B-52 Stratofortress Specifics
100 Years of Service?
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an impressive and extremely durable aircraft. Originally designed as a high-altitude (50,000 feet) bomber that would serve as our Nation's nuclear deterrent shield during the Cold War, 744 were delivered to the US Air Force between 1954 and 1961. Today, 76 B-52H models are still an active part of the Air Force's warfighting arsenal. These 63-/64-year-old-aircraft are scheduled for the upgrades (e.g., new engines) that will keep them in the active Air Force inventory until 2056.
Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept the B-52 in service longer than any other airframe. A veteran of several wars, the B-52 has dropped only conventional (i.e., non-nuclear) in combat.
B-52F Specifications:
- Length: 159'
- Wingspan: 185'
- Height: 42'
- Empty weight: 185,000 lbs
- Max takeoff weight: 488,000 lbs
- Range: ~7,800 miles unrefueled