B-52 Stratofortress
The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. It can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and it is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional weapons.
For more than 35 years, B-52 Stratofortresses have been the primary manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. Updated with modern technology, the B-52 will be used into the 21st century and current engineering analyses show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2045.
The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, was delivered in October 1962.
All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high resolution low-light-level television sensors to enhance the targeting, battle assessment, flight safety and terrain-avoidance system, further improving its abilities in combat. The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by the endurance of the crew. It has an unrefueled range in excess of 8,800 miles.
| Primary Function | Heavy bomber |
|---|---|
| Contractor | Boeing Military Airplane Co. |
| Power Plant | Eight Pratt & Whitney engines TF33-P-3/103 turbofan |
| Thrust | Each engine up to 17,000 pounds |
| Length | 159 feet, 4 inches (48.5 meters) |
| Height | 40 feet, 8 inches (12.4 meters) |
| Wingspan | 185 feet (56.4 meters) |
| Speed | 650 miles per hour (Mach 0.86) |
| Ceiling | 50,000 feet (15,151.5 meters) |
| Weight | Approximately 185,000 pounds empty (83,250 kilograms) |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 488,000 pounds (219,600 kilograms) |
| Range | Unrefueled 8,800 miles (7,652 nautical miles) |
| Crew | Five |
| Accommodations | Six ejection seats |
| Date Deployed | February 1955 |
| Unit Cost | $74 million |
| Inventory | Active force, 85; ANG, 0; Reserve, 9 |
Bibliography:
All Information gathered from Air Force Link.
