The Youngest B-52...

I remember when they went into service. :redface:

First, as a SAC strategic bomber, than as a carpet bomber in the Nam. You could not hide the big tail feathers. :no:
 
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Which one of the B-52s is the youngest? Fred Schneider? I'd have thought he was a bit older than 50.

:)
 
Too bad we can get parts upgraded as we reach 50 years of age :D :D
 
MAKG1 said:
Which one of the B-52s is the youngest? Fred Schneider? I'd have thought he was a bit older than 50.

:)
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Bonus points for the pop music reference!
 
I remember the B-52's and KC-135's of the 17th Bomb Wing based at WPAFB in Area C back in the 60's. Whenever they launched on alert in August, I could look directly at them out my window straining to clear Area B with all ten engines (8 J57's and 2 J52's on the Hound Dogs) screaming at max. All conversations and phone calls ceased for 10 minutes or more. After that, then came the KC's boiling water by the barrel and also just clearing the building. Never lost one but it did make for some interesting Summer days in the Office.

I also suffered the next day from a few B-52's at the O' Club bar on occasion.

Cheers
 
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Mom ran the X-Ray dept at Clinton-Sherman AFB in early 60's and I was eligible to fly the aero club planes. All the little birds were based on grass at Cordell, but the "big iron" 172 was hangared at the base. As I taxied out one fine weekend morning they rang the bells and scrambled the bombers and 135's.

I was told to pull over in the corner of the departure taxiway and wait for them to leave, which proved to be a bit more exciting than planned as the Buffs turned the corner and brought up power on the roll. Outboard engines were about eye level and stirred up more wind than the 172 could handle. Didn't blow over but was in a different spot when the dust settled.
 
Geico266 said:
There was a black and white movie in 1964 called "Dr. Stangelove". A comedy satire about a nut job general that starts WWIII with the Rooskis.
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But, they're after our PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS!

Hilarious movie, truly worth the rental.

Especially with its subtitle: "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." And the best movie quote of all time: "Gentlemen! You can't fight here! This is the War Room!"
 
roncachamp said:
Does it? Or does it just have a 50 year old data plate?
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A vast majority of the airframe is original. Life limited parts like engines and some hydraulic parts hve been swapped out and I think the upper wing skins were replaced once. The BNS and ECM systems have been updated but the aircraft is pretty much the same metal that left the factory. Exceept for the tail guns that were removed cause Air Combat Command screwed up and some fighter weenie general didn't like B-52 gunners.

The B-52 has been one of the best defense investments this country has ever made. Unique capabilities and unique handling made flying it my most rewarding flying job.
 
I have been working on 135's for 25 years........... most of them are now younger than me.... "Old age is not for sissies"! Art Linkletter.
 
There was a BUFF at Wings over Houston last weekend. I was yakking with the pilot for a few minutes. He said it's not much fun to fly, and worse when fully loaded. I guess it's kind of a dog on the controls.
 
Ghery said:
Something less than demonstrated at Fairchild AFB some years ago. At least at low altitudes. :(
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Proper airspeed and altitude control allowed the aircraft to do some pretty amazing maneuvers. Here is a picture of the "Whiff". A maneuver performed at The Combat Flight Instructor Course (CFIC) where a B-52 and a KC-135 would do wingovers while in contact. Designed to demonstrate aircraft capabilities and build confidence. Of course it was extensively briefed and performed under very specific conditions by highly qualified crews.
 

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docmirror said:
There was a BUFF at Wings over Houston last weekend. I was yakking with the pilot for a few minutes. He said it's not much fun to fly, and worse when fully loaded. I guess it's kind of a dog on the controls.
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Definitely not a fighter type GEE your lips off aircraft. Roll rate is not great and with all that mass and only 2 Gs to work with, you have to stay waaay ahead of the jet. Controls could be heavy and it could wear you out in turbulent Air Refueling. I wonder if this pilot had flown any model other than the H. It's performance was significantly better at heavy weights compared to the earlier models. He also might not have had the chance to take it low level which is where I really enjoyed it.
 
Though I too love Dr. Strangelove a better movie with lots of BUFF footage is the 1957 movie " Bombers B-52"!
Starring Karl Malden, Natalie Wood (at 22 a stunner...) and Efrem Zimblest Jr..
Kind of hokey (nostalgic?) but the flight footage is incredible!
Footage of Natalie Wood even more so...

We (in Shreveport) see BUFF's from Barksdale AFB every day so we kind of take 'em for granted...my friend, CFI and acro coach is a AFR B-52 pilot too...he's coined the term: "So simple a Bomber pilot can do it!".:rolleyes2:

Chris in Shreveport
 
Hiperbiper said:
Though I too love Dr. Strangelove a better movie with lots of BUFF footage is the 1957 movie " Bombers B-52"!
Starring Karl Malden, Natalie Wood (at 22 a stunner...) and Efrem Zimblest Jr..
Kind of hokey (nostalgic?) but the flight footage is incredible!
Footage of Natalie Wood even more so...

We (in Shreveport) see BUFF's from Barksdale AFB every day so we kind of take 'em for granted...my friend, CFI and acro coach is a AFR B-52 pilot too...he's coined the term: "So simple a Bomber pilot can do it!".:rolleyes2:

Chris in Shreveport
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You must be talking about Crash Leedom.
 
Hiperbiper said:
Though I too love Dr. Strangelove a better movie with lots of BUFF footage is the 1957 movie " Bombers B-52"!
Starring Karl Malden, Natalie Wood (at 22 a stunner...) and Efrem Zimblest Jr..
Kind of hokey (nostalgic?) but the flight footage is incredible!
Footage of Natalie Wood even more so...

We (in Shreveport) see BUFF's from Barksdale AFB every day so we kind of take 'em for granted...my friend, CFI and acro coach is a AFR B-52 pilot too...he's coined the term: "So simple a Bomber pilot can do it!".:rolleyes2:

Chris in Shreveport
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"A Gathering of Eagles" with Rock Hudson is another good one. A decent depiction of an ORI and good B-52 footage. I actually flew some of the tail numbers shown in the movie.
 
The B-52 is one of the greatest examples of extending the life of airframes with new avionics.
 
Henning said:
Yep, I'd look sharp with a new set of bypass engines as well; they look good on the B-52H.
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Yup...... And cleaner burning too...

The original engines on the B-52's smoked like a freight train... Plane could be long gone.. smoke trail was still there.:eek: Of course that was back when kerosene was .06 cents a gallon too.:yes:
 
I think B-52's are a lot like George Washington's original axe.

The head has been replaced twice and the handle 4 times.... But it's still the original axe!
 
Not B-52, but the movie "The Starfighters" as lampooned by the Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast of characters, is a laugh-so-hard-you'll-cry Netflix evening.
 
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