And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wing was maybe too flexible. The wing could flex so much in response to the aileron the plane would sometimes roll in the direction opposite of the control input. On the G and H models the ailerons were deleted and enlarged spoilers were used for roll control.
The external fuel tanks near the ends of the wings also helped stabilize the wing against twisting and flutter. The G and H models had wet wings that significantly increased the amount of fuel carried so the external tanks were reduced in size, but were retained. There are some photos of B-52s used in tests where the external wing tanks are removed, but that seems to be rare.
The BUFF is an awesome aircraft but it is not without its design glitches.
C-130 (not only still serving, but still in production), C-135 in several variants, 707, one of the South American Air Forces is still flying the C-47. The actual oldest airframe still serving in the USAF is a KC-135.
Comparing the B-52 and the Osprey during the first 24 years of their lives shows something interesting.
USAF mishap (noncombat loss) records from FY00 (when USAF started flying it) thru FY23 show the USAF version CV-22 Osprey has had 11 class A mishaps and 4 deaths.
As near as I can tell, there have been 57 deaths across all versions; that may include some after FY23. I don’t think the Navy has had any deaths from their version.
For the first 24 fiscal years of the B-52, it had 83 Class A mishaps and 281 deaths. Thats against a lifetime total of 104 Class A mishaps and 322 deaths.
The Class A mishap rates (Class A mishaps per 100,000 flying hours) look much better for the B-52 with its long missions of generally flying straight and level, but it had more than its share of teething problems.
The lifetime (nearly 8 million flying hours) average mishap RATE for the B-52 is 1.71 vs 6.43 for the USAF version Osprey. But the B-52 still has an lifetime annual average Class A mishap of 1.51 vs the CV-22’s 0.46
After 60 years the B-52’s problems that could be ironed out have been, and the Air Force has learned to be smarter about how to fly it. It’s a great airplane, but it was not particularly safe when first developed, especially when compared to modern aircraft. Design flaws, like the tail, contributed to the rough start for the B-52.
That pic takes me back to 1968-69 when I served aboard the USS Park County (LST-1077). Home port was Guam and I can recall the B- 52s flying over on their way in/out of Andersen AFB. They were such impressive aircraft!
Lucky enough to see one at an airshow at the now de-commisioned Griffis AFB in Rome, NY. You have not lived until you've seen one of these beauties do a touch'n go, while standing close enough to see the pilot/co-pilots in the cockpit! Incredible!
The window panes in my parents house used to vibrate when the b52 took off one of my earliest memories. then when I worked at Cessna the b1s would take off and you just stopped talking for a bit, because you couldn't be heard.
If the pilot's good, see, I mean if he's reeeally sharp, he can barrel that baby in so low... oh you oughta see it sometime. It's a sight. A big plane like a '52... varrrooom! Its jet exhaust... frying chickens in the barnyard!
B-52 "Arc Light" raids in Vietnam were awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading that the 52 wing tips flexed something like 20 feet at the tips - 10 up and 10 down! Steve_in_Ottawa
ReplyDeleteGood bit of flex so I've been told. Another example dates to when they still had a manned tail gun, gunner could look out the side and see the nose.
ReplyDeleteWing was maybe too flexible. The wing could flex so much in response to the aileron the plane would sometimes roll in the direction opposite of the control input. On the G and H models the ailerons were deleted and enlarged spoilers were used for roll control.
ReplyDeleteThe external fuel tanks near the ends of the wings also helped stabilize the wing against twisting and flutter. The G and H models had wet wings that significantly increased the amount of fuel carried so the external tanks were reduced in size, but were retained. There are some photos of B-52s used in tests where the external wing tanks are removed, but that seems to be rare.
The BUFF is an awesome aircraft but it is not without its design glitches.
There may be so-called "design glitches" but how many US produced aircraft are still flying, and flying near perfectly, 60+ years later.
DeleteAnd that is opposed to the deadly federal boondoggle called the "Osprey."
C-130 (not only still serving, but still in production), C-135 in several variants, 707, one of the South American Air Forces is still flying the C-47. The actual oldest airframe still serving in the USAF is a KC-135.
DeleteComparing the B-52 and the Osprey during the first 24 years of their lives shows something interesting.
USAF mishap (noncombat loss) records from FY00 (when USAF started flying it) thru FY23 show the USAF version CV-22 Osprey has had 11 class A mishaps and 4 deaths.
As near as I can tell, there have been 57 deaths across all versions; that may include some after FY23. I don’t think the Navy has had any deaths from their version.
For the first 24 fiscal years of the B-52, it had 83 Class A mishaps and 281 deaths. Thats against a lifetime total of 104 Class A mishaps and 322 deaths.
The Class A mishap rates (Class A mishaps per 100,000 flying hours) look much better for the B-52 with its long missions of generally flying straight and level, but it had more than its share of teething problems.
The lifetime (nearly 8 million flying hours) average mishap RATE for the B-52 is 1.71 vs 6.43 for the USAF version Osprey. But the B-52 still has an lifetime annual average Class A mishap of 1.51 vs the CV-22’s 0.46
After 60 years the B-52’s problems that could be ironed out have been, and the Air Force has learned to be smarter about how to fly it. It’s a great airplane, but it was not particularly safe when first developed, especially when compared to modern aircraft. Design flaws, like the tail, contributed to the rough start for the B-52.
The US couldn't produce a workhorse like this one with all the DEI bullshit nowadays if they tried.
ReplyDeleteThat pic takes me back to 1968-69 when I served aboard the USS Park County (LST-1077). Home port was Guam and I can recall the B- 52s flying over on their way in/out of Andersen AFB. They were such impressive aircraft!
ReplyDeleteThat Wingspan! So what????????????????????????
ReplyDeleteIt looks awesome, that’s what.
DeleteLucky enough to see one at an airshow at the now de-commisioned Griffis AFB in Rome, NY. You have not lived until you've seen one of these beauties do a touch'n go, while standing close enough to see the pilot/co-pilots in the cockpit! Incredible!
ReplyDeleteThe window panes in my parents house used to vibrate when the b52 took off one of my earliest memories. then when I worked at Cessna the b1s would take off and you just stopped talking for a bit, because you couldn't be heard.
ReplyDeleteIf the pilot's good, see, I mean if he's reeeally sharp, he can barrel that baby in so low... oh you oughta see it sometime. It's a sight. A big plane like a '52... varrrooom! Its jet exhaust... frying chickens in the barnyard!
ReplyDelete