A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress egy nagy hatótávolságú, szubszonikus, sugárhajtású stratégiai bombázó. A B-52-est a Boeing tervezte és építette, amely továbbra is támogatást és fejlesztéseket biztosít. Az 1950-es évek óta az Egyesült Államok Légiereje (USAF) üzemelteti. A bombázó akár 70 000 font (32 000 kg) fegyvert is hordoz.
B-52B/RB-52B : The B-52B was the first version to enter service with the USAF on 29 June 1955 with the 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB in California. This version included minor changes to engines and avionics, enabling an extra 12,000 pounds of thrust to be produced using water injection. Temporary grounding of the aircraft after a crash in February 1956 and again the following July caused training delays, and at mid-year there were still no combat-ready B-52 crews.
Of the 50 B-52Bs built, 27 were capable of carrying a reconnaissance pod as RB-52Bs (the crew was increased to eight in these aircraft). The 300 pound (136 kg) pod contained radio receivers, a combination of K-36, K-38, and T-11 cameras, and two operators on downward-firing ejection seats. The pod required only four hours to install.
Forrás: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress on Wikipedia
...