What is special about B-52 bomber?

What is special about B-52 bomber?

The B-52 has an incredible list of technical specs. It’s powered by eight Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines (the only jet in active service with eight engines), has an unrefueled range of 8,800 miles and can carry a 70,000-pound payload.

Can the B-52 go supersonic?

Unlike the B-1 Lancer, a supersonic bomber that first flew in 1974, the B-52 can perform nuclear deterrence missions. They also can accomplish maritime surveillance and sea control over vast areas, laying mines if necessary, with two bombers covering 140,000 square miles of ocean in two hours.

Why the B-52 is such a badass plane?

Today, the B-52 is the only jet in active service to run eight powerful Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines, which allow the mighty BUFF to carry 70,000 pounds of ordnance an astonishing 8,800 miles without refueling. It’s also found use outside the nuclear realm thanks to its payload and loitering capabilities.

What is the radar cross section of a f35?

An F-22 is claimed to have the radar cross section of 0.0001 square meters in certain aspect—the same as that of a marble. Low-bandwidth radars are more effective at detecting stealth aircraft. These are typically used by ground installations and ships, but also found on specialized aerial platforms such as the E-2D.

Can the B-52 carry nukes?

The B-52H with a weapons payload of more than 70,000lb is capable of carrying the most diverse range of weapons of any combat aircraft. The nuclear weapons capacity includes 12 AGM-129 advanced cruise missiles (ACMS), 20 AGM-86A air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM) and eight bombs.

What is the oldest plane in the Boneyard?

1952 B-57
The oldest aircraft is a 1952 B-57.

Why is B-52 important?

For more than 35 years B-52 Stratofortresses have been the primary manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching a significant array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs and precision guided missiles.

Does the B-52 have guns?

The bombers never bristled with turrets, as World War II bombers did. But B-52s featured defensive armament in the tail: A through G models had quad . 50-caliber machine guns, and H models employed a single M61 20 mm rotary cannon. The gunners who manned these weapons were enlisted personnel.

Which is stealthier F-35 or F-22?

The F-35 is stealthier in stray electronic noise suppression, communication & aspect-dependent IR signature. At part throttle they are similar in rear-aspect IR signature, but the F-22 is less IR stealthy in full AB. The F-35 is also stealthier in long-range target-search, tracking, & radar missile queuing.

Can you buy planes from a boneyard?

No. Aircraft that are surplus to requirements are signed over to and disposed of by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO). Sales of surplus equipment are frequently carried out but purchases can only be made if you are a company or individual who possess a licence to do so.

What is the radar cross section of a B-2 bomber?

B-2 stealth bomber has a very small cross section. The RCS of a B-26 bomber exceeds 35 dBm2 (3100m2 ) from certain angles. In contrast, the RCS of the B-2 stealth bomber is widely reported to be about -40dBm2 .

What was the original purpose of the B 52 bomber?

Originally intended to be America’s nuclear bomber, the B-52 gained a new mission with the advent of GPS-guided weapons: Close air support. The B-52 has come to the aid of troops in contact in Afghanistan and Iraq with a payload of 70,000 pounds of bombs and missiles.

What are the two types of radar cross section?

The radar cross section of a target is the fictitious area intercepting that amount of power which, when scattered equally in all directions, produces an echo at the radar equal to that from the target. There are two types of radar scattering: monostatic and bistatic.

Why are enemies afraid of the B-52 bomber?

But B-52s often haven’t had to use expensive cruise missile—because most of America’s recent opponents, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan or ISIS in Middle East, don’t have the powerful surface-to-air missiles necessary to shoot at a B-52 flying at high altitude.