The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range strategic bomber created by the Boeing Corporation during the Cold War, capable of carrying nuclear weapons on board. This is one of the symbols of Pax Americana - a formidable nuclear giant of a superpower. The B-52 made its first flight back in 1952, and for more than sixty years this aircraft has been the backbone of American strategic aviation.
According to the plans of Pentagon strategists, the B-52 will remain in this capacity until at least 2030. They plan to spend almost $12 billion on modernizing these machines. Experts say that each such bomber can fly for 83 years, this period ends only in 2040.
The main task of the Stratofortess was to deliver two high-power thermonuclear bombs to any point in the Soviet Union.
During its service, the B-52 participated in almost every conflict in which the American Air Force was involved. This bomber is the champion among combat aircraft in terms of flight range. During its operation, it was modernized more than once; dozens of modifications of the aircraft were created.
A total of 744 B-52 units were produced, the cost of the latest modifications (as of 1998) is $53.4 million.
Brief general information
The modernization of these aircraft will continue, for which more than twelve billion dollars have been allocated. The B-52 is a long-lived bomber; the Pentagon does not plan to replace this aircraft with a new one until 2030. Experts say that each such machine can fly for at least eighty-three years, and this period ends in 2040.
During its design, the Stratofortess had only one task - delivery of two thermonuclear bombs of the highest power to any point in the USSR. A total of seven hundred and forty-four B-52s were launched at airfields. The latest modifications of the 1998 bomber cost fifty-three and a half million dollars. It has been modernized several dozen times, so there are many modifications. Since its inception, the B-52 has been involved in almost every conflict in which the US Air Force has participated. A bomber of this type shows the highest results in terms of flight range, practically a champion.
At the very end of the war, atomic weapons were created, and this completely changed all the priorities in the world. However, its presence was not a decisive factor, since the nuclear bomb had to be somehow delivered to the target. Missile technology was just beginning to develop, and the two superpowers threw all their efforts into delivery vehicles, which were: the USA B-52 - a bomber, the characteristics of which at that time did not leave much to be desired, and the USSR - the Tu-95, an intercontinental bomber, which is still in service (by the way, it was this aircraft that made a non-stop flight in 2010, which became a world record that has not yet been conquered, thirty thousand kilometers over three oceans - such is the flight range).
However, the most important moment in post-war aviation was the one that showed the inconsistency of the piston type of engine. It was clear that jet aviation was needed and that it was the future. And here the Americans managed to get a head start: they were the ones who got the German developments in the jet field, and the Germans had been working on missiles for a long time and very persistently, that is, there were already almost finished projects, at least advanced developments. This is how the B-52 appeared, a bomber whose characteristics had no analogues in the world.
Line-up changes and fresh works
In December 1982, the team began creating the 3rd Whammy! From this point on, the guys switched from drums to drum machines, which provided a non-standard sound. During this period, experiments with synthesizers began, which can also be seen in the release, which was released in April 1983. The work reached number 29 on the Billboard 200. The songs Legal Tender, Song for the Future Generation, Whammy Kiss reached good positions in the US charts.
A full-fledged tour begins, which ends only in January 1985 in Brazil. This was the biggest event. The intense touring was exhausting, which led to a year-long break. The decision is made to try to write compositions in isolation. Information appears that Wilson was already suffering from AIDS. On October 12, 1985 he dies at the age of 32.
Despite this problem, session musicians are being trained. There was no promotion of new singles and albums due to mourning. During the period under review, the guys appeared in only a few television programs. In 1987, Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was recorded, the proceeds of which went to the AIDS Research Foundation.
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Beginning and development
The designers received the task in 1946, when the B-36 had not yet been tested. The American military understood that they urgently needed another model, a much longer one, which was the second generation bomber, which had a range of more than eight thousand kilometers and was capable of carrying up to thirty tons of bombs. Flight speed, of course, was also required much higher. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress immediately took on the project, won the competition and received funds to continue the project.
The victory of this aircraft manufacturing company was quite natural; over many decades it had managed to work closely together with the US Air Force. The first aircraft were manufactured by it back in 1917, after which fighters for the United States aviation were created - P-26, P-12, MV-3. After this work was completed, Boeing was developing bombers, but no one in the world had yet designed such a brainchild as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
By 1948, the final design of this aircraft was ready. True, its range was not eight, but less than five thousand kilometers, and its speed was nine hundred and ten kilometers per hour. It could take on board the ordered number of bombs - twenty-four and a half tons, and had a take-off weight of about one hundred and fifty tons. It was planned to install four turbojet engines on the B-52 Stratofortress bomber.
Soon the war began in Korea, where the United States wanted to participate as effectively as possible, and this greatly accelerated the progress of work on the new aircraft. The first prototype was ready in 1951, but required many improvements, and therefore tests could only begin towards the end of 1952. The first pre-production batch of the B-52 Stratofortress was released in 1954, and the Americans were able to seriously operate the new machine in 1955. And already in 1956, on a quiet May morning, the B-52 strategic bomber dropped the first hydrogen bomb and then long non-stop flights began.
Cold War
In 1957, three Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft flew around the Earth non-stop. This was not the limit. The American B-52 bomber set the record in 1962. The flight lasted twenty-two hours and nine minutes, allowing it to cover distances beyond the reach of any other aircraft. The flight that the B-52 bomber made showed an unprecedented flight range at that time: the distance was twenty thousand one hundred sixty-eight kilometers. After this truly great achievement, the United States felt much more confident among the rest of the world. All the years of the Cold War, every minute could bring death and destruction anywhere on the planet. In many places I brought it.
Bombers fully equipped with nuclear weapons were on duty at airfields around the clock. To reduce the likelihood of everyone being hit at once, there were thirty-six airfields with B-52s on duty, that is, the planes were dispersed. While some of them were waiting for orders on the airfield, the United States kept ten such monsters as the B-52 bomber in the air, on combat duty, and this began already in the sixties. They were ready to strike at any moment. And at the end of the eighties, forty such vehicles were already on combat duty. Only in 1991 did they stop keeping planes in the air - the United States won the Cold War against the USSR. Over all these years, for various reasons, seventy-one of these ultra-long-range strategic bombers were lost, for the most part they were shot down or lost due to malfunctions and pilot errors in military operations, despite all the excellent performance of this aircraft.
Bomber B-52 Dimensions. Engine. Weight. Story. Range of flight
The Boeing B-52G/H strategic bomber-missile carrier is designed to carry out combat missions using nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, delivering massive strikes against small targets, in areas of the expected concentration of stationary and mobile warehouses of military equipment and in other areas in which targets may be located, having military significance, as well as for naval reconnaissance, isolating a combat area, laying mines, suppressing enemy air defense systems, conducting joint operations with the Navy, and air support for the actions of military groups of NATO member countries.
Flight qualities
Before the advent of the B-52, the United States' best and most feared bomber was the "Superfortress" B-29. This is, of course, an outstanding heavy bomber of the Second World War, which played the greatest role in the war with Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered from them).
However, this does not obscure its excellent qualities - the first production aircraft equipped with remote-controlled weapons, and many other unprecedented things were introduced into its production: fully pressurized cockpits, centralized fire control, for example. But all this cannot be compared with the new technologies that were used to equip the B-52. Flight characteristics differ in literally everything. The B-52 flies a third higher in altitude than the piston-powered B-29, and the speed of the new aircraft is more than double the speed of the Superfortress. If flight altitude could guarantee safety... The Americans did not rejoice for long.
Around the mid-fifties, anti-aircraft missiles of the Soviet Union could hit a target at an altitude of twenty-five kilometers or more. And in 1960, a US high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, U-2, was shot down by Soviet air defense. Then the US Air Force realized that the rocket was a much more reliable means of delivering their nuclear weapons, since flight altitude was no longer a protection for the bomber. And since 1972, the B-52 has received different weapons. It was equipped with aeroballistic missiles that hit stationary targets within a range of one hundred and sixty kilometers. In total, there were up to eight SRAM missiles with a nuclear warhead on board the B-52.
In the eighties, these were already ALCM cruise missiles, which struck without the bomber being forced to visit the air defense coverage area. In the sixties, US aviation had more than six hundred B-52s, but subsequently the old modifications began to be gradually removed from service, as they were replaced by a missile-carrying bomber. In 1993, three hundred and fifty aircraft were scrapped at once. The US Air Force currently operates ninety-five B-52Hs.
Space tour and entry into the 90s
In 1989, the songbook Cosmic Thing appeared, which is considered a breakthrough in the music arena. Several releases were located here, including Channel Z. A space tour begins, which turned out to be full of adventures. The next single, Love Shack, appeared in November of the same year. The composition was filled with a video clip. Another release took place in March 1990, the song Roam reached significant positions in the tops of Australia, the USA and Britain.
All new tracks are created by the band, written by Deadbeat Club, and The B-52's are on their most successful tour yet. In the 90th MTV Video Music Awards, the group was nominated for 4 awards. The participants begin to push for solo creativity. Cindy Wilson leaves, and Julie Cruise is invited to replace her. The updated line-up releases Good Stuff, which is considered the most political album of the project.
His career slowed down in the mid-90s. Publications appear that get into relatively good places, but little success is observed. The composition was updated a couple of times. For example, Sterling Campbell, the former drummer of Duran Duran, joins. The period is distinguished by a large number of interesting tours, including a joint tour with David Bowie, The Pretenders, The Go-go's. The B-52's have been recording retrospectives, including one with Blondie's Debbie Harry.
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B-52 design: technical specifications
The construction of the bomber proceeded according to the normal aerodynamic design, the location of the wings was correspondingly high. The aircraft was equipped with eight engines, which were located in twin engine nacelles. The all-metal caisson wing has two spars, with an installation angle of eight degrees and a sweep along the leading edge of thirty-seven degrees. It is powered by two slotted Fowler flaps, and on other modifications (up to B-52F) there are spoilers and ailerons. The root part of the B-52G has sagging, which is a distinctive feature of this modification. The length of the aircraft is almost fifty meters, and the wingspan is as much as fifty-six. The height of the B-52 was also not offensive - it rises twelve and a half meters. The maximum weight in flight is 256,735 kilograms. The fuselage type is semi-monocoque with flat sides and an oval cross-section; in the front part there is a cabin for six crew members, consisting of two decks.
For the first time in the world, this bomber had a completely pressurized cabin. The upper cockpit is low and contains the commander, co-pilot and electronic warfare operator. They catapult upward.
The bombardier and navigator sit in the lower cockpit; they eject down if the flight altitude is at least seventy-six meters. At the front and bottom of the fuselage is the entrance to the pilots. Previously, in all modifications up to the B-52F, there was a gunner-observer in the rear in the tail compartment, who identified enemy and friendly aircraft, notified the commander about anti-aircraft missiles, if they were approaching, about engine problems or fuel leaks. In later modifications of the B-52, the gunner’s place was determined in the main cockpit, since the gunner could get to the rest of the team through a narrow manhole, and the cockpit itself would have to be depressurized.
Horizontal tail: a stabilizer with a sweep of forty-two degrees and a fin with a rudder of forty degrees. The fin can be folded so that the aircraft can be easily placed in the hangar. The chassis of the B-52 strategic bomber has a bicycle design: four main two-wheeled struts and two support struts at the ends of the wings. The landing gear retracts, rotating almost ninety degrees, into niches that are located in front and behind the weapons compartment. At maximum speed and at high altitudes, the B-52 is capable of moving at a speed of nine hundred and fifty-seven kilometers per hour, and its cruising speed is “only” eight hundred and nineteen. The combat radius of this bomber is seven thousand two hundred and ten, and the ferry range is seventeen thousand kilometers.
Engines and navigation
The B-52 power plant has eight engines, which are located on underwing pylons in twin nacelles. The engines on these aircraft are of different modifications, depending on the series, but they are always the same manufacturer - the Pratt & Whitney J57 turbofan engine. The engine is two-shaft with a seven-stage HP compressor - high pressure, a nine-stage LP compressor - low pressure, a two-stage LP turbine, a single-stage HP turbine and a tubular-ring combustion chamber. Two external fuel tanks and ten soft fuselage tanks, which are located in the wing box. In addition, there is also a receiver for refueling the B-52 in the air, it is located directly behind the cockpit.
The navigation and bombing systems of this aircraft are similar to its predecessors. The first modifications had a rangefinder, APS-23 radar, and an optical sight for bombing (it was later removed as unnecessary). Later modifications of the B-52 were equipped with an optical electronics system for viewing - AN/ASQ-151, with its help the aircraft could avoid all obstacles at low altitude.
In addition, there is such a useful thing as an IR system for viewing the front hemisphere. The Perimeter IR system is a receiver and transmitter of optical radiation, and if the beams are interrupted, pilots are alerted by an annunciator that the aircraft may be damaged.
The B-52 also has a low-light camera. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress truly lives up to its name: it is a stratospheric fortress equipped with one of the most powerful types of electronic warfare systems. There is staged equipment here - for disinformation, for noise interference, as well as dipole reflectors and heat traps. The B-52G and B-52H bombers also have AN/ALQ-122 ECM (electronic jamming) systems, which can combat enemy radar. These planes are also equipped with jammers and have special equipment that warns of radar exposure. The pulse-Doppler tail protection station is AN/ALQ-153, and the jammers are AN/ALT-28. This entire useful arsenal weighs about three tons - only electronic warfare equipment.
Boeing B-S2H strategic bomber. On the drawing:
I— antennas of the radar exposure warning system; 2 - turrets with a scanning television camera, operating in low light levels; 3 - PVD; 4 — lower entrance hatch; 5 — operational hatches for electronic warfare equipment; 6,8,17,28 — landing gear niche doors; 7 — bomb bay doors; 9 — antennas of the tail electronic warfare compartment; 10 — fuel system drainage pipelines;
II— access hatches to gun cartridge boxes; 12 - 20 mm six-barreled VOLCANO gun; 13 — elevator trimmer; 14 — elevator; 15 — stabilizer section; 16 — access hatch to the equipment for recording bombing results; 18 — internal section of the Fowler flap; 19 — dipole reflector spreaders; 20 — fixed wing section; 21 — outer section of the Fowler flap; 22 — wheel niche shield for underwing support; 23.96 — shield of the underwing support strut; 24 — wing console; 25.27 — engine nacelles; 26 — air intakes for oil system conditioning; 29.30 — ejection hatches for the navigator and navigator-radar operator; 31 — front glazing of the cockpit canopy; 32 — lower radio-transparent fairing of the bomber sight; 33 — upper radio-transparent fairing; 34,64,68 - antennas; 35 — nose radio-transparent fairings; 36 — air intake for pressurizing fuel tanks; 37 — omnidirectional radio beacon antenna; 38 - spark gap; 39 — rudder; 40 — rudder trimmer; 41—brake parachute container hatch; 42 — retractable antenna radome for radar exposure warning system; 43 — search radar radome; 44 — fairing of the ALQ-U7 system and electronic warfare system; 45 — barrels of a quadruple machine gun mount; 46 — tracking radar radome; 47 — access hatch to machine-gun cartridge boxes; 48 — sealing strip; 49 — antenna fairing; 50 — glazing of the tail gunner’s cabin; 51 — operational hatches for electronic warfare equipment; 52,60,83 — instrument panels; 53 - crew commander; 54.55 — ejection hatches for the commander and co-pilot; 56 - instructor pilot; 57,58 — ejection hatches for operators of weapons systems and electronic systems; 59 - electronic systems operator; 61 — instructor-navigator; 62 - navigator; 63 - weapons operator instructor; 65.121 - electronic warfare system antennas; 66 — astro-orientator fairing; 67 — connectors for electronic warfare units; 69 — radar for viewing the rear hemisphere; 70 — radome of the electronic warfare system antenna; 71 — gun fairing casing; 72 — access hatches to the fuel system pipelines; 73 — lids of containers with inflatable life rafts; 74 — inspection panels of the fuselage fuel tank; 75 — flaps of the fairing of the nozzle for refueling the aircraft in the air; 76 — removable panels; 77 - ANO; 78 — wing end fairing; 79 — interceptor; 80 — radio-transparent radome of electronic warfare antennas; 81 - co-pilot; 82 — gunner-operator of the weapon system; 84 — cabin floor; 85 — hatch to the cockpit; 86 - navigator-radar operator; 87.98 — fuselage strength frames; 88 — cylinder for retracting and releasing the front landing gear; 89 — front landing gear; 90.101 — hydraulic wheel control drives; 91 — front landing gear trolley; 92 — two-link front landing gear; 93 — underwing support strut; 94 — attachment point for the underwing support strut; 95 — mechanism for retracting and releasing the underwing landing gear; 97 - wheel; 99 — cylinder for retracting and releasing the rear landing gear; 100 — rear landing gear; 102 — rear landing gear trolley; 103.105 - wheels; 104 — two-link rear landing gear; 106 — cruise missile radio equipment compartment; 107 — rudder; 108 - keel; 109 — air intake; 110 — elevators; 111 — missile warhead; 112 - keel; 113 — rudder; 114 — turbojet engine; 115 — ailerons; 116 — elevators; 117 — landing headlight; 118 — engines; 119 — flaps of the fairing of the nozzle for refueling the aircraft in the air in the open position; 120 — lower entrance hatch in the open position; 122 — bomb bay doors in open position
Wingspan, m…………………56.39 Length, m……………………………49.05 Height, m…………………………….12, 40 Wing area, mg………………..371.6 Empty weight, t………………………..72 Maximum take-off weight, t…………………………..221 .35 Maximum speed, km/h…….960 Ceiling, m…………………………. 16 765 Maximum flight range, km………………………. 16 700 Maximum bomb load, t……………………………..23
N. OKOLELOV, A. CHECHIN, Kharkov “Model designer” No. 10*2001
Armament
To carry ammunition, the bomber has pylons under the wings and a weapons compartment. The pylons, depending on the modification, could carry up to fifty-one bombs, sometimes less. The HSAB (Heavy Stores Adapter Beam) pylons only provide room for nine bombs each, so a total of forty-five, while the AGM-28 pylons only provide room for fifty-one. In addition to the pylons, there is a weapons compartment where much more offensive weapons can be placed. It must be remembered that the aircraft was created purely to carry nuclear weapons. Its first modifications were armed with free-falling bombs of various types, located in the weapons compartment. The maximum capacity of the compartment was 22,680 kilograms, and together with the pylons the bomb load was thirty-one and a half tons.
From 1961 to 1976, B-52 bombers were armed with guided missiles with AGM-28 nuclear warheads. This gave the aircraft the opportunity not to enter the affected area of enemy air defense and reach even very well-protected targets. The mid-eighties brought the bomber a new modernization, the purpose of which was to adapt the aircraft to carry twelve AGM-86B cruise missiles. At the same time, sixty-nine B-52G barbers were converted for non-nuclear weapons. Seven of them were equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, others with high-precision guided missiles developed by Israeli designers - AGM-142 (Raptor). Until 1994, there was also a six-barreled twenty-millimeter M61 (Vulcan) cannon in the rear of the bomber; in the modifications of subsequent years it was no longer present, and the guns were removed from the old bombers.
Modifications of the B-52
The prototypes of the B-52 were the YB-52 and XB-52, which were built even before the serial production of the aircraft, but still the first machine was the B-52A bomber from the already production series, although only three such aircraft were made. On its tail was a turret for a four-barreled machine gun. The cockpit also differed in changes from all previous models. The NB-52A evolved from a bomber into an exploration vehicle, launching a rocket plane in 1950. But we can already talk in detail about the B-52B. Entered service in 1955, and the US Air Force noted the excellent advanced power plant, very high quality and modern navigation equipment.
Fifty of these aircraft were produced; they were withdrawn from service only in 1966. The RB-52B reconnaissance aircraft was distinguished by the fact that instead of bombs, reconnaissance equipment was installed in the weapons compartment - various radio detectors and cameras. Here the crew was expanded to eight people.
NB-52B - singular, served as the North American X-15 launch vehicle since 1967. The B-52C is a running model, produced in 1955 and 1956. The engines were much more powerful than all previous ones - J57-PW-19W; they also needed larger fuel tanks. Thirty-five such aircraft were built. The B-52D is almost the same, the engines are the same, this bomber did not have reconnaissance equipment. B-52Es were produced until the end of 1958, also with new engines, but the navigation equipment was significantly improved, as was the sighting equipment. They already had an in-flight refueling function. These bombers could carry AGM-28 Hound Dog missiles.
Bomber B-52 - video
The aircraft has the longest career of all strategic aviation combat vehicles, being the youngest variant of the subsonic jet bombers. The B-52 began its long life in 1948 as the successor to the B-50 piston bomber. which, in turn, became a development of the B-29 Superfortress aircraft. The first flight of the XB-52 prototype took place on April 15, 1952. The aircraft had an extremely thin high-wing design with engines underneath, united in pairs into engine nacelles, a tandem arrangement of pilot seats and main landing gear wheels, supplemented by underwing supports. A total of 744 B-52 aircraft of various modifications were built, of which 71 aircraft were lost as a result of flight accidents.
Pre-production B-52As (first flown August 5, 1954) were used as test and research aircraft for development programs. The US Air Force began to receive serial bombers on June 29, 1955 under the designation B-52B, which, unlike the B-52A, were equipped with a navigation and bombing system. Of the fifty B-52Bs built, twenty-seven were converted to the RB-52B reconnaissance aircraft.
The B-52C variant featured significant improvements in equipment and performance - it was the first model to have a white finish on the underside of the aircraft to protect against light radiation from a nuclear explosion. The B-52C first flew on March 9, 1956, and the first B-52C entered combat service in June 1956. The subsequent B-52D variant (first flown June 4, 1956) was equipped with an improved four-tail fire control system. 12.7 mm machine guns. The B-52E variant (first flight October 3, 1957) received a more advanced navigation system and weapons control system with information displayed on a modernized instrument panel. An increase in take-off weight required installation on the new B-52F variant (first flight performed May 6, 1958) engines with a water injection system to increase takeoff thrust.
The B-52G variant contained a large number of improvements and turned out to be the most modernized within a single model (first flight - October 26, 1958). To save weight and make the airframe safer, it was completely redesigned, the wing caisson tanks were significantly enlarged, the fin was shortened, and the tail gunner was moved to the flight deck, which meant significant weight savings. Equipment for launching “Quail” decoy shells (quail) has been installed. which simulated a mark on the radar screens similar to the mark from the B-52. and AGM-28 Hound Dog air-to-surface missiles launched outside the air defense zone from a range of up to 1200 km. Until 1960, 193 B-52G aircraft were built.
The latest modification was the B-52N variant (first flight made on March 6, 1961), which featured new TF33 turbojet engines with increased thrust with significantly lower fuel consumption and a reinforced airframe structure, which allowed the aircraft to fly for long periods of time at low altitudes. Instead of four tail machine guns, one rapid-fire Gatling type machine gun is installed, remotely controlled using an AN/AGS-15 radar or a television camera. The last aircraft of the B-52 series was built in June 1962.
The first hydrogen bomb was dropped from a B-52 on May 21, 1956. In subsequent years, a number of record-breaking flights demonstrated the aircraft's superior performance. Thus, in November 1956, non-stop flights were carried out around the North American continent and across the North Pole with a length of 27,000 km. On January 18, 1957, three B-52s flew around the world in 45 hours 19 minutes, flying 39,750 km at an average speed of 850 km/h, and on January 11, 1962, the aircraft set a flight range record without refueling, covering 20,168 km in 22 hours 9 minutes. From 1965 to 1984, the B-52B through B-52F variants were withdrawn from service; by the beginning of 1992, the US Air Force had 254 B-52 aircraft left (159 B-52G and 95 B-52H).
The B-52 bomber was the first “super-heavy” aircraft to use an adjustable stabilizer; the stabilizer deflection range was from + 7 to - 6″. When landing, a band brake parachute with a diameter of 13.4 m is used, installed in the rear fuselage. To accommodate the B-52G and H variants in the hangar, the keel can be folded to the right on a hinge unit.
On the B-52G and B-52H, all crew members are located in a double-deck cockpit. The crew commander and the second pilot are located in ejection seats, which ensure that the aircraft leaves upward; the navigator and navigation radar operator are on the lower deck in ejection seats, ensuring that the aircraft leaves downwards, with its back to the direction of flight. On aircraft variants A to F, the electronic warfare system operator is located in a separate compartment in the right rear part of the upper deck, the gunner is in the tail compartment and can move through a manhole passing through the weapons compartment into the main cockpit (for this it is necessary to depressurize the cabin and reduce the altitude flight). On the B-52G and B-52H aircraft, the tail turret gunner and electronic warfare system operator are located in the rear of the cockpit with their backs to the direction of flight. On some RB-52B and B-52C aircraft, a special compartment with reconnaissance equipment is installed in the weapons bay, designed for two crew members.
The weapons bay can contain up to eight nuclear bombs of the Mk.28, 43, 61 and 83 types. On the B-52G, the tail quadruple 12.7 mm machine gun mount can be guided using an AN/AS G-15 or AN/AS G-15 remote fire control radar using a closed circuit television system. On the B-52H bomber, the tail turret contains a gun with a rotating block of six M61A1 Vulcan barrels of 20 mm caliber and a rate of fire of 4000 rounds per minute.
In the 60s, variants E, F, G and H of the B-52 bomber were retrofitted to install the AGM-28 Hound Dog missile, capable of skirting hills and hitting ICBM launch silos and positions of enemy air defense systems. These missile launchers were placed in underwing containers, equipped with jet engines, had a noise-resistant INS, and a maximum speed corresponding to Mach number = 2.1. Launches of these missile launchers could be carried out at altitudes from several tens to 16,800 m. Then these aircraft were converted into carriers of nuclear missile launchers SREM AGM-69A (12 missiles under the wing and 8 in the bomb bay on a rotary launcher). The firing range of such a missile is 200 km, and the warhead power is 170 kt. The first aircraft with SREM missiles was introduced into combat-ready forces in August 1972.
1982 began with the conversion of B-52G and B-52H bombers into carriers of ALCM-B AGM-86B cruise missiles (six units on two underwing pylons). Such missiles have a flight range of 2,500 km, a nuclear warhead power of 200 kg and can reach up to 85% of targets on Russian territory. B-52H bombers, in addition to twelve ALCM-B missiles under the wing, can place (unlike the B-52G) eight more such missiles in the bomb bay on a universal rotary launcher. Thus, each of them is capable of carrying up to 20 CR.
The B-52H aircraft were also the first carriers of the new AGM-129A nuclear missile system (ASM), which has a long flight range (about 4200 km) and low visibility (due to the use of stealth technology). The power of the nuclear warhead of the rocket is also about 200 kt. In addition to the B-52H, 98 of the 159 B-52G bombers carry the AGM-86B missile. 33 modification G aircraft have been converted to use conventional bombs, sea mines and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The B-52G can also use the AGM-84E SLAM air-to-ground missile, created on the basis of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system, as weapons. During the operation of the B-52G and B-52H bombers, avionics were upgraded several times. In 1980-1987 the aircraft were equipped with new electronic equipment, which included a forward-looking radar, AN/ASN-13 INS, control, monitoring and display equipment, as well as an AN/ALQ-172 active jamming station.
The aircraft are also equipped with the AN/ASQ-131 optical-electronic system, the AN/AVQ-22 thermal imaging camera, capable of operating at low light levels, and the AN/AAQ-6 forward-looking infrared station, equipment of the NAVSTAR satellite navigation system. Armament includes up to twenty AGM-86B ALCM (AGM-86C CALCM) cruise missiles or up to sixteen AGM-129A ACM missiles, B53, B61 and B83 nuclear bombs, Mk82, Mk83, Mk84, Mk117 conventional free-fall bombs, CBU-87 disposable cluster bombs , CBU-89, CBU-97, sea mines Mk36, Mk55, Mk56, Mk62, Mk63 and Mk64. Some of the bombers have been upgraded to enable the use of AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AGM-142A Raptor, AGM-158 JASSM air-to-ground guided missiles, JDAM, AGM-154A JSOW and WCMS guided bombs.
In 1963, the B-52D variant began to be studied for the use of nuclear bombers as carriers of conventional bombs, and in 1964, the conversion of B-52D aircraft to carriers of 105 conventional bombs weighing 374 kg each began. This made it possible to use conventionally armed nuclear bombers in the Vietnam War as early as 1965. They were used from an air base on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean to carry out "carpet" strikes from high altitudes against suspicious areas in South Vietnam and supply routes from North Vietnam. Each combat mission lasted about 10-12 hours with in-flight refueling, but after relocating to Thailand, the combat mission time was sharply reduced. On B-52s used in Vietnam, the lower hull was repainted black to reduce the likelihood of visual detection. However, during the bombing of North Vietnam, the Americans lost 15 B-52 aircraft. B-52s similarly operated in the Persian Gulf in 1991 and in Yugoslavia in 1999.
Second generation bomber
Eighty-nine B-52F aircraft were produced in 1958 and 1959 and saw active service during the Vietnam War. Their J57-PW-43WA engines had an improved fuel injection system and the latest generators. But the B-52G is still considered the most widespread modification; they were made in the amount of one hundred and ninety-three copies. This model is distinguished by a reduced keel and a modified wing design. The cabin also began to look different. The commander, co-pilot and bombing operators now sat facing the direction of the flight, while the electronic warfare operator and gunner faced the rear. In the seventies, the B-52G also received the AN\ASQ-151 optical electronics system and new equipment with AGM-69 SRAM missiles. And in the eighties, the armament was supplemented with AGM-86B cruise missiles.
The next modification did not add any structural changes, but was equipped with engines that were particularly economical - TF33-P-3. In addition, the on-board equipment and electronic warfare system were improved and a different weapons control system was installed. In 1996, the implementation of the B-52 re-equipment project began. This modification almost produced four English RB211 534E-4 engines (Rolls Royce), with a thrust of 19,400 kgf. Did not work out.
But in 2007, on these only bombers of the series remaining in service with the US Air Force, a suspended container of a thermal imaging system for laser guidance of the Lightening brand was installed. The B-52H modification received TF33-PW-3/103 engines; one hundred and two such aircraft were produced. And the last bomber of this series left the factory floor in 1960.
Bombers
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Strategic bomber. (USA)
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American multirole heavy ultra-long-range intercontinental strategic missile-carrying bomber of the second generation from Boeing, which has been in service with the US Air Force since 1955.
The first development of the technical specifications for the design of a strategic intercontinental high-altitude jet bomber - a carrier of nuclear weapons - began in the fall of 1945. It aimed to create an aircraft that would replace the B-36. At the beginning of 1946, when developing the basic requirements for the new aircraft, about 30 aircraft layouts with different wing profiles, engines and maximum take-off weight were considered, taking into account the provision of minimal drag with given overall dimensions.
As a result of the competition, in mid-1946, a contract was signed with Boeing for theoretical research and preliminary design of a strategic intercontinental bomber.
In December 1947, due to the rapid growth in the combat capabilities of fighters, the Ministry of Aviation made adjustments to the tactical and technical requirements in the direction of increasing the flight range and speed, as well as the operating ceiling. To fulfill them, it was necessary to increase the weight and size of the aircraft, and add two more engines to the planned six. The changes also affected defensive weapons (something had to be sacrificed). It was decided to leave only the tail firing point.
The following year, Boeing specialists prepared a project for a bomber with a large aspect ratio swept wing, under which twin Pratt-Whitney J57 turbojet engines (TRJ) were to be installed on pylons. At the beginning of 1949, it was approved by the leadership of the Air Force and submitted for approval to President G. Truman. Soon he decided to launch the B-52 production program.
In November 1951, the first prototype (designated YB-52) was rolled out of the gates of the company's assembly plant in Seattle in a solemn ceremony. However, its first flight took place only on April 15, 1952. Boeing test pilot A.M. Johnson and Air Force test pilot Lt. Col. G.M. Townsed flew from the factory airfield to Moses Lake Air Force Base, where the tests were to be carried out. In the same month, the second prototype (XB-52) was ready, flight tests of which began on October 2, 1952.
The B-52 is an all-metal upper wing with a thin, swept (sweep angle of 35 degrees) high aspect ratio wing. The fuselage had a sectional design. In its central part there was one large bomb bay. The cockpit is pressurized. It had a drop-shaped canopy protruding beyond the contours of the fuselage. All workstations are designed to provide maximum comfort, which is especially important when performing a long-hour flight. The power plant consisted of eight turbojet engines installed in pairs on one pylon. Bicycle type chassis.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Strategic bomber. (USA)
At that time it was the largest bomber in the world, striking in its size. Its length was 47.73 m, wingspan 56.39 m, maximum take-off weight - over 180 tons. The power plant consisted of eight Pratt-Whitney J57-P-3 turbojet engines with a thrust of 3946 kgf each. In accordance with the already established tradition for heavy bombers, the new aircraft was given the name (“Fortress in the Stratosphere”). Testing and fine-tuning of the aircraft took 2.5 years. To speed up this work, Air Force pilots who had experience fine-tuning the B-47 were brought in. The government spared no expense. Receiving intelligence information about heavy bomber flights in the USSR caused concern among the top ranks of the Pentagon and they put pressure on the company, demanding results.
In 1953, construction began on the first three production aircraft, designated B-52A. Initially they were supposed to be released in the amount of 15 units, but these plans were revised in favor of the next modification. The first machine was completed on March 18, 1954, but it was first lifted into the air only on August 5. It differed from the prototypes in its reconfigured cockpit. Now the pilots were sitting not in tandem, but side by side. The glazing has been completely redone. A fuel receiver for an in-flight refueling system was installed on the aircraft. In the same year, an order was placed for 50 vehicles of the second series of B-52B, distinguished by the presence of the MA-6A bomber-navigation system and modernized J57-P-19W engines with a thrust of 5171 kgf. The aircraft could carry 19.5 tons of bombs (the B-52A were not armed), including the new free-falling nuclear bombs Mk5, Mk6, Mk15 (for example, the Mk5 bomb had a length of 3.25 m, a diameter of 111 cm, and a weight of 1440 kg and a nuclear charge with a power of 40-50 kt). For self-defense, they were armed with a stern firing mount with four machine guns, aimed at the target by a gunner from the rear cockpit using an A-3A targeting radar. The first bomber of this modification took off on January 25, 1955.
The first B-52Bs entered service on June 29, 1955, with units of the 93rd Bomb Wing of the Strategic Air Command stationed at Castle Air Force Base, pcs. California. But only 13 vehicles were built as bomb carriers. Ten were used for crew training and were not armed, and 27 were released as scouts. These vehicles were designated RB-52B. To service additional reconnaissance equipment housed in a special capsule loaded into the bomb bay, the crew was increased by two people. To ensure photography in the dark, 24 M-120 lighting bombs were taken on board. Defensive weapons also changed. The machine guns were replaced with two 20 mm M24-A-1 cannons, the guidance of which was provided by the MD-5 sighting system.
The commander of the strategic aviation of the US Air Force, Lieutenant General K. Le May, believed so much in the high combat capabilities of the B-52 that even before the readiness of the first series of aircraft, he insisted on issuing a large order to Boeing for the supply of these bombers. To accomplish this, B-52 production was deployed at two large factories in Seattle and Wichita. In total, the cooperation of suppliers and manufacturers of components, equipment, devices and systems included more than 5,000 subcontractors. With the accumulation of the necessary experience, the assembly rate was 15 machines per month - an excellent indicator for aircraft of this size in peacetime.
With the arrival of the first production B-52s in combat units in 1955, a system was deployed to retrain and prepare pilots to fly the new machines. The entire program took five months. The reduction in time was achieved through the widespread use of special simulators in training. At first, mastering the new technology was difficult. Several accidents and disasters occurred. In February 1956, the Air Force leadership was even forced to suspend flights until their reasons were clarified.
As it turned out, it was not so much the pilots who were to blame, but rather the lack of development of a number of systems and units. That's when the rush during testing took its toll. General Electric designers made a number of changes to the design of turbojet engines aimed at increasing their reliability. But even after this, troubles continued. 1956 was truly a “black” year in the history of the B-52. In the second half of this year alone, four aircraft were lost. People who were unable to leave the plane also died because ejection seats were not installed. Things took a turn for the worse. To clarify the situation, a special commission was created in the US Congress. In response to her request, Air Force leadership said that despite a number of disasters, the B-52 as a strategic weapons system has no equal in the world, and all difficulties are temporary.
To prove that it was right, SAC organized a number of long-distance non-stop flights. All versions of the B-52 were equipped with the Flying Boom in-flight refueling system, which made their range virtually unlimited. For example, in January 1957, three bombers, one of which was piloted by the commander of the 15th Air Army, flew around the world, flying 39,750 km in 45 hours and 19 minutes. At the same time, they refueled in the air five times. The military also referred to the fact that bombers of this type are the only carriers of the new Mk17 hydrogen bomb, first dropped from an airplane on May 21, 1956, on one of the small islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Strategic bomber. (USA)
The designers stubbornly continued to improve the car. On March 9, 1956, the “C” modification bomber made its first flight (a total of 35 of them were built). It was equipped with J57-P-19W engines with increased thrust to 5488 kgf, and a more advanced ASQ-48 bomber and navigation system. The capacity of the fuel tanks was increased by 15,140 liters, which made it possible to achieve a flight range of 12,250 km without in-flight refueling (725 km more than the B-52B).
The maximum bomb load has also increased. The B-52C became the first carriers of the American Mk17 thermonuclear bomb. Its length was 7.4 m, diameter 155.7 cm, weight 19050 kg, power in the range of 10-25 Mt. Naturally, the modernization of the B-52 caused an increase in the weight of the aircraft by eight tons, which required increasing the crew’s skills in operating a heavy vehicle. The appearance has also changed. Starting with this model, all B-52s began to be painted in protective “atomic” camouflage, which led to additional weighting of the structure due to the large mass of the applied paint and varnish coating. The first to receive the B-52C, in June 1956, were pilots of the 42nd Bombardment Wing stationed at Loring Air Force Base. Maine.
Boeing specialists continued to work on increasing the aircraft's combat capabilities. On June 4, 1956, the first of 170 ordered B-52D bombers took off. Its fuselage was 1.22 m high. It used all the achievements of military electronics that existed at that time. In particular, a new fire control system for airborne weapons and a bomber navigation system were installed. The main purpose of the aircraft was to carry out bombing strikes with high precision. In March 1957, the first B-52Ds entered service with the 92nd Bombardment Wing.
B-52Ds were widely used during the Indochina War. On June 15, 1965, 17 B-52D bombers from the 17th and 320th Bomb Wings, starting from Andersen Air Force Base on the island. Guam, bombed targets on Vietnamese territory. Subsequently, bombing was also carried out in Laos and Cambodia. In the first years of the war, the method most often used was bombing from high altitudes over areas where targets of military importance could be located. To attack the Ho Che Minh Trail, B-52s used their weapons from low altitudes.
In order to increase the combat capabilities of the B-52D used in Indochina, the number of 227 kg bombs placed in the weapons bay and on external hardpoints was increased from 27 to 84, which required appropriate modifications. Improving the air defense system of North Vietnam required the modernization of the bomber's on-board electronic warfare systems.
In December 1972, during Operation Linebreaker II, modernized B-52Ds based at Andersen Air Force Base, Fr. Guam and Thailand, carried out 729 sorties to attack 34 targets, on which 15,000 tons of bombs were dropped over 11 days. As a result of these bombings, 1,600 structures, 10 airfields, 80% of electricity generation installations were destroyed or damaged, and petroleum product storage facilities with a total volume of 11.355 million liters were destroyed, which amounted to 1/4 of North Vietnam's petroleum product reserves. At the same time, the level of losses of American aircraft turned out to be lower than calculated and did not exceed 2.5% (MiG-21 fighters shot down two B-52Ds (one of them by a ram) and another 15 were shot down by air defense missile systems).
In total, during the war years, from the air bases of Fr. Guam, o. Okinawa (Kadena AFB) and Thailand had 125,000 sorties flown, 2.63 million tons of bombs dropped and 29 B-52s lost. In 1966, the B-52F was tested over the skies of Indochina, and in the summer of 1972 - the B-52G. In general, during this war the high performance of these heavy bombers was confirmed.
In October 1957, SAC combat units began to receive a new version of the bomber - the B-52E (a total of 100 units were built), which was distinguished by equipment (the latest bomber and navigation system AN/APN-89A was installed) and greater amenities for the crew. The first to receive the new aircraft were pilots from the 6th Bomb Wing at Walker Air Force Base. It was followed by 89 B-52Fs, which received more powerful J57-P-43W engines installed in slightly modified engine nacelles. The designers managed to slightly reduce the weight of the aircraft and increase the flight range without refueling. The first flight of this bomber was carried out on May 6, 1958, and from June of the same year they began to enter service with the 7th Bomb Wing stationed at Carswell Air Force Base. 51 B-52F bombers took part in combat operations in Indochina. On June 18, 1965, 27 aircraft took off from Andersen Air Base, Fr. Guam, bombed an area northwest of Saigon. However, two crews did not return to base. In total, during all the years of the war, the crews who flew aircraft of this modification. They dropped about 100,000 tons of bombs on targets in North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
In 1959, the strategic bomber wings began to be replenished with B-52G heavy bombers (the first to receive them were pilots of the 5th Bomb Wing at Travis AFB, California), most of which were in service until early 1995. Externally, they were distinguished by a shortened but wider keel and the absence of a tail gunner's cabin. These bombers were equipped with the most modern avionics equipment at that time, and the fuel capacity was increased by installing integral fuel tanks. As a result, the flight range increased to 14,000 km. This modification has become the most popular in the B-52 family. A total of 193 vehicles were built.
In the spring of 1960, an event occurred that had a significant impact on the views of military experts on the use of strategic heavy bombers. A Soviet S-75 Dvina anti-aircraft missile shot down an American U-2 high-altitude spy plane, whose pilot (F. Powers) was flying at an altitude of 22,000 m, which was considered inaccessible to Soviet air defense systems.
The Americans urgently needed to look for ways to increase the efficiency and survivability of strategic bombers. In order to covertly approach zones affected by anti-aircraft guided missiles, it was necessary to reduce the flight altitude to the targets, which immediately affected fuel consumption (the combat radius decreased). The load on crews has increased, since flying heavy aircraft at low altitudes requires extreme concentration of moral and physical strength.
Another way to solve this problem was to equip bombers with guided missiles. Their use would make it possible to strike selected targets without entering the range of air defense systems.
The development of such an SD was carried out by North American. In December 1959, the first sample of the AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missile entered testing, which by the middle of the next year ended with the launch of a prototype missile from a B-52 after a 20-hour patrol in the Arctic.
The missile had a noise-resistant inertial guidance system, the accuracy of which made it possible to hit the launch positions of ICBMs, and a Pratt-Whitney J52-P-3 jet engine, which gave it a speed of the order of M = 2.1. The flight range depended on the launch altitude (altitude range from several tens of meters to 16,800 m) and ranged from 160 to 1,125 km. A total of 360 AGM-28 missiles were ordered, which were in service until 1976. B-52E/F/G/H bombers, which were part of 29 squadrons, were converted into carriers of these missiles. Due to the large size of the rocket (length -13.1 m, wingspan - 3.6 m), one bomber could only carry two of them, on special underwing pylons.
In order to expand combat capabilities, another modification was developed - the B-52H with TF33-P-3 turbojet engines with a thrust of 7711 kgf. These engines had significantly lower fuel consumption at low altitudes, which increased the flight range without refueling to 16,677 km. Defensive weapons were strengthened. A Vulcan cannon with a rotating block of six barrels of 20 mm caliber and a rate of fire of 4000 rounds per minute was installed in the tail section of the aircraft, which could hit aircraft missiles attacking the bomber from the rear hemisphere. The capabilities of the AN/ASG-21 fire control system installed on the B-52H significantly exceeded the capabilities of a similar system on the B-52G. A total of 102 B-52H aircraft were built. The Air Force received its last vehicle on October 26, 1962.
Thus, from 1955 to 1962, 744 aircraft of the B-52 family were produced, including two prototypes. They equipped 22 strategic bomber wings, stationed at different times at 36 air bases.
Over its long service life, the B-52 bomber family has undergone modernization more than once, which has made it possible to significantly expand the range of combat missions it can solve, a number of which were not initially considered. The main weapons also changed.
The Hound Dog missile launcher did not satisfy the SAC leadership in many respects. In order to replace it, Boeing was awarded a contract to develop, as part of the Short Range Attack Missile (SRAM) program, a short-range offensive missile with a nuclear warhead similar to the warhead of the Minuteman-3 ICBM.
In mid-1969, test launches of these missiles began, lasting 2.5 years. As a result, a formidable weapon was created. The missile had a flight speed of the order of M = 3.5, a range from 56.3 km to 80 km when launched from low altitudes and 161 - 221 km when launched at medium altitudes. It was equipped with a nuclear warhead with a power of 170 kt, which, however, is somewhat less than planned.
In 1971, the company was awarded a contract to modernize 281 B-52 bombers into the AGM-69A SRAM missile carrier aircraft. The missiles were placed six under each wing console and eight in the fuselage compartment. In August 1972, the first crews of the 42nd Bomb Wing began combat duty with the new weapon.
In the mid-1970s, six major improvements were made to the electronic warfare equipment of the B-52G and H aircraft, which led to an increase in the total weight of this complex to 2725 kg. At the same time, the withdrawal of early modifications of B-52 bombers from “A” to inclusive began from service to the reserve.
To increase the likelihood of breaking through air defense systems at low altitudes and delivering weapons to targets, all remaining B-52G and H aircraft in service between 1980 and 1987 were equipped with a suite of offensive electronic systems. In addition, almost all navigation and flight equipment was replaced with new ones. Between 1977 and 1987, $5 billion was spent on modernization alone. This money was not wasted. The combat effectiveness of aircraft has increased significantly.
A significant jump in the combat capabilities of heavy bombers occurred with the adoption of the AGM-86B ALSM air-launched cruise missiles. This missile had a flight range of 2495 km, a nuclear warhead and high hit accuracy (CEP of about 30 m). Provided the missile launches from approximately 350 km from the borders of the USSR, about 85% of all possible targets on its territory could be exposed to their effects. The external hardpoints of one aircraft could carry 12 missiles (six on one pylon under each wing console). A unified intra-fuselage rotating launcher for cruise missiles and SRAM missiles was also developed, which made it possible to increase the total number of AGM-86B missiles launched by one bomber to 20.
In early 1989, the Air Force began equipping B-52H strategic bombers with advanced cruise missiles developed by General Dynamics, the AGM-129 with a range of 3,780 km and a nuclear warhead with a yield of 200 kt. The first unit of B-52Hs armed with these missiles was deployed to Sawyer Air Force Base, USA. Michigan.
The Air Force command constantly sought to expand the range of combat missions for the B-52. With the weakening of the nuclear confrontation, a significant part of the bombers that were not carriers of cruise missiles was reoriented to the use of conventional weapons. In this capacity, they participated in strikes against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Each plane carried 51 bombs of 227 kg caliber or 18 bombs of 905 kg caliber. During these operations, two B-52s were seriously damaged.
Until the mid-90s, the B-52H and G were quite actively used in combat units. Of these, 189 vehicles were prepared as carriers of long-range cruise missiles. The remaining 42 B-52Gs were capable of carrying a variety of nuclear bombs as well as conventional missiles and bombs. At the beginning of 1995, all of them were withdrawn from strategic aviation service and transferred to storage. In addition, 251 B-52C, D, E, F and G are mothballed at the Davis Montan storage base in Arizona.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Strategic bomber. (USA)
Characteristics (B-52H):
- Crew: 5 people (commander, pilot, radar operator, navigator and electronic warfare operator);
- Length: 49.05 m;
- Wingspan: 56.39 m;
- Height: 12.4 m;
- Wing area: 371.6 m²;
- Sweep angle along the 1/4 chord line: 35°;
- Wing aspect ratio: 8.56;
- Wing profile: NACA 63A219.3 mod wing root, NACA 65A209.5 wing tip;
- Empty weight: 83,250 kg;
- Curb weight: 120,000 kg;
- Maximum take-off weight: 229,065 kg;
- Maximum flight weight: 256,735 kg;
- Maximum combat load in the weapons compartment: 22,680 kg;
- Fuel capacity: 181,725 l;
- Engines: 8× Pratt & Whitney TF33-P/103 turbofan;
- Thrust: 7710 kgf (75.6 kN);
- Drag coefficient at zero lift: 0.0119 (calculated value);
- Equivalent resistance area: 4.42 m²;
- Maximum speed at high altitude: 957 km/h (M=0.86);
- Maximum cruising speed: 819 km/h indicated (M=0.84);
- Cruising speed normal: 723 km/h true (M=0.77);
- Maximum speed at low altitude: 652–676 km/h (M=0.53–0.55) (when overcoming air defense);
- Combat radius: 7,210 km;
- Ferry range: 16,090 km;
- Service ceiling: 16,765 m;
- Rate of climb: 31.85 m/s;
- Take-off length: 2,900 m;
- Run length: (without drogue parachute);
- on a dry runway: 1,433 m;
- on a wet runway: 2,500 m;
- Wing load: 616 kg/m²;
- Thrust-to-weight ratio: 0.51;
- Aerodynamic quality of the aircraft: 21.5 (calculated value);
- Maximum operational overload: +2;
- ESR: ~100 m²;
- Cannon armament: 1 automatic six-barreled 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon in the tail of the aircraft, dismantled in 1994;
- Bomb load: up to 31,500 kg of various weapons.
Combat use
The B-52 bombers received their baptism of fire in Vietnam, where their participation did not stop throughout the war - from 1965 to 1973. During Arc Light (the name given to all combat operations in which B-52s participated in the territories of Southeast Asia), one hundred and twenty-six sorties were flown. It should be noted here that one flight cost the US budget forty thousand dollars. There was also Operation Linebacker II in 1972, when massive bombing was carried out non-stop for twelve days.
Seven hundred and twenty-nine combat missions were flown and nearly sixteen thousand tons of bombs were dropped on Haiphong and Hanoi. But sometimes the Vietnamese still reached American bombers at their almost unattainable altitude. North Vietnam especially distinguished itself. Fifteen B-52 anti-aircraft batteries were shot down during this operation alone. According to American data, only thirty of these aircraft were lost during the entire war, most of these losses were not combat ones.
Formation and early years of performers
The guys got together in 1976 for an impromptu jam session. All participants knew each other before, but had never played together. The presented moment turned out to be crucial in his career, the starting point for creativity. After that, we began to play together, find new sounds, and experiment. The name was not invented right away; it came from a hairstyle that was popular in the region.
New wave was chosen as the main style. The first single was Rock Lobster, which was recorded in the DB Records studio. The release turned out to be popular in the underground. A little later, the release was reissued as a single, which did well in Germany and Britain.
Up
Our days
In 1991, the Gulf War began, where seventy bombers took part, which made more than one and a half thousand sorties, but lost only one, and six were damaged. In 1996, B-52s bombed Baghdad, mainly its power plants. In 1998, they flew to “open doors” to Iraq in company with England. In 1999, B-52s bombed a state in the heart of Europe - Yugoslavia - for two and a half months, where about 1,700 people were killed and more than ten thousand were injured. Almost five hundred children “caught” these “gifts” from the sky - all to death.
The Afghan war began in 2001 and cannot end. The main role in it was played by the B-52 Stratofortress bombers, which used satellite and laser guidance, but the civilian population still died innumerable times. It would be strange if it were otherwise: BLU-82/B aerial bombs, humorously nicknamed “daisy mowers,” were used there. In fact, this is a super-heavy bomb, the most powerful weapon to date, not counting nuclear weapons.
