig. Gen. Peyton Cole. 'It's persevered all these years because it's been able to adapt and still continues to fly. It started out as a high-level flying platform during the Cold War. Then as air defenses got better it became a low-level penetrator, and more than that was the first aircraft to fly low-level at night through FLIR (forward looking infrared) and night-vision TV.' The B-52's feat of longevity reflects both regular maintenance and timely upgrades — in the late 1980s, for instance, GPS capabilities were incorporated into the navigation system but it also speaks to the astronomical costs of the next-generation bombers that have followed the B-52 into service (a total of 744 were built, counting all models) with the Air Force. B-52s cost about $70 million apiece (in today's dollars), while the later, stealth-shaped B-2 Spirit bombers carried an 'eye-watering $3-billion-a-pop unit price.' The Air Force's 30-year forecast, published in March, envisions an enduring role for the B-52 and engineering studies, the Air Force says, suggest that the life span of the B-52 could extend beyond the year 2040. 'At that point, why not aim for the centennial mark?'"
Iis a little old place where we can get together.. (Score:5, Funny)
In other news, the B-52's from 'Love Shack' fame, are still going strong after 36 years..
Re:Extend the lifespan of B-52 beyond 2040? (Score:5, Funny)
That shape is the B-52.
No, that shape is Chuck Norris. He just lets the B-52 have all the glory.
Re:B-2 Spirit unit price - $3b? Said who? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Extend the lifespan of B-52 beyond 2040? (Score:5, Funny)
Utter tosh. ...
I like the phrase "utter tosh" and want to use it more in conversation.
Re:Extend the lifespan of B-52 beyond 2040? (Score:5, Funny)
-Big as a whale
-Seats about 20
-About to set sail
Obligatory old B-52 joke (Score:5, Funny)
A military pilot called for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit peaked".
Air traffic control told the fighter jock that he was number two behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down.
"Ah", the pilot remarked, " the dreaded seven-engine approach".
Re:Extend the lifespan of B-52 beyond 2040? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:B-2 Spirit unit price - $3b? Said who? (Score:4, Funny)
An distinguished British airline pilot in his sixties had just landed at Berlin Tegel Airport airport, which is notorious for having miles and miles of taxiways. Ground control instructed the pilot to turn left at the next intersection, but as some intersection had six taxiways, he took he "wrong" left.
Irate, Berlin Ground Control berated the pilot and sarcastically ask if he had ever been to Berlin before. The pilot responded in a very aristocratic British accent, "Yes, but it was a long time ago, at night. And I didn't land."