Development Of The B 52

The B-52's development and five decades of service, from the Cold War and Vietnam to the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, are featured in this comprehensive and heavily illustrated history.

The famous B-52 Stratofortress has been in service with the USAF for more than 65 years and its iconic shape is known and recognized all over the world. Yet the B-52 and its predecessor, the B-47 Stratojet, started out looking very different indeed. Each aircraft was the end product of a lengthy design process which saw numerous configurations studied - with plenty of diversions taken and missteps made along the way. In Boeing B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress: Origins and Evolution, aerospace engineer Scott Lowther reviews and explains the many different projects put forward for these two iconic aircraft, including a wide variety of rare and forgotten designs. Providing full-page diagrams, a wealth of new artwork and accurate data, the book will be useful for model makers interested in new and unique projects, aerospace engineers curious about the process of design evolution and those interested in these fascinating aircraft.

Conceived in 1948, first flown in 1952 and projected still to be in front-line service in the 21st century, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is one of the most extraordinary aircraft in history. Here is the book to do justice to the story of the development and operational career of this legendary bomber. The book features a comprehensive history of the development of the U.S. heavy bomber, and intensive discussion of the Boeing B-47 and its effect upon the B-52 design, and perhaps more important than either of these today, the enormous number of modifications and changes which have kept the aircraft viable. The important contributions of the Strategic Air Command, with its concepts of the dedicated crew, rigorous training and ceaseless evaluation is well covered, and special attention is given to the B-52's role in the Vietnamese conflict. The book is reinforced with over 200 photographs and drawings, and includes a comprehensive set of appendices. The material for the book was derived almost entirely from the primary sources--the men who designed, built, flew, maintained and improved them and the documents created at the time. The author, a former B-52 and B-47 pilot himself, conveys the spirit of the B-52--the men and the missions behind the hardware, as well as a superbly detailed analysis of the aircraft itself.

Boeing's mighty B-52 Stratofortress has seen continuous operational service with the United States Air Force since the type was introduced in 1957. The aircraft has been upgraded several times and has assumed many different new roles since it was originally conceived and then provided the key airborne platform for America's strategic nuclear force. It is predicted that it will serve as a front-line aircraft until 2040. Apart from the formidable threat it provided during the long years of the 'Cold War', the aircraft has played a significant part in all US overseas operations since Vietnam. The more recent include Desert Storm in 1991, the Balkan conflict, Afghanistan and the liberation of Iraq. Over 700 were built and around 80 remain in service. This book includes chapters on Concept Requirement, Design and Development, Production, Evolution and Variant Models, Operational Tasking, Operational History (with first-hand accounts from crews), Weapons and Equipment Carried, Flying the Aircraft and Current Service Operations. t will be highly illustrated with many original shots taken aboard B-52s, together with archive material and also color profiles.

“This profusely illustrated and thoroughly researched book conveys a wealth of information” about the USAF’s B-1 bomber (Aviation History Magazine). When the B-52 Stratofortress entered operational service with the US Air Force in 1955, work was already underway on defining its successor. The B-70 Valkyrie, a Mach 3 jet bomber, was one option. Although two XB-70A prototypes flew, the B-70 never went into production. Out of the subsequent Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program came the B-1A bomber, which flew at high speed and low altitude to evade enemy air defenses. But the B-1A was cancelled in favor of fitting the B-52 with cruise missiles. The B-1, known as the BONE, was revived in 1981 as the improved B-1B to boost American military power and serve as a symbol of American strength at the peak of Cold War tensions. The B-1B entered service in 1986 with several deficiencies. The resolution of most of these issues coincided with the end of the Cold War. After the Cold War, the B-1B lost its primary nuclear mission but remained relevant by transforming into a high-speed, long-range, high-payload delivery platform for conventional precision-guided munitions. The first combat use of the B-1B was in 1998 in Iraq. The BONE has proved a highly effective combat aircraft in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the former Yugoslavia. This extensively illustrated book traces the BONE’s long development and operational history in detail. “A must-read book . . . a great reference for historians, pilots, engineers, and even policy makers. Both the writing and photos are excellent.” —Air & Space Power History