Meet the B-52J: The Air Force’s ‘New’ Bomber

[rangerrebew]

Meet the B-52J: The Air Force’s ‘New’ Bomber
Story by Maya Carlin • Yesterday 8:07 AM

The Second World War demonstrated the awful power of strategic bombing and the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed what strategic bombing truly meant. As the 1940’s drew to a close, the newly formed U.S. Air Force (USAF) turned to American aircraft designers to produce a new strategic bomber capable of facing off against the Soviet menace. Enter the B-52 “Stratofortress.”


Mid-Century: A New Era of Bombers
The mid-twentieth century saw an explosion of aircraft design as jet engines, lightweight metal fuselage skins, and the swept wing concept gave manufacturers a wealth of new settings and features to tweak and exploit. The Boeing Company seemed initially reluctant to embrace these changes; their first entry to the USAF for a strategic bomber was essentially a larger, heavier B-29 with straight wings and turboprop engines.

After some prompting, Boeing added a sweep to the wing of their proposed model and, eventually, jet engines.

 
The Reign of the BUFF
Once Boeing completed its proof of concept, they were off to the races. The following decade would see several changes in the B-52, taking it from the A to the H model. While earlier variants had limited runs and service, with several being converted to test platforms for rocket planes or NASA or serving as crew trainers, the later models flew extensively over Vietnam. In particular, the D model - which received a “Big Belly” upgrade allowing it to carry up to 84 Mk-82 500 lb bombs.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/meet-the-b-52j-the-air-force-s-new-bomber/ar-AA1b8LpQ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=92a87c1ad9404304a975758cbba5ad27&ei=36

[PeteS in CA]

Between the B-29 and the B-52, the B-47 was Boeing's first major jet bomber aircraft.

The current 1960s-design engines are much less efficient than modern engines, and parts and expertise for maintaining the old engines are becoming less easy to obtain.

After an era ob fighters and bombers going from the newest thing to obsolescent in 5-10 years, the B-52 and F-4 were the start of an era in which the basic performance of the aircraft was good enough that airframes that had the room could be upgraded and used for decades instead of years.