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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:39:37 PM EDT
It is wild to think of how many modifications have been made to the B-52 over the years. Now the old dog is getting new Rolls Royce F130 engines, new engine nacelles, an APG-79 AESA radar (variant of the radar carried by the F-18 Super Hornet) and a modernized cockpit. among other upgrades. Also, since the Sniper and Litening targeting pods have made the 1970s era EVS and FLIR systems (the little bumps underneath the nose) redundant and unnecessary, it looks like those will be going away and the B-52 refitted with a more aerodynamic nose more reminiscent of earlier models. But in typical USAF fashion, while the under-nose bumps may go away, it looks like they'll be adding a couple of humps atop the fuselage, likely for wideband satcom systems.
   The new systems will make the B-52 much more capable, but I have to admit I'll miss the loud, smoky TF-33 engines. As an aviation enthusiast, modern whisper quiet turbofans are boring as hell. And watching B-52 MITO takeoffs without the dense clouds of smoke and the smoke trails will be less stiffy inducing. But I guess this is the sacrifices we must make for progress. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:42:40 PM EDT
[#1]
Alert starts will be rather boring with APUs replacing the cartridge starts.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:43:02 PM EDT
[#2]
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:46:19 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Alert starts will be rather boring with APUs replacing the cartridge starts. Yeah..... I helped change the job guide for installing carts there was no mention of lifting up the grounding tabs on the carts, that's needed to ensure the circuit completes |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:47:28 PM EDT
[#4]
Will the crew cabin still smell like 50 years of hydraulic fluid, BO and farts?
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:49:58 PM EDT
[#5]
How long does the actual airframe last before needing replaced?
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:50:08 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Will the crew cabin still smell like 50 years of hydraulic fluid, BO and farts? Only if they put a fresh "Old BUFF" little tree off the rear view mirror. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:51:33 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How long does the actual airframe last before needing replaced? There were lifespan mods done over the years, but as a rule B-52s spent their early life sitting on alert and not racking up tons of hours. And every five years or so they go in for depot maintenance to get inspected and overhauled as needed. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:54:03 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Will the crew cabin still smell like 50 years of hydraulic fluid, BO and farts?  Attached File |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:54:48 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How long does the actual airframe last before needing replaced? Once they start breaking up in flight or contractors can no longer make money and they suddenly come up with a replacement that no asked for and congress gets sold on the idea. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:55:16 PM EDT
[#10]
I’m curious if there is a 3 generation Air Force family who have all flown the same air frame.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:56:33 PM EDT
[#11]
It all went to hell for the B-52 when they replaced the J57s. We weren't even allowed to do four engine water runs on the KC-135A, maintenance was restricted to two engines...ops had to send out a pilot and copilot to bang water on all four because of the likelihood of jumping chocks. I stood ground, once, for one, at the end of a 150 foot ground cord we kept just for that check.
I can't even imagine being the dope-on-a-rope for an eight engine water run. Kind of curious if they ever even did them... |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:57:04 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Once they start breaking up in flight or contractors can no longer make money and they suddenly come up with a replacement that no asked for and congress gets sold on the idea. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: How long does the actual airframe last before needing replaced? Once they start breaking up in flight or contractors can no longer make money and they suddenly come up with a replacement that no asked for and congress gets sold on the idea. We are already working on the B-21. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:57:24 PM EDT
[#13]
No V-tail
No printed nose. (But they should be able to track tic-tacs and gimbals now) And no fiber steel reskin |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:58:51 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It all went to hell for the B-52 when they replaced the J57s. We weren't even allowed to do four engine water runs on the KC-135A, maintenance was restricted to two engines...ops had to send out a pilot and copilot to bang water on all four because of the likelihood of jumping chocks. I stood ground, once, for one, at the end of a 150 foot ground cord we kept just for that check. I can't even imagine being the dope-on-a-rope for an eight engine water run. Kind of curious if they ever even did them... We can do four engine TRT runs with CFM-56s making more power than J57s. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 12:58:52 PM EDT
[#15]
 B-52 Stratofortress Take Off U.S. Air Force |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:01:21 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Will the crew cabin still smell like 50 years of hydraulic fluid, BO and farts? I imagine its like the fabric of a well used work truck, even Jesus couldn't raise the funk out of it. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:08:48 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryProbably a zoom trick but they always look like they're going way too slow to begin rotation. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:10:34 PM EDT
[#18]
Uncle Sam got his money's worth with B-52 and U-2!
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:11:05 PM EDT
[#19]
new Rolls Royce F130 engines, new engine nacelles, an APG-79 AESA radar (variant of the radar carried by the F-18 Super Hornet) and a modernized cockpit. among other upgrades. Also, since the Sniper and Litening targeting pods have made the 1970s era EVS and FLIR systems (the little bumps underneath the nose) redundant and unnecessary, it looks like those will be going away and the B-52 refitted with a more aerodynamic nose more reminiscent of earlier models. Shoot, a fellow could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:11:05 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: We can do four engine TRT runs with CFM-56s making more power than J57s. I don't think the concern was total thrust, it was the near-violent explosion when the water was initially injected. Nothing subtle at all about it...more akin to slamming the throttles from ground idle to the firewall. We have a bunch of fighter pilots here, and at least one F-111 driver. Kind of surprised we don't have any (that I know of) bomb truck guys. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:11:12 PM EDT
[#21]
Good.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:18:18 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’m curious if there is a 3 generation Air Force family who have all flown the same air frame. I’m pretty sure I read an article years ago that had at least grandfather/grandson flying the same airframe. It wouldn’t surprise me that there has been 3 generations all flying the same bird. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:18:28 PM EDT
[#23]
Seems strange going back to the slick chin.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:18:57 PM EDT
[#24]
Those nose bumps kinda made them look mean I thought. The slick nose isn’t as cool.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:19:54 PM EDT
[#25]
Went to Davis Monthan in 1995 and there were rows and rows of those B52’s they where destroying by dropping a large slab of steel on them like a guillotine.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:21:59 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No V-tail No printed nose. (But they should be able to track tic-tacs and gimbals now) And no fiber steel reskin  Attached File |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:26:43 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Seems strange going back to the slick chin. Yeah, comparing a B52 to an AR why go back to a KISS build if you can hang all sorts of shit off of it? Boring. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:27:28 PM EDT
[#28]
IN! I love this stuff. Thanks OP.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:31:10 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Went to Davis Monthan in 1995 and there were rows and rows of those B52’s they where destroying by dropping a large slab of steel on them like a guillotine. All those "treaties" with the russians who demanded that they be destroyed. They knew we could wipe Siberia clean with their commie asses. And like idiots, we complied. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:34:25 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: There were lifespan mods done over the years, but as a rule B-52s spent their early life sitting on alert and not racking up tons of hours. And every five years or so they go in for depot maintenance to get inspected and overhauled as needed. "B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber arrived at Tinker Air Force Base for induction to major overhaul by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex after a ferry flight from San Antonio, Texas. ... The aircraft, with the serial number 61-001 was flown gear-down by a crew from the 10th Flight Test Squadron, Air Force Reserve Command, from Boeing’s facility after receiving ‘milk-bottle’ replacements to extend the service life of the aircraft by replacing the wing-attachment points." https://defence-blog.com/b-52h-arrive-at-tinker-air-force-base-after-receiving-milk-bottle-replacements/ |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:35:54 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Alert starts will be rather boring with APUs replacing the cartridge starts. The cart starts were always interesting |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:37:14 PM EDT
[#32]
As I always say in these threads. We should put some effort into building a straight B-52 replacement made with a maximum of off the shelf airliner parts. No stealth, no supersonic capability. Just something built to drop tons of bombs on people that can be maintained by the existing infrastructure for airliners.
I am NOT talking about the 747 cruise missile carrier! That would be a moot point anyway as the 747 production line is shutting down. That said, I'm told by credible authorities that Boeing doesn't have people on staff who could design that fuselage. In any case, Boeing as it is right now couldn't be trusted with such a job. So perhaps it could be farmed out to some combination of Northrop-Grumman and Airbus? Something to compliment the B-21 and replace the B-1. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:39:32 PM EDT
[#33]
Are they going to do anything to replace the ancient avionics systems? Every year they get harder to work on. Good to know they want to put APUs on the jet now. Finding reliable power carts was a pain. You won't hear mechanics complain about lower noise engines. They will vibrate through your body if you're on ground or getting ready to do a test flight. Wish they would replace fuel gauges so you don't have to guess what fuel loads to put in each tank. Certain flights take different loads in different tanks. How long before the changes start taking place?
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:39:44 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: As I always say in these threads. We should put some effort into building a straight B-52 replacement made with a maximum of off the shelf airliner parts. No stealth, no supersonic capability. Just something built to drop tons of bombs on people that can be maintained by the existing infrastructure for airliners. I am NOT talking about the 747 cruise missile carrier! That would be a moot point anyway as the 747 production line is shutting down. That said, I'm told by credible authorities that Boeing doesn't have people on staff who could design that fuselage. In any case, Boeing as it is right now couldn't be trusted with such a job. So perhaps it could be farmed out to some combination of Northrop-Grumman and Airbus? Something to compliment the B-21 and replace the B-1. Something like the P-8? |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:40:34 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Are they going to do anything to replace the ancient avionics systems? Every year they get harder to work on. Good to know they want to put APUs on the jet now. Finding reliable power carts was a pain. You won't hear mechanics complain about lower noise engines. They will vibrate through your body if you're on ground or getting ready to do a test flight. Wish they would replace fuel gauges so you don't have to guess what fuel loads to put in each tank. Certain flights take different loads in different tanks. How long before the changes start taking place? The only reason you don't have good power carts is AGE. At home station I never had to deal with bad 86s. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:40:34 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don't think the concern was total thrust, it was the near-violent explosion when the water was initially injected. Nothing subtle at all about it...more akin to slamming the throttles from ground idle to the firewall. We have a bunch of fighter pilots here, and at least one F-111 driver. Kind of surprised we don't have any (that I know of) bomb truck guys. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: We can do four engine TRT runs with CFM-56s making more power than J57s. I don't think the concern was total thrust, it was the near-violent explosion when the water was initially injected. Nothing subtle at all about it...more akin to slamming the throttles from ground idle to the firewall. We have a bunch of fighter pilots here, and at least one F-111 driver. Kind of surprised we don't have any (that I know of) bomb truck guys. I thought we had at least one, maybe two? |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:40:44 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Those nose bumps kinda made them look mean I thought. The slick nose isn’t as cool. I agree. All the bumps and protrusions the B-52 picked up over the years as new systems were added actually made it look more sinister. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:43:21 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Something like the P-8? Very much so, yes. The P-8. Aka the one big project that Boeing hasn't fucked up lately. At least not yet... |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:46:24 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: "B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber arrived at Tinker Air Force Base for induction to major overhaul by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex after a ferry flight from San Antonio, Texas. ... The aircraft, with the serial number 61-001 was flown gear-down by a crew from the 10th Flight Test Squadron, Air Force Reserve Command, from Boeing’s facility after receiving ‘milk-bottle’ replacements to extend the service life of the aircraft by replacing the wing-attachment points." That aircraft was contracted in 1961. It has been around for more than half of the age of powered flight, and is still on its original operator. Think on that a moment. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:46:41 PM EDT
[#40]
Nice, love the B-52. Badass.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:46:56 PM EDT
[#41]
Nice
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:47:42 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That aircraft was contracted in 1961. It has been around for more than half of the age of powered flight, and is still on its original operator. Think on that a moment. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: "B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber arrived at Tinker Air Force Base for induction to major overhaul by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex after a ferry flight from San Antonio, Texas. ... The aircraft, with the serial number 61-001 was flown gear-down by a crew from the 10th Flight Test Squadron, Air Force Reserve Command, from Boeing’s facility after receiving ‘milk-bottle’ replacements to extend the service life of the aircraft by replacing the wing-attachment points." That aircraft was contracted in 1961. It has been around for more than half of the age of powered flight, and is still on its original operator. Think on that a moment. It's incredible how much tin Boeing pushed out of the plants back in the 50's and 60's. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:49:53 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's incredible how much tin Boeing pushed out of the plants back in the 50's and 60's. I think it's a tragedy how far American manufacturing has declined. There are those fighting against this, thankfully. But for most buinsess. Got to pump up that stock price and send all that money off to offshore tax havens, never to be seen again. Even if it gets your company and customers killed. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:49:56 PM EDT
[#44]
Dope-azz LEDZ in the nacelles yo. Even the USAF is out for the 'cred.
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:54:52 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think it's a tragedy how far American manufacturing has declined. There are those fighting against this, thankfully. But for most buinsess. Got to pump up that stock price and send all that money off to offshore tax havens, never to be seen again. Even if it gets your company and customers killed. Thank you ivy league MBA programs and their graduates |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 1:56:09 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: As I always say in these threads. We should put some effort into building a straight B-52 replacement made with a maximum of off the shelf airliner parts. No stealth, no supersonic capability. Just something built to drop tons of bombs on people that can be maintained by the existing infrastructure for airliners. I am NOT talking about the 747 cruise missile carrier! That would be a moot point anyway as the 747 production line is shutting down. That said, I'm told by credible authorities that Boeing doesn't have people on staff who could design that fuselage. In any case, Boeing as it is right now couldn't be trusted with such a job. So perhaps it could be farmed out to some combination of Northrop-Grumman and Airbus? Something to compliment the B-21 and replace the B-1. 747 would have never worked out as a missile carrier. The wing attach point on the B-52 is at the top of the fuselage, that's what allows it to have such a cavernous bomb bay. The 747, and the rest of the Boeing commercial aircraft wing attach points are at the bottom of the fuselage, and you'll never have the ability to fully utilize the volume inside the aircraft for munitions. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 2:00:52 PM EDT
[#47]
Real question is…
How many Nukes can it carry?! Hopefully mor. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 2:04:52 PM EDT
[#48]
My favorite variant of the B-52 was the G model, now retired. It was very similar to the H model in most ways, except the G used the older J57 turbojet engines and had the quad .50 tail gun instead of the 20mm cannon. Otherwise, they look pretty much identical. As much as I like the screeching banshee sound of the TF-33 turbofans, the J57 sounded even better! It was loud as hell and had a more throaty rumble. As a kid one of my summertime hobbies was sitting outside during the day with one of those old enormous VHS camcorders and videoing the military aircraft that flew a low level route through my area. I could always tell the G and H models apart just by the sound. You could hear the G model approaching from farther away. You almost sensed that rumble its J57s gave off as much as you heard them. And it took forever for the sound to fade out after they passed overhead. The B-52s were easy to get on video because with all the noise they made, you had plenty of time to get ready. The B-1B was much harder to film because they always came through at 400 feet and hauling ass with wings fully swept. If you looked in the direction you initially heard the sound you would miss them because they were covering ground so fast. I also saw quite a few FB-111s and some F-4/RF-4 Phantoms but was never fast enough to get them on video. These were really smoking! The 1980s were fucking cool.
Some G model action....listen to that wonderful J57 goodness:  Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses, Castle AFB, 1992 - 1993 I wouldn't have liked dealing with that water injection stuff though. |
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Posted: 11/25/2022 2:10:08 PM EDT
[#49]
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Posted: 11/25/2022 2:12:31 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: As I always say in these threads. We should put some effort into building a straight B-52 replacement made with a maximum of off the shelf airliner parts. No stealth, no supersonic capability. Just something built to drop tons of bombs on people that can be maintained by the existing infrastructure for airliners. I am NOT talking about the 747 cruise missile carrier! That would be a moot point anyway as the 747 production line is shutting down. That said, I'm told by credible authorities that Boeing doesn't have people on staff who could design that fuselage. In any case, Boeing as it is right now couldn't be trusted with such a job. So perhaps it could be farmed out to some combination of Northrop-Grumman and Airbus? Something to compliment the B-21 and replace the B-1. |
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