Stretch sends in this interesting story about a planned upgrade to the most ass-kicking airplane in the US Armed Forces:
The B-52 Gets a 21st-Century Upgrade
America's newest, nuclear-tipped cruise missiles will be carried by an airplane already more than 50 years old, if the Air Force's strategy proceeds as planned. The Air Force has been eager to build a long-range bomber to carry nukes, preferably one that can evade radar while closing in on targets. But that program is languishing—officials have not even decided if the new planes will be piloted, robotic, or optionally manned—and, in the meantime, the B-52 Stratofortress will fill the gap. The tactic: Have the B-52 fire a new air-launched cruise missile far from the target and let the missile, not the airplane, defeat any advanced air defenses. The B-52s tasked with this mission will fly until at least 2040, representing nearly a century of active duty. The airframes and engines will remain the same, but the birds will be upgraded with new hardware (as well as with the nuclear brawn) to extend their service lives.When the revamped B52 lives out this extended run, it will be 90 years old. That would be like using Willys jeeps to ferry our ground troups around - also forty years from now... I remember watching news reports from the first war in the Gulf in 1991, where they were making much of the B52 being used in the Arabian theater. The design was 40 years old! It's a relic! And yet here we are, some 20 years later, talking about a redesign that will keep it in the air another two score...
The B52 is like the Chuck Norris of airplanes, as evidenced by the best comment ever in the linked article:
Buffs don't take off. They scare the ground away.Heh.
Then again, we issue 100 year old design pistols to our elite forces, so...
That is all.
9 comments:
Hey, you don't mess with success.
It's nice to see somebody who hasn't fallen for the "new is better" nonsense.
Like Wolverine, it's the best there is at what it does. Not keeping it would be stupid.
It's the same reason the Air Force can never manage to get rid of the A-10, despite their best efforts (and I doubt they'll manage it with the F-35, either).
Also, not only is the new captcha horrible, but what the heck did blogger do with the option to subscribe to comments by email? That's how I keep up with posts that I've commented on. Idiots!
The B-52 and the 1911 pistol both still work great. Now I can't own a B-52 but I do own a 1911.
And BOTH of them still work... :-)
I think my favorite in long term service is the C-130. Like Dave said, don't mess with success!
"Hah! You Americans and your Claims of being "Old!" Here in the Rodina, we are still using the Greatest Rifle Bullet in History, the 7.62x54R! Talk to us when you have Cartridge that is still being Issued that is 120 years old! Love, Putin."
Dear Vlad,
You want a cartridge with legs? My .45-70 Government, let me show you it. 139 years and counting. Still taking buffalo, great cats, and (cough) bears.
D.
P.S. Sorry to hear about that assassination attempt. I can't believe your rivals claim you're just Putin us on. (HAW!)
As a retired (2005) BUFF pilot I always do a mini-squee when I see articles like that. I hope I live long enough to see it retired.
Hah! Another C-130 fan!
I've had a sneaking fondness for that extremely useful (and seriously ugly) plane since Entebbe. At Israeli air shows, they still bring 'em out... and fly the loop with them. It's like watching a rhino do ballet.
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