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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 nearly 50 years.
World War II-era bomber Tupolev Tu-2 with a bomb bay open Inside the bomb bay of an Avro Shackleton An Avro Vulcan showing its bomb bay open. The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and ...
It was the last B-52 with a bomb bay configured to carry the MAU-12 bomb rack originally used to drop large thermonuclear warheads. [4] For research purposes, the NB-52B itself was utilized. By flying past a tower equipped with smoke generators, it helped researchers visualize the wake turbulence of a large aircraft.
The only active operational model of the B-52 is the B-52H. It is currently stationed at three USAF bases, flown by four wings: [1] 2nd Bomb Wing (AFGSC) – Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. 11th Bomb Squadron (B-52H, Tail Code: LA, Gold Tail Stripe) 20th Bomb Squadron (B-52H, Tail Code: LA, Blue Tail Stripe)
One of the few B-52s to have actually dropped a nuclear weapon when it took part in Operation Dominic in 1962. [9] 52-8711 - Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. It was originally a B-52B, and was the first operational B-52 delivered to the Air Force, entering service with the 93d Bombardment Wing on June 29, 1955. [10]
B-52 54-2666. The B-52C used on the mission of Thursday January 7, 1971, with the call sign "Hiram 16", had been built in the summer of 1956 as one of thirty-five B-52C bombers. From 1952 to 1962 a total of 744 B-52s of all models were built. By January 1971, all thirty-one remaining B-52Cs were stationed at Westover Air Force Base near ...
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A new rotary bomb door was adopted on the B-57B, which had originally been designed for the XB-51, replacing the hinged doors; this proved to be faster to open/close and reduced buffeting, which in turn improved accuracy and allowed for faster attack speeds. The redesigned bomb bay also enabled faster turnaround times on the ground. [10]