Author Topic: Happy Birthday Boeing B-52 (Read 562 times)

Soda · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2002, 12:28:18 PM »

Quote

but USSR never thought that bombers are a main delivery tool

Partially correct, the USSR never didn't really consider the bomber a strategic delivery method against the continental USA. They sure spent a lot of effort and resources on bomber development though as a delivery device for specific tasks (anti-CV work) or to work in continental Europe.

Consider:
Tu-95 Bear (and all the zillion variants)
Tu-22 Backfire (again, many variants)
Tu-160 Blackjack (with no conventional role)
Bison
Tu-16 Badger
Tu-22 Blinder (same designation as Backfire but earlier).

All had/have nuclear capability.

All were attempts to create a bomber of sufficient survivability and range to be used as an atomic bomber. Several inherited other roles as time passed but all were expected to carry out the nuclear role. Most lacked the range for hitting anything not in Europe as it turned out except on a 1 way trip. The Tu-22 would have been a squeak to stop in Europe though with it's high speed and long range weaponry.

The USSR did put high value on bombers as delivery weapons, maybe not against the continental US though until the Tu-160 showed up (of which there are about the same number of B2's now). These only list the major bombers that made it into service too, there were many more that did not.

-Soda
The Assassins.

funkedup · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2002, 03:32:42 PM »

WTG Boeing

(from proud former member of CSRL engineering support team)

Hangtime · « **Reply #17 on:** April 12, 2002, 04:38:21 PM »

Heard a story somehwere about three generations of the same family; a grandfather, son and grandson.. all flying in or in the same unit with the same B52 over the span of 40 years.

That's staying power.

One afternoon I watched a scramble out of Pease AFB.. B52 after B52 thundering overhead.. the old 707 type tankers goin out too, Phantoms.. they put everything in the air that day. Everything. It scared the livin toejam outta me. I thought some dickhead had pushed the button. Was the most awe-inspiring thing (once i got past the terror) I ever saw the Air Force do... the ground shook for over an hour.

SAC, history now; but never forgotten.

midnight Target · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2002, 04:44:08 PM »

Agreed Hang,

I remember when March was the SAC base for the 15th AF. You knew when a 52 was flying over....never ever had to look. Nothing sounds quite like that.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2002, 04:45:05 PM »

awesomely effective AC but a pig to work on!

It's amazing what they've accomplished.

wrinkled-skin, wing-drooping, tail-high takeoff summich'

Gadfly · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2002, 05:26:56 PM »

They did a B52 flyby at the Texas NASCAR race last weekend. The pilot put it on the wingtip after he cleared the track, what a sight. -oh yeah-On Sunday, with a 500' cloud deck, we heard the B52 come in low overhead, must have been practicing, but I knew that sound. I have seen em scramble too, pretty GD cool.

(My brothers plane after a clean hit)

Virage · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2002, 05:52:02 PM »

How many Birthdays has it taken away?

Gadfly · « **Reply #22 on:** April 12, 2002, 07:27:40 PM »

About 100000 times less birthdays than it has enabled.

Virage · « **Reply #23 on:** April 12, 2002, 08:50:14 PM »

How many birthdays did the HE-111 enable?

funkedup · « **Reply #24 on:** April 12, 2002, 09:29:43 PM »

Hey why don't you mosey over to the "liberal peacenik UBB" at http://www.kissmyass.com