Any B-52 fans?

[A1CKot]

We had a MXG family day yesterday and I finally got to take some pictures of the B-52.

Here is the link to all the events pictures and some from around Minot. I posted this in my other thread but felt more people would get to see it this way.

B-52 (http://s1028.photobucket.com/albums/y349/A1CKot/)

[dave thompson]

I love B-52s, they're almost as old as I am! They were old when I was in the USAF in the early 60s.

[shorelocal]

Cool plane. At first I thought this thread was about the band .... glad I was wrong.

[mcteague]

Oh, that kind of B52.

Tim

[oliver1850]

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[chuckroast]

My dad was in the Air Force and was a boom operator on KC-135's, another '50's era plane that still flies due to the most excellent efforts of our airmen and air women. Thanks for your service.

[oliver1850]

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[oliver1850]

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[A1CKot]

KC-135, that was a 707 wasn't it? I flew on a 707 on a domestic flight in the mid 1980s. They couldn't have lasted much longer in comercial airline use. The tanker planes look like they have been re-engined, but this 707 looked original.

The KC-135 does have a new engine. They had a variant of the P&W TF-33 engine, so does the B-52, but they got an updated engine. Its strange to think just how old it is. The engines were first built in 1959... some of the parts are still original.

[A1CKot]

They don't look much different than they always did on the outside. There's one pic where the underside of the wing looks new and pristine, and the fuselage is showing its age. What's the mechanism with all the fancy milling work? Original to the plane or an update?

The wing skins are only on there with nuts and nut plates. Over its long, long, service career I'm sure the wing have had some new panel put on. But the fuselage is all riveted together and is not exposed to things like bird strikes and the same levels of erosion. At least thats what I think.

How about that for a titanium frame. It a machined built titanium frame that is use on both sides of the bomb bay to support the rotary bomb mechanism. Not my system so I don't know too much about it other than it looks really cool and my favorite part of the plane.

[avalonracing]

Oh, that kind of B52.


Yeah, I dig Mcteague's B-52 idea better.

[A1CKot]

My dad was in the Air Force and was a boom operator on KC-135's, another '50's era plane that still flies due to the most excellent efforts of our airmen and air women. Thanks for your service.

Thank you for the kind words. I will be thinking of all the good I'm doing come winter time.

Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts... shiver a bit... think about a warmer place... ;)

But seriously, the Air Force has been a great experience so far and my first year is almost over. Anytime I get down about it I just see what my friends from college are up to. :D

[AndrewS]

I'm a big fan of both carpet bombing and "Rock Lobster", so this thread really does it for me.

[oliver1850]

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[eddief]

It feels good to know my taxes are going into something with a history and something solid and tangible. Nothing like a big bomber on a fine Saturday night.

"I've got me a car as big as a whale."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nW9DvHfC9w&feature=related

[dave thompson]

The B-52 went active duty in 1955. They've provided a great ROI. Some of '52's that are flying today are much older than their pilots.

Luv them BUFFs!

[AFS]

Great aircraft. I was amazed the first time I saw one taking off with all the noise and dark trailing plumes.

[Cinci Jim]

My father was one of the initial air crews trained on the B-52. He retired from the Air Force in '72 and turns 79 next month! My 3 brothers were born either at Glascow or Loring - I'm the odd ball, I was born at Ramey while Dad was at Anderson for the start of the Arc Light.

[Bradford]

KC-135, that was a 707 wasn't it?
It is probably a technical distinction, but the KC-135 was actually the original 717, which is why that number appeared to be skipped until the 90s. Boeing ran out of 7-7 numbers and figured it could re-use the 717 name since it never really was in production under that name, just the 135 name.

It is pretty close to a 707. It is also close to a 720, which Boeing came out with before they decided on the 7-7 branding. I'm guessing that there aren't many people who could tell the difference between the three planes from a distance.

Last time I saw a 720 was the old AlliedSignal test bed, which was housed at the engine factory on the north side of the runway at Sky Harbor in Phoenix. It might still be there at what is now the Honeywell engine plant, not sure if it is still in service, but it was in the late 90s. It is a cool plane, I got a nice up-close view of it from the AlliedSignal Falcon as we pulled off the runway into the hanger.

[SamIAm]

Oh, that kind of B52.

Tim


Just saw them perform at an outdoor venue (Chastain) here in Atlanta. Blondie opened for them and did a real good job of lowering expectations. The B-52's knocked it out of the park, great show.

[bigbill]

When I was deployed to the Indian Ocean after 9/11, a group of B-52's did a fly-by on their way back to Diego Garcia. It gave me a new reference for loud. It was an awesome sight. The fact that they can lay a line of bombs in a trench from 30K feet is incredible.

[mcteague]

I'm a big fan of both carpet bombing and "Rock Lobster", so this thread really does it for me.
How is that even possible? Hope you were joking.

Wanna be the ruler of the galaxy
Wanna be the king of the universe
Let's meet and have a baby now!
Wanna be the empress of fashion
Wanna be the president of Moscow
Let's meet and have a baby now!

Tim

[csm]

I'm a big fan of both carpet bombing and "Rock Lobster", so this thread really does it for me.

I nearly spit my coffee at this. gets my vote for potd!

[VTCaraco]

KC-135, that was a 707 wasn't it? I flew on a 707 on a domestic flight in the mid 1980s. They couldn't have lasted much longer in comercial airline use. The tanker planes look like they have been re-engined, but this 707 looked original.
My brother-in-law was a boom operator, now foreman of the base just outside of St. Louis. He doesn't talk much about his work, but I know he was always later than expected on his TDYs (temporary duty assignments) as they'd try to get the plane operational again. He's also had a number of medals for staying calm & cool when systems and back-up systems failed to operate. With that said, he's LOVED the work ~ re-committing after hitting his 20 year mark and now trying to decide exactly how long he'll stay.
I realize that I can't be considered unbiased, but I sure am appreciative of our armed service folks. Like others have mentioned, we owe them a lot of gratitude. Whether we agree with the initiatives that their bosses tell them to work on or not, they sure do an amazing job.

[WickedWheels]

Any more pics?

[kong79]

My younger brother did 20+ years in the AF. He did I&C and was lucky enough to work on the SR-71's until they were mothballed and then got too work on B-52's until he retired. Lucky SOB. My older brother also retired from the AF with 20+ years but spent his entire career as a mechanic on C-130's. He said the high point of his time was during Desert Storm he did temporary duty in Germany and got to do repair work on the AC-130 Spooky gunships.

[Jeff N.]

I was on a bomb loading crew when I was in Guam during the Vietnam mess. I loaded tons and tons of iron on Buffs. Ahhh...the good ol' days. Jeff N.

[Peter P.]

I was a Security Policeman in the USAF (what they called 'em in the early '80's; now they're Security Forces).

I had the occasion to guard B-52's. I poked my head underneath one, into the bomb bay, once. Got grease on the back of my shirt. The things you remember...

Our base formerly supported nuclear armed B-52's. I had the chance to go inside the empty nuclear weapons bunkers and the alert facility, where the flight crews did their duty.

Also amazing is how, through effective use of perimeter lighting, they can make 3-B52's and 3-KC135's impossible to see on the alert pad.

[Lifelover]

I'm a big fan of both carpet bombing and "Rock Lobster", so this thread really does it for me.

POTD

[A1CKot]

Any more pics?

Sorry just what on photobucket.

[learlove]

AIC,

I was born on Ellsworth AFB. My dad flew the EC-135R "Looking Glass" at the time.

[A1CKot]

My brother-in-law was a boom operator, now foreman of the base just outside of St. Louis. He doesn't talk much about his work, but I know he was always later than expected on his TDYs (temporary duty assignments) as they'd try to get the plane operational again. He's also had a number of medals for staying calm & cool when systems and back-up systems failed to operate. With that said, he's LOVED the work ~ re-committing after hitting his 20 year mark and now trying to decide exactly how long he'll stay.
I realize that I can't be considered unbiased, but I sure am appreciative of our armed service folks. Like others have mentioned, we owe them a lot of gratitude. Whether we agree with the initiatives that their bosses tell them to work on or not, they sure do an amazing job.

Thank you all for sharing you experiences and the kind words.

I would love to TDY or deploy anywhere. I put in for some remote bases but so has everyone else up here. These old planes are... lets just say high maintenance. My system is alright usually but if its not one its another. But when it comes time for the plane to launch and something goes wrong, everyone has to keep their head and try to clearly communicate while engines are on. Good fun though and I have stories that most wont believe already.

[A1CKot]

A1, what is your part of the plane? There are some pics where the guts and plumbing are packed so tight they look impossible to work on. And what's the gate sentinel? I think it's one of the Century fighter planes, but I don't remember which one. F-10?

I am an engine troop. While we don't work on anything that look like the wheel wells, 8 engines per plane and near 100% mechanical operation creates its own challenges. The up side is, if I go to any other plane, I should be able to trouble shoot as good as any computer that plugs into modern aircraft. At least thats what the guys from Pratt & Whitney were telling me.

[Jeff N.]

Is there still quad .50's in the tail or one Vulcan cannon? Jeff N.

[rugbysecondrow]

I remember the air show days were fun when I was in the Air Force. Because of my job, I had the clearance and flightline pass, so I would go out and see the stealth bombers, the enormity of the C-5, and our home jets which were F-16s. The F-16s were cool in their simplicity and size as they are much smaller than F-15s. I remember (back in my smoking days) sitting outside at the smoke shack on the flight line with some buddies watching the jets doing touch n' go's...just fun.

[spartacus]

Oh, that kind of B52.

Tim

+1

[learlove]

Is there still quad .50's in the tail or one Vulcan cannon? Jeff N.

the last B-52's with a gun (and or the gun was taken out) in the early 90's.

2 B-52 gunners had Mig-21 kills in the Viet Nam war (1972, Operation Linebacker 2).

all you need to know about the B-52


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-52