Bad crash in Missouri. 11 skydivers plus the pilot died after the plane crashed on take off.
2 Likes
3 Likes
8 crew - dead.
2 Likes
Sad news but not unexpected. A B52 fully loaded would be an instant inferno.
1 Like
It was a recently delivered test aircraft for a new radar system to the 419th Flight Test Squadron. It’s only arrived in December last year.
Of course, it’s a very old airframe, but gone through the full refurbishment program.
The aircraft had airforce personnel, contractors and DoD civilians onboard at the time of the crash.
2 Likes
That sucks.
We will wait and see the cause I guess.
Are B-52s still manufactured? I mean completely new aircraft?
No, they stopped production in the 60’s.
2 Likes
Yep, late 1962 the last one rolled off the assembly line.
I thought so. It’s amazing that it’s still a central part of the USA’s air force. Amazing in that they haven’t all been replaced, and amazing that aircraft over 50 years old are still in service.
2 Likes
The mission is totally different these days.
They don’t use the Buff in bombing role much, it’s really a cruise missile launch platform that can be used at standoff distances.
Just like the Russians use the TU-95.
The aircraft doesn’t have to be very sophisticated to act as a missile platform.
1 Like
As is the U-2 spy plane, built in the 1950s and still an active part of the USAF, with modifications to the airframe and avionics.
And this, built in 1957 and still active.
4 Likes
I would imagine its a Ship of Theseus type thing where nothing important from 1962 is still in the aircraft.
The venerable DC3 says hold my octane.
2 Likes
Growing up in London in the late 60s any plane that was too high to see but the contrails were visible was an American bomber carrying H bombs ready to go to Russia just in case. Well that’s what us kids were told.
1 Like
The B-52 is expected to fly into the 2060s, meaning the airframes will be 100 years old and still in service.
That’s pretty remarkable.
In a hilarious turn of events, the airforce had to commission a completely new engine design to fit the plane as the originals were so out of date. The 8 small engines deliver the same power as 2x 767 engines, which are much cheaper. Problem was the size of the tail plane is so small that it can only counter-steer for the loss of a single small engine, not a whole wing set. It was cheaper to design a new custom engine than rebuild the tails.
4 Likes
I don’t know, replacing main spars etc isn’t something you can just do….