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Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

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Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range subsonic jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1955 and was flown by NASA from 1959 to 2007. The bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles (14,200 km) without aerial refueling. After Boeing won the initial contract in June 1946, the aircraft's design evolved from a straight-wing aircraft powered by six turboprop engines to the final prototype YB-52 with eight turbojet engines and swept wings. The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952. Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War deterrence missions, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. The bombers flew under the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was disestablished in 1992 and its aircraft absorbed into the Air Combat Command (ACC); in 2010, all B-52s were transferred to the new Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). The B-52's official name Stratofortress is rarely used; informally, the aircraft is commonly referred to as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker/Fella). Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept them in service despite the introduction of more advanced strategic bombers, such as the Mach-2+ Convair B-58 Hustler, the variable-geometry Rockwell B-1 Lancer, and the stealth Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. The B-52 has used conventional munitions in Indochina, Yugoslavia, and the Middle East. In its current nuclear role, the B-52H is assigned only the AGM-86B cruise missile. Conventionally, it can employ the AGM-142, AGM-154, AGM-158 air-to-ground weapons, and a variety of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and in maritime roles can employ Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Quickstrike naval mines. As a mother ship, it has deployed the D-21 reconnaissance drone, and test-launched the X-15, X-24, X-38, and X-43 experimental aircraft and various hypersonic missiles. As of 2024, the U.S. Air Force has 76 B-52s: 58 operated by active forces (2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing), 18 by reserve forces (307th Bomb Wing), and about 12 in long-term storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Boneyard. The operational aircraft received upgrades between 2013 and 2015 and are expected to serve into the 2050s. The B-52H is the only operational variant, scheduled to be upgraded as the B-52J by 2030.

Infobox

Type
Strategic heavy bomber
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Boeing
Primary users
United States Air Force NASA (historical)
Number built
744
Manufactured
1952–1962
Introduction date
February 1955
First flight
15 April 1952 (73 years ago) (1952-04-15)
Successors
Rockwell B-1 Lancer

Tables

Aircraft deliveries · Development › Pre-production and production
A
A
Fiscal year
A
B-52 model
B
B-52 model
C
B-52 model
D
B-52 model
E
B-52 model
F
B-52 model
G
B-52 model
H
B-52 model
Annual
Total
Cumulative
1954
1954
Fiscal year
1954
B-52 model
3
Total
3
Total
3
1955
1955
Fiscal year
1955
B-52 model
13
Total
13
Total
16
1956
1956
Fiscal year
1956
B-52 model
35
B-52 model
5
B-52 model
1
Total
41
Total
57
1957
1957
Fiscal year
1957
B-52 model
2
B-52 model
30
B-52 model
92
Total
124
Total
181
1958
1958
Fiscal year
1958
B-52 model
77
B-52 model
100
B-52 model
10
Total
187
Total
368
1959
1959
Fiscal year
1959
B-52 model
79
B-52 model
50
Total
129
Total
497
1960
1960
Fiscal year
1960
B-52 model
106
Total
106
Total
603
1961
1961
Fiscal year
1961
B-52 model
37
B-52 model
20
Total
57
Total
660
1962
1962
Fiscal year
1962
B-52 model
68
Total
68
Total
728
1963
1963
Fiscal year
1963
B-52 model
14
Total
14
Total
742
Total
Total
Fiscal year
Total
B-52 model
3
B-52 model
50
B-52 model
35
B-52 model
170
B-52 model
100
B-52 model
89
B-52 model
193
B-52 model
102
Total
742
Total
742
Fiscal year
B-52 model
Total
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Annual
Cumulative
1954
3
3
3
1955
13
13
16
1956
35
5
1
41
57
1957
2
30
92
124
181
1958
77
100
10
187
368
1959
79
50
129
497
1960
106
106
603
1961
37
20
57
660
1962
68
68
728
1963
14
14
742
Total
3
50
35
170
100
89
193
102
742
742
Costs per aircraft (US dollars) · Design › Costs
Unit R&D cost
Unit R&D cost
Col 1
Unit R&D cost
Inflation year
1955
X/YB-52
100 M
Current
Current
Col 1
Current
Inflation year
1,174 M
Airframe
Airframe
Col 1
Airframe
Inflation year
1955
B-52A
26.433 M
B-52B
11.328 M
B-52C
5.359 M
B-52D
4.654 M
B-52E
3.700 M
B-52F
3.772 M
B-52G
5.352 M
B-52H
6.076 M
Engines
Engines
Col 1
Engines
Inflation year
1955
B-52A
2.848 M
B-52B
2.547 M
B-52C
1.513 M
B-52D
1.291 M
B-52E
1.257 M
B-52F
1.787 M
B-52G
1.428 M
B-52H
1.640 M
Electronics
Electronics
Col 1
Electronics
Inflation year
1955
B-52A
50,761
B-52B
61,198
B-52C
71,397
B-52D
68,613
B-52E
54,933
B-52F
60,111
B-52G
66,374
B-52H
61,020
Armament and ordnance
Armament and ordnance
Col 1
Armament and ordnance
Inflation year
1955
B-52A
57,067
B-52B
494 K
B-52C
304 K
B-52D
566 K
B-52E
936 K
B-52F
866 K
B-52G
847 K
B-52H
1.508 M
Current
Current
Col 1
Current
Inflation year
669,846
X/YB-52
5.8 M
B-52A
3.57 M
B-52B
6.647 M
B-52C
10.99 M
B-52D
10.16 M
B-52E
9.94 M
B-52F
17.7 M
Flyaway cost
Flyaway cost
Col 1
Flyaway cost
Inflation year
1955
B-52A
28.38 M
B-52B
14.43 M
B-52C
7.24 M
B-52D
6.58 M
B-52E
5.94 M
B-52F
6.48 M
B-52G
7.69 M
B-52H
9.29 M
Current
Current
Col 1
Current
Inflation year
333.1 M
X/YB-52
169.4 M
B-52A
85 M
B-52B
77.2 M
B-52C
69.7 M
B-52D
77.2 M
B-52E
90.3 M
B-52F
109 M
Maintenance cost per flying hour
Maintenance cost per flying hour
Col 1
Maintenance cost per flying hour
Inflation year
1955
B-52E
925
B-52F
1,025
B-52G
1,025
B-52H
1,182
Current
Current
Col 1
Current
Inflation year
10,858
X/YB-52
12,031
B-52A
12,031
B-52B
13,874
Note: The original costs were in approximate 1955 United States dollars. Figures in tables noted with current have been adjusted for inflation to the current calendar year.
Note: The original costs were in approximate 1955 United States dollars. Figures in tables noted with current have been adjusted for inflation to the current calendar year.
Col 1
Note: The original costs were in approximate 1955 United States dollars. Figures in tables noted with current have been adjusted for inflation to the current calendar year.
Inflation year
X/YB-52
B-52A
B-52B
B-52C
B-52D
B-52E
B-52F
B-52G
B-52H
Unit R&D cost
1955
100 M
Current
1,174 M
Airframe
1955
26.433 M
11.328 M
5.359 M
4.654 M
3.700 M
3.772 M
5.352 M
6.076 M
Engines
1955
2.848 M
2.547 M
1.513 M
1.291 M
1.257 M
1.787 M
1.428 M
1.640 M
Electronics
1955
50,761
61,198
71,397
68,613
54,933
60,111
66,374
61,020
Armament and ordnance
1955
57,067
494 K
304 K
566 K
936 K
866 K
847 K
1.508 M
Current
669,846
5.8 M
3.57 M
6.647 M
10.99 M
10.16 M
9.94 M
17.7 M
Flyaway cost
1955
28.38 M
14.43 M
7.24 M
6.58 M
5.94 M
6.48 M
7.69 M
9.29 M
Current
333.1 M
169.4 M
85 M
77.2 M
69.7 M
77.2 M
90.3 M
109 M
Maintenance cost per flying hour
1955
925
1,025
1,025
1,182
Current
10,858
12,031
12,031
13,874
Note: The original costs were in approximate 1955 United States dollars. Figures in tables noted with current have been adjusted for inflation to the current calendar year.
Production numbers[1] · Variants
XB-52
XB-52
Variant
XB-52
Produced
2 (1 redesignated YB-52)
Entered service
prototypes
YB-52
YB-52
Variant
YB-52
Produced
1 modified XB-52
Entered service
prototype
B-52A
B-52A
Variant
B-52A
Produced
3 (1 redesignated NB-52A)
Entered service
test units
NB-52A
NB-52A
Variant
NB-52A
Produced
1 modified B-52A
B-52B
B-52B
Variant
B-52B
Produced
50
Entered service
29 June 1955
RB-52B
RB-52B
Variant
RB-52B
Produced
27 modified B-52Bs
NB-52B
NB-52B
Variant
NB-52B
Produced
1 modified B-52B
Entered service
1955
B-52C
B-52C
Variant
B-52C
Produced
35
Entered service
June 1956
B-52D
B-52D
Variant
B-52D
Produced
170
Entered service
December 1956
B-52E
B-52E
Variant
B-52E
Produced
100
Entered service
December 1957
B-52F
B-52F
Variant
B-52F
Produced
89
Entered service
June 1958
B-52G
B-52G
Variant
B-52G
Produced
193
Entered service
13 February 1959
B-52H
B-52H
Variant
B-52H
Produced
102
Entered service
9 May 1961
Grand total
Grand total
Variant
Grand total
Produced
744 production
Variant
Produced
Entered service
XB-52
2 (1 redesignated YB-52)
prototypes
YB-52
1 modified XB-52
prototype
B-52A
3 (1 redesignated NB-52A)
test units
NB-52A
1 modified B-52A
B-52B
50
29 June 1955
RB-52B
27 modified B-52Bs
NB-52B
1 modified B-52B
1955
B-52C
35
June 1956
B-52D
170
December 1956
B-52E
100
December 1957
B-52F
89
June 1958
B-52G
193
13 February 1959
B-52H
102
9 May 1961
Grand total
744 production

References

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