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Scale 1:120  Length 16"  Wingspan 18.5"

Front and rear detailing of the cruise missiles
(shown considerably larger than actual size)

Photography by Action Asia Photo
© 2002-8 Action Asia Photo-All Rights Reserved
www.actionasiaphoto.com

Since becoming operational in April, 1955, the B-52 has been the main long-range nuclear bomber of the Strategic Air Command. In its 25-plus years of service, the B-52 has set many records. On Jan. 18, 1957, three B-52B's completed the world's first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes with only three aerial re-fuelings en route. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956.

When production ended in 1963, nearly 750 had been built of which 170 were B-52D's modified to carry conventional bombs and Quail decoy missiles.

The B-52D went through further development producing the B-52E and B-52F versions. In 1958, the B-52G was designed to reduce the overall aircraft weight in an effort to improve performance. The most obvious change was the redesigned tail. About 8 feet of the vertical stabilizer was removed and the chord (width) was increased. The wing was extensively modified also. The self-sealing bladder-type fuel cells were removed and the wing itself was sealed for fuel (wet wing). The tail gunner's position was moved from the tail turret to a remote firing station in the forward crew compartment. Boeing (Wichita) built all 193 B-52Gs with the first aircraft rolling out of the production plant in the summer of 1958. The B-52G was capable of carrying two AGM-28 "Hound Dog" missiles like the B-52F, but it was also equipped to carry the GAM-87 "Skybolt" and later the Air Launched Cruise Missile and the Short Range Attack Missile.

The B-52H was the final model in the B-52 series with 102 aircraft being delivered to the Strategic Air Command from 1961 to 1962. The -H model was an improved version of the B-52G with the major change done to the power plants. The Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet used on all previous versions of the B-52 was replaced by the Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan - which is easily noticed by the large bulge all around the front of the engine nacelle. The TF33 was rated at 17,000 lbs static thrust- or over 3,000 lbs thrust more than the J57. The new engine was also much quieter, fuel efficient and cleaner. The increased power and better fuel efficiency combined to give the B-52H an un-refueled range of 8,800 miles.

The B-52H has gone through numerous upgrade and service live extension programs and is expected to remain operational well into the next century. The B-52H had a crew of six until 1991 when the gunner position was eliminated and the tail gun deactivated and removed.

B-52s first entered combat in June 1965 when they began flying missions in Southeast Asia. By August 1973, B-52's had flown 126,615 combat sorties with only 17 B-52's lost to enemy action. The B-52 was again used extensively during operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Serial #s: 60-0001 to 60-0062; 61-0001 to 61-0040

Crew: Pilot, Copilot, EW Officer, Navigator, Radar Navigator and 1 spare seat
Length:       159 ft 4 in
Wingspan:  185 ft
Weight:       488,000 lb max take-off; combat 300,000 lbs
Engines:      8  turbojets, water injected 17,000 lbs each
Speed:         650 mph at 23,800' at combat weight
Ceiling:       47,700' at combat weight
Range:        8,800 miles max without in-flight refueling
Armament: One M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon in tail and up to 70,000 lbs of mixed ordnance. Note, tail gun removed after 1991 with the elimination of the gunner.

Related Links
B-52 Stratofortress Association