B-52H turns 50!

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Kyle

FAS.org says the B-52 entered service in February 1955.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-52.htm

Then how can the bomber be 50? Hey, I'm just going by what you people are saying here in the thread (which means I didn't make it up, look at the title of the damn thread). First it's fifty, then it's forty, now it 47. Hey, when you people make up your mind, get back to me, okay.

[Padma]

The B-52 is 50 years old. Its first flight was in 1952. (That was an 'A'-model.)

The aircraft entered operational service in 1955. (I believe the 'C'-model').

EDIT: just double-checked. The 'B' entered operational service in 1955. The 'A' flew in 1954. The 1952 flights were by prototypes.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by GP


This is actually an interesting area. I attended an Air Force run 5 day class on Joint Air Operations (basically how the AOC operates and how the ATO is promulgated.) The AF has much more of a campaign mindset than the Navy does. Basically they actually think about how to redo WW2 or a reasonably decent sized war (1.5 times Gulf War size). To fight this way requires a lot of planning and a lot of forces in theatre. (months and months). This is a very different mindset from the way Navy guys at least up to O-6 think. We are much more expiditionary in mindset. (Grenada was planned over a weekend with aCVBG basically doing a wheelie in the Atl. In contrast Panama was an op with months and months of staff weenie planning. NOt saying one is better than the other...it's just different.)

One of the advaantages of the CVBG is that it does not need basing rights and that it can move "medium forces" into play in a relatively short amount of time. 1000's of miles means days of travel. So, it is not a "time-now" asset unless on station. In that case, Buffs might be quicker especially if sent out of CONUS. (no basing needed.) Obviously a few buffs can drop a lot more ordnance than a sub or a destroyer with a few TLAMs. Buffs are not perfect either (no fighter cover, etc.)

All right, it's late and I'm wide awake so I'll take a stab at decipering this jargon:
AOC: air ops centre?
ATO: Air task orders or Air table of organization?
O-6: no idea, but sounds like a rank level
aCVBG: Atlantic Carrier Battle Group
CVBG: Carrier Battle Group
Buffs: B-52
CONUS: Continental US
TLAM: Tube Launched Air Missiles?

Are any of these right?

[TCO]

Originally posted by Tingkai


All right, it's late and I'm wide awake so I'll take a stab at decipering this jargon:
AOC: air ops centre?
ATO: Air task orders or Air table of organization?
O-6: no idea, but sounds like a rank level
aCVBG: Atlantic Carrier Battle Group
CVBG: Carrier Battle Group
Buffs: B-52
CONUS: Continental US
TLAM: Tube Launched Air Missiles?

Are any of these right?

AOC is right
ATO (first one)
O-6: Captain in USN or Colonel in the Army
aCVBG: should be a space between the a and the C
CVBG: right
Buffs: right
CONUS: right
TLAM: Tomohawk land attack missile

overall pretty good...

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by GP


AOC is right
ATO (first one)
O-6: Captain in USN or Colonel in the Army
aCVBG: should be a space between the a and the C
CVBG: right
Buffs: right
CONUS: right
TLAM: Tomohawk land attack missile

overall pretty good...

Stop confusing the peons GP.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Transcend
Chegnitz, run out of arguments huh?

Et tu, Transcend?

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Et tu, Transcend?

Go B-52!

[joseph1944]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Then how can the bomber be 50? Hey, I'm just going by what you people are saying here in the thread (which means I didn't make it up, look at the title of the damn thread). First it's fifty, then it's forty, now it 47. Hey, when you people make up your mind, get back to me, okay.

The first B-52B Squadron was located with the 93 BW at Castle AFB, Atwater Calif. in 1955.
First to fly YB-52 April 15, 1952, that make it 50 years 4 day old.
XB-52 flew on Oct 2, 1952.
B-52A flew on Aug. 5, 1954.
B-52B flew Jan 25, 1955.
B-52C flew March 9, 1956.
B-52D flew Sept. 28, 1956.
B-52E flew Oct. 3, 1957
B-52F No date given.
B-52G Oct. 17, 1958.
B-52H Sept., 1960.

[joseph1944]

Back to the front. Just reading through.