(Download a higher resolution picture by clicking on any
picture below.) 
Boeing B-52H-170 Stratofortress,
61-023 of the 2nd Bomb Wing on approach to Nellis Air Force Base
during a red flag exercise in February 2000.
Boeing B-52H-170 Stratofortress,
61-023 of the 2nd Bomb Wing. It is based a Barksdale Air Force
Base in Louisiana carries tail code LA. An AGM-142 Have Nap
rocket-boosted television-guided glide bomb can be seen on the
left weapons pylon. Its power and control unit is carried on rear
station of the right pylon.
Visit the web site of Barksdale Air Force Base.
Visit the web site of the 2nd Bomb Wing.
Visit the Federation of American Scientists web page describing the AGM-142 Have Nap Bomb.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 61-023
of the 2nd Bomb Wing departs Nellis Air Force Base during a red
flag exercise in February 2000.
Boeing B-52H-170
Stratofortress 60-014, of the 2nd Bomb Wing departs Nellis Air
Force Base during a red flag exercise in February 2000.
Boeing B-52H-170 Stratofortress
60-014, of the 2nd Bomb Wing on approach to Nellis Air Force Base
during a red flag exercise in February 2000.
Visit the Air Force Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fact sheet.
Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership, NASA 008 appeared at the
Edwards AFB Open House display in October 2000.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at the Edwards AFB Open House display on October 21 2000.
The
sixth flight of the X-38 was launched from the NB-52B, 52-0008 on
Thursday, November 2, 2000.
The NB-52B launched the first X-43A, Hyper-X
supersonic combustion ramjet on June 2, 2001.
The NB-52B carried the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle
aloft on Friday, June 29, 2001 in an attempt to launch the
seventh mission of the test program.
The NB-52B launched the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle
on its seventh mission on Tuesday, July 10, 2001.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress,
60-0042 of the 917th Wing based at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
departing Van Nuys on June 25, 2001.
NASA has received a refurbished NB-52H for
air-launch missions. This photo was emailed to me from several
sources last April. Photo courtesy NASA.
The NASA NB-52H picture reminded me of my tin Pan Am B-52 that
was made in the early 1950s. It's a modified version of a tin
YB-52 Stratofortress toy.
So I scanned an old picture of a
Pan Am Boeing 747-121 at LAX, grabbed the name and logo,
compressed them to fix the difference in the perspective,
and pasted them onto the NASA NB-52H. I emailed
this picture to some friends last April. Since then it has been
published anonymously in the newsletter of the B-52
Stratofortress Association and Pacific Flyer Magazine.
NASA's Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress mothership,
52-0008 at the Edwards Air Force Base open house on October 26,
2002. Two X-43A silhouettes, three X-38 captive carry silhouetes,
and one X-38 parafoil silhouette have been added to the mission
tally on the side 52-0008 since the 2000 Open House.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress,
60-0036 Tagboard Flyer at the Edwards Air Force Base
open house on October 26, 2002. It was used to launch Lockheed
GTD-21B reconnaisssance drones form 1967 to 1971.
Link to the Federation of American Scientists page about the Lockheed D-21 drone.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress,
60-0036 Tagboard Flyer at the Edwards Air Force Base
open house on October 26, 2002.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at the Edwards Air Force Base open house on October 26, 2002.
The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB sent Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno to the 2004 Inyokern Airshow for a low-speed, dirty pass and then a high-speed pass.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing with its bomb bay doors open at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Inyokern on October 6, 2004.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing taxis from the south base facility at mid-field at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005.
Smoke billows from the eight TF-33 low-bypass, turbo-fan engines of B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno as it starts its take-off roll at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno takes off from Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno retracts its landing gear at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno makes a pass along the fly-by line at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005.
NASA's Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership, 52-0008 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005. It was retired in a ceremony at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base on Friday December 17, 2004. The NB-52B has been a fixture at Edwards AFB for forty-nine years. It first launched a North American X-15 rocket plane on January 23, 1960. Its final mission was the launch of the third X-43A Hyper-X, which demonstrated that an air-breathing engine can propel a vehicle at Mach-10 on the afternoon of November 16, 2004. NASA's Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership was the oldest Stratofortress still flying, yet it had accumulated the fewest flying hours, just 2,443 hours since it first flew in June 1955.
The NB-52B at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005. It launched the three X-15 hypersonic rocket planes and the Northrop HL-10, Northrop M2-F2/F3, Martin Marietta X-24A and Martin Marietta X-24B lifting bodies. It simulated the steep, power off approach to landing used by the Space Shuttles. It assisted in the collection of data about wake turbulence from large aircraft. It served as an air-to-air gunnery target. It launched 3/8-scale F-15 Remotely Piloted Research Vehicles (RPRV), a Ryan Firebee II drone, Ryan Firebee based Drones for Aeroelastic Structures Testing (DAST), and the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) RPRVs. It dropped the 48,000-pound Space Shuttle Reusable Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB/DTV) and it released a simulated F-111 crew module from its bomb bay to evaluate new parachute recovery systems. It was the first airplane to launch a satellite into orbit on the Orbital Sciences Pegasus booster. It tested the drag chute used to decelerate space shuttle orbiters. It tested pollution reducing fuel additives with a pair of jet engines mounted under its bomb bay. It launched the X-38 Space Station Crew Return Vehicles and the X-43A Hyper-X Supersonic Combustion Ramjet.
The NB-52B is on display just outside the North Gate of the base, where it is accessible to the public. It will eventually be moved to the new locatin of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum outside the west gate.
Boeing NB-52H Stratofortress, 61-0025 has been transferred to NASA. It was intended to launch the X-37, but the Scaled Composites White Knight has taken on that task.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
B-52H pyrotechnics at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 2005.
Boeing NB-52H Stratofortress, 61-0025 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 27, 2006. 61-0025 may be returned to the Air Force.
B-52H 60-0036 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 27, 2006.
B-52H 60-0036 and B-1B Lancer, 85-0068 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 27, 2006.
B-52H 60-0036 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 27, 2006.
B-52H 60-0036 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 27, 2006.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0036 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 28, 2006. It was used to launch Lockheed GTD-21B reconnaissance drones form 1967 to 1971.
B-52H Stratofortress, 60-0036 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 28, 2006.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base on October 29, 2006.
Nose art of B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards Air Force Base on October 29, 2006.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0026 of the 23rd Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Wing based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota on approach to land at Naval Air Station Point Mugu on March 29, 2007
B-52H 60-0026 of the 23rd Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Wing on approach to land at Naval Air Station Point Mugu on March 29, 2007
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0026 of the 23rd Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Wing on static dispay at the Naval Air Station Point Mugu Airshow on March 39, 2007.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno takes off at Edwards AFB on October 16, 2009. It has been assigned to the 412th Test Wing for many years.
B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards AFB on October 16, 2009.
B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards AFB on October 16, 2009.
B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno and B-2A 82-1068 Spirit of New York at Edwards AFB on October 16, 2009.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0036 at Edwards AFB on October 16, 2009.
Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards AFB on October 17, 2009. It has been assigned to the 412th Test Wing for many years.
B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno at Edwards AFB on October 17, 2009.
B-52H 60-0050 Dragons Inferno , B-1B 85-0068, and B-2A 82-106 Spirit of New York at Edwards AFB on October 17, 2009.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses displays.
Giant Jet Airplanes |
||||||
| First Flight | Wing Span | Length | Wing Area (ft2) | Gross Weight (lbs) | Engines | |
| Boeing 777-9 | 2018 |
235ft 5in |
251ft 9in |
5,025 |
775,000 |
2 × 105,000 lb General Electric GE9X-105B1A |
| Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch | 2018 |
385ft |
238ft |
? |
1,300,000 |
6 × 56,750 lb Pratt & Whitney PW4056 |
| Boeing 747-8 Jumbo Jet | 2010 |
224ft,07in |
250ft,02in |
5,960 |
975,000 |
4 x 66,500 GEnx-2B67 |
| Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | 2009 |
197ft, 03in |
206ft |
3,501 |
545,000 |
2 x 71,000 lb General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 |
| Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | 2009 |
197ft, 03in |
186ft |
3,501 |
502,500 |
2 x 64,000 lb General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 |
| Airbus A380 | 2005 |
261ft,10in |
239ft,06in |
9,100 |
1,235,000 |
4 x 84,000 lb RR Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP-7200 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 2003 |
212ft,07in |
242ft,04in |
4,700 |
775,000 |
2 x 115,300 lb GE90-115B |
| Airbus A340-600 | 2001 |
208ft,02in |
247ft,01in |
4,729 |
811,300 |
4 x 56,000 lb RR Trent 556 |
| Boeing 777-200 | 1994 |
209ft,01in |
199ft,11in |
4,605 |
545,000 |
2 x 74,000 lb PW4074, GE90-75B, or RR Trent 875 |
| Airbus A330-300 | 1992 |
197ft,10in |
208ft,10in |
3,892 |
507,000 |
2 x 51,590 lb GE CF6-80E, PW4000, or RR Trent 700 |
| Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet | 1988 |
211ft,05in |
231ft,10in |
5,650 |
833,000 |
4 x 45,000 PW4062 or GE CF6-80C2B1F |
| Antonov An-225 Mryia | 1988 |
290ft,00in |
275ft,07in |
10,280 |
1,300,000 |
6 x 51,590 lb DT-18T |
| Antonov An-124 Ruslan | 1984 |
240ft,00in |
227ft,00in |
6,760 |
890,000 |
4 x 51,590 lb DT-18T |
| Tupolev 160 Blackjack | 1981 | 182ft, 09in | 177ft, 06in | 3,660 | 606,000 | 4 x 50,900 lb NK-321 |
| Lockheed C-5A Galaxy | 1968 |
222ft,08in |
247ft,10in |
6,200 |
769,000 |
4 x 50,000 lb GE TF-39 |
| Boeing 747-100 Jumbo Jet | 1968 |
195ft,08in |
231ft,04in |
5,500 |
850,000 |
4 x 50,000 lb P&W JT9D |
| Antonov An-22 Antheus | 1965 |
211ft,04in |
189ft,07in |
3,713 |
550,000 |
4 x 15,000 shp Kuznetsov NK-12MV |
| North American XB-70A Valkyrie | 1964 |
105ft,00in |
189ft,00in |
6,297 |
530,000 |
6 x 33,000,lb J-93 |
| Boeing B-52 Stratofortress | 1952 |
185ft,00in |
157ft,07in |
4,000 |
450,000 |
8 x 8,000 lb J-57 |
| Convair YB-60 | 1952 |
206ft,05in |
175ft,02in |
5,239 |
410,000 |
8 x 8,000 lb J-57 |
The B-52 Stratofortress Association is dedicated
to preserving the history and heritage of this magnificent
airplane and the men and women who designed, tested, built,
maintained and flew her in three wars - two hot, one cold.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses.
A dozen photos of Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses in flight.
Stratofortresses pictured include:
B-52D 56-0612, March Air Force Base, February 23, 1978;
B-52H 60-0050, Edwards Air Force Base, November 9, 1986, October 9, 1999, September 16, 2009;
B-52G 58-0183, Saline Valley, October 25, 1989;
B-52G 57-6519, Edwards Air Force Base, October 29, 1989;
B-52G 59-2565, Castle Air Force Base, September 17, 1992;
B-52H 60-0008, Nellis Air Force Base, April 25, 1997;
B-52H 61-0023, Nellis Air Force Base, February 1, 2002;
NASA NB-52B 52-0008/X-43A Hyper-X, Edwards Air Force Base, November 16, 2004;
B-52H 60-0026, Naval Air Station Pt Mugu, March 29, 2007;
and Rockwell B-1B Lancer 85-0068, Edwards Air Force Base, October 9, 1999
Put a copy of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base.
A dozen photos of Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing flying at Castle Air Force Base in 1992 and 1993. Stratofortresses pictured include:
B-52G 57-6473
B-52G 58-0214
B-52G 58-0258
B-52G 59-2565
B-52G 59-5888
Put a copy of the Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring photographs of the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership that launched the X-15s in the 1960s and continued launching research vehicles until 2004.
It has been asserted that the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress, carrying Air Force serial 52-0008, can lay claim to being the airplane that has seen and participated in more history than any other single airplane. This calendar features a dozen pictures of the NB-52B carrying some of the research vehicles that it launched over the years. Photo sources: Air Force, NASA, Richard Lockett, Brian Lockett:
North American X-15-1, 1960
North American X-15-3, 1963
North American X-15A-2, 1967
Northrop HL-10, 1969
Martin-Mariettta X-24A, 1970
Northrop M2-F3, 1972
Martin-Mariettta X-24B, 1973
Orbital Sciences Pegasus, 1989
Supersonic Supercruise, 1995
X-38 V-131R, 2000
X-43A Hyper-X, 2004
Put a copy of the Balls Eight: Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress Mothership: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Books about
B-52 Stratofortresses available from 
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress by Tony Thornborough
B-52 Stratofortress : Boeing's Cold War Warrior
by Robert F. Dorr, Lindsay Peacock
B-52 Stratofortress in Action by Larry Davis
B-52 Walk Around by Lou Drendel
Boeing B-47, B-52 and the Avro Vulcan by Stewart Wilson (Legends of the Air Series Vol 5)
Boeing B-52 : A Documentary History by Walter J. Boyne
Usaf Plus Fifteen : A Photo History 1947-62 by
Menard. Full color photos of Air Force aircraft from 1947 to
1962.
Books about
the Strategic Air Command available from 
America's Shield : The Story of the Strategic Air
Command and Its People
Big Bombers : Strategic Air Command's B-52S, Swingwings, and Stealth by Robert F. Dorr, Jim Benson
Peace Was Their Profession : SAC : A Tribute by
Mike Hill, John M. Campbell, Donna Campbell
SAC, the Strategic Air Command by Richard Gibson Hubler
Send a message to Brian.