The Boeing B-52F Stratofortress is a strategic bomber that is jet powered. It is designed for long range strikes and travels slower than the speed of sound. From the name, you can tell that it was factory-made by the renowned aircraft manufacturer, Boeing. The company also provides upgrades and support whenever needed. Since 1950, this aircraft has been used by the United States Airforce. It carries a maximum of 70,000 pounds of weapons.
Its manufacture began with a contract that was issued in June 1964. Since then, the design has evolved with advancement of technology, to what it is now. Initially, the design comprised of an aircraft with straight wings and six turboprop engines and has gradually grown into the YB-52 that has eight turbojet engines and swept wings.
It first flew in April 1952 after which it replaced the Convair B-36. The objective of its manufacture was to provide effective transport for nuclear weapons. However, since then it has been used in quite a number of wars, but has only dropped conventional weapons while in combat.
The name Stratofotress is mostly used in official text. That is why most Air force personnel refer to it as the Big Ugly Fat/ Flying/Fellow (BUFF). At least, that is easier to pronounce.
These planes have been actively used since 1955. They flew under the Strategic air command before it was stopped in 1992. Since then, they remained under the Air Combat Command until the year 2010, when they were transferred to the Air Force Global Strike Command.
There are several things that have sustained this aircraft in the industry for that long. Some of them include low operating costs, high performance and high speeds. It is also able to carry a very huge amount of ammunition.
Some of the weapons it carries include 20 nuclear missiles; air launched cruise missiles, 12 AGM-86s on the pylons located on the under wing and eight missiles propped on a launcher that rotate. They are located in the bomb bay Those are just a few examples.
During the cold war, they were used to perform overhead alert patrols using different codenames. They drifted at high altitude near the Soviet Union air space so as to provide quick response in case a nuclear war broke out. They were also used in the Vietnam and gulf war among many others. The Boeing B-52F Stratofortress, has for all those years served the Air Force with the required accuracy and efficiency, hence ensuring that its legacy moves on.
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