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zulumike β Nuclear Alert
Published: 2012-06-12 21:23:25 +0000 UTC; Views: 12866; Favourites: 230; Downloads: 396
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Description
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range jet-powered subsonic stategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the USAF since the 1950's. The bomber carries up to 70,000 pounds of weapons.Throughtout the Cold War, B-52's performed airborne alert patrols under code names such as "Head Star", "Chrome Dome", "Round Robin" and "Giant Lance". Bombers loitered at high altitude near points outside the Soviet Union to provide rapid strike or retaliationcapabilities in case of nuclear war. This was part of the role of deterent to the Soviet Union via the concept of "Mutual Assured Destruction". The B-52's have been upgraded and will continue to serve into the 2040's
This is dedicated to a friend and co-worker who was a pilot of B-52's in the early 70's.
My composition is denoting Operation Chrome Dome in March, 1960, southern Spain / Italy area.
AC is a download from SimV for FSX and BG from mayyang.com.
Cheers, Mike
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Comments: 31
Great "BUFF" ! When I was a kid in the 1960s I lived near a SAC base and they woull fly right over our house on alert scrambles. Fefor Vietnam they were painted with that SAC orange nose and tail. I had an older cousin who fly them from Guam in Dec 1972 back in the bombing of Hanoi. Amazing to think some are still around.
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It amazes me that the Stratofort is still going strong when planes intended to replace her came and went; Β the B-58 Hustler (sleek Mach 2 design) and the B-70 Valkyrie both had vastly superior speed, but one Valkyrie's in a museum and the Hustler's all got scrapped. They ultimately failed because, being too specialized for anything but raw speed at high altitude, and only capable of nuclear weapons delivery (no conventional bombing capability), they lacked the flexibility of the 52. Their speed advantage also couldn't help them against the PVO Strany's ever-improving interceptors and surface-to-air missiles. The final nails in their coffins were the ICBMs. The 52's greatest strength remains its ability to take on a multitude of mission types in a cost-effective way.
There's a saying in the B-52 community: "When the last B-2 is flown to Davis-Monthan AFB to be scrapped, the crew will ride home in a B-52."
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Now the US Defense Department is upgrading the venerable USAF B-52 heavy bomber to allow it to remain a major part of the American arsenal until 2044. It first flew in 1952. They got it right. It is a robust design and will carry all the advanced payload to the target.Β
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It helps enormously that she's capable of deploying cruise missiles and stand-off weapons to avoid the thickest air defenses, and her ECM/ECCM (electronic countermeasures and counter-countermeasures) is kept state-of-the-art with regular upgrades. But above all, she's still boss because of her mission flexibility. She even served as the mothership of the North American X-15 rocket plane.
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Reminds me of "Dr. Strangelove OR How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
I just Hope that they DON'T have to take off and hold at 'Fail-Safe' waiting for the Order.
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Very nice job! My dad was a radar navigator on a B-52 back in the waning years Cold War. I have heard lots of good stories from is time in the USAF. I sent him this picture and this was his response, "Tall tail, no cameras on the nose. D model or older."
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Thanks to his service and your kind coment.
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During the Persian Gulf War, seven B-52Gs took off from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, refueled mid-air en route, launched 35 AGM-86C Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missiles, and returned home. They spent 35 hours in the air and traveled a distance of 14,000 miles (23,000 kilometers) and destroyed 85% to 95% of their targets, setting a record for longest-distance combat missions. It was a truly remarkable feat.
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An amazing feat, that is why the U.S. Air Force plans to keep it as part of our Triad Defense ( Air, land and sea ). The B-52 continues to be upgraded and plans to be in the fleet to 2040. Boeing Design got it right in 1952.
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I have a lot of respect for Boeing airplanes .The air force is still using B-52,s and now they are using 707,s as tankers .Just think of it both planes have been in daily service since the late 50,s .Google Omega Tanker.
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truly, the B-52H Stratofortress is the best bomber that has ever flew the skies
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Still going strong. thanks
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Fantastic....We went on a cruise to Bermuda a few years ago, and our dining table partners were eight retired B52 pilots... interesting fellas. Dad was Air Force..and we lived at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage 1960-1963Β , SAC base.. there for the Cuban missile crisis.. they had B47s up every half hour.. pretty tense.
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Thank you, appreciate the feedback.
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Welcome. My grandad is former USAF.
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The BUFF may end up being the first plane to see 100 years of service for some examples. 60 years so far which in itself has to be a record.
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I think it has been upgraded and will be in the U.S. Arsenal till 2040.
Boeing got it right the design of great aircraft. The 747 is based on this design. Cheers.
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this is really great, well done. must paint out my apache as this given me inspiration
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Thanks, glad you liked it. I was going for the soft and subdue colors to reflect a moody atmosphere. Blending the BG colors with AC are important.
I liked this sky BG colors so much, I am doing an Avro Landcaster with this sky BG.
I look forward to your apache, good model, it always looks mean and intimidating.
Cheers, Mike
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Look forward to the Lanc painting, the sky you've painted captures the mood perfectly.
Put on my watch list
Regards
Sargy
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I had two co-workers who flew BUFF's ( "Big Ugly Fat F*****") as they called them.
You can't appreciate this awesome AC until you are standing under one or watching one take off at full throttle and smelling that jet fuel linger in the cold air.
Cheers, Mike
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The russian counter measure to our B-52 air triad defense/offense is the TU-95 "Bear" Both aircrafts have been upgraded 2040's.
The counter-rotating Kunesov engines of the "Bear" can produce 12,000 hp each. These engines were being developed by the Germans during WW II, the russians got to the engineers first.
I hope no one pushes the buttons. I live through the Cuban Crisis, very tense, Kennedy backed down Khrushsev.
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The Tu-95 "Bear-B" is one of the fastest turboprop aircraft ever built.
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In 1975 the figure for range changed to 7,800 miles and currently it is believed to be 9,200 miles with 25,000 lb load. Level speed was admitted to be 570 mph (Mach 0.82) at 25,000 ft and 520 mph (Mach 0.785) at 41,000 ft. Cruising speed of Tu-95 is 442 mph (Mach 0.67). Later versions with more powerful engines have higher performance.
It is a remarkable plane.
Cheers, Mike
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Perhaps the greatest bomber of all time.
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