Big Aeroplanes

The B-52 Stratofortress is a strategic bomber manufactured by Boeing, in service in the Aerial Strength of the United States (USAF) from 1955. It is the successor of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. Although it was designed for the nuclear role of the Cold War, his capacities of conventional bombardment are more important nowadays for the aims of the USAF, where his big radio of action and his big capacity of load have tested his cost.

Characteristic

The B-52 of the Air Combat Command (ACC) is a heavy bomber of long scope that can effect a big variety of missions. The device is able to fly to high subsonic speeds to heights of until 15 km. It can carry nuclear weapons, arms guided of precision, or serve of platform of missiles ALCM and ACM, between others.

In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can carry out strategic attacks, aerial interdiction, maritime operations and aerial offensives. It is highly effective when you use for maritime surveillance, being able to assist to the marine in operations anti-fuselage or placing of mines. Two B-52 in two hours can monitorizar until 364.000 km2 of ocean.

The B-52 are instrumented with a system of vision electro-optical that uses infrared for a leading vision and sensors of television of high resolution and low radiation to locate and fix white or for a safer navigation. Future improvements will do that the B-52 are able to operate to low heights with security. The pilots use glasses of nocturnal vision to improve his vision during the nocturnal operations.

The program of improvements began in 1989 and between others incorporate GPS, adapters to carry bombs of 900 kg, and a complete package stop can carry the current and future arms of the American arsenal.

The use of the repostaje in flight does that the B-52 have a rank of fight only limited by the cansancio of the crew. Without the repostaje in flight, his rank of action is of some 14.400 km.

During the War of the Gulf Pérsico took place the aerial mission longer of the history when several B-52 despegaron of the aerial base of Barksdale in Louisiana, launched conventional bombs and missiles of crucero and went back to Barksdale, in a mission of 35 hours.

History

Durante more than 40 years the B-52 Stratofortress has been the dorsal spine of the strategic control of bombardment of the United States. The B-52 is able to carry the main part of arms of the arsenal of the American army. This armament includes bombs of gravity, bombs of pendant, missiles guided of precision or arms JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition, Munición of Conjoint Direct Attack). Improved with the new technologies, the B-52 will be able to use all the arms of precision of the inventory of the army of the United States and will continue being one of the most important bombers of this country. The studies for the prolongation of his useful life pretend to keep it operative until the 2045.

The B-52To flew for the first time in August of 1954, the model B went in in service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52 were built until the last model H, that was delivered in 1962. At present only the model H finds operative and is assigned to the Air Combat Command and to the Reservation of the Aerial Strength.

The first of 102 B-52 of the model H was delivered to the SAC (Strategic Air Command) in May of 1961. The model H can carry until 20 missiles of crucero. Besides, it can carry the missile of crucero conventional that was launched during the years 90 in crowd of campaigns.

The American aerial strength has intention to keep the B-52 in service until around the 2050, something without precedents for an aeroplane of his class. It is something interesting considering that the first model is of 1954 and that these models to which pretends alargar his useful life were manufactured in 1962. At the end of his life the cells will have around 80 years.

Boeing suggested recently change the engines to the fleet of B-52 by the Rolls-Royce RB211 534And-4. This will involve to change the eight noisy, dirty and malolientes Pratt & Whitney TF-33 with four RB211 and an increase of power of the 18 %. This proposal that was not requested by the aerial strength has seen with enthusiasm, since it comports an increase of power (and increase of load of fight), a reduction of consumption (and increase of the scope) and especially a lower broadcast of gases contaminantes and to his time of a main survival when being less visible, for leaving less trace.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Length: 48,50 m
• Envergadura: 56,40 m
• Height: 12,40 m
• Surface alar: 372 m²
• Empty weight: 88.450 kg
• Loaded weight: 190.000 kg
• Maximum weight of despegue: 220.000 kg
• Plant of power: 8× turborreactores Pratt & Whitney TF33-P3/103, of 76 kN (17.000 lb) of push each one.

Performance

• Operative maximum speed (Vno): Mach 0,86 (1.000 km/h) 650 mph
• Scope in flight: 14.400 km (8.406 miles)
• Scope in ferry: 15.000 km
• Ceiling of service: 14.300 m (47.000 feet)
• It push/weight: 0,003 kN/kg

Armament

• Arms of projectiles: 1 x cannon of 6 rotary tubes of 20 mm in the turret trasera
• Points of anclaje: 12 pilones subalares and 2 internal bays with a capacity of 31.500 kg

Curiosities

• Between the crews of the B-52, this is known like the "BUFF", acronym of Big Ugly Fat Fucker or Big Ugly Fat Fellow, Ugly Big Fat Jodedor or Ugly Big Fat Barrigudo.
• During the years 50, 60 and 70 there was a combed very popular known like «style B-52» because of his alike with the cone of the muzzle of the B-52.
• The musical group B-52 was not known directly by the bomber, but himself by his combed that it was the «style B-52».
• It exists a cocktail devoted to the B-52, the B-52 shooter.
• In occasions, the device could be more ancient and have more years that the own crew that piloted it.