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Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Design and Development (Continued)

The outright cancellation of the Boeing contract on 11 December 1947 was staved off by a plea from its president William McPherson Allen, and in January 1948 Boeing was instructed to thoroughly explore recent technological innovations, including aerial refueling and the flying wing. Noting stability and control problems Northrop was experiencing with their YB-35 and YB-49 flying wing bombers, Boeing insisted on a conventional aircraft, and in April 1948 presented a US$30 million (1948 dollars) proposal for design, construction, and testing of two Model 464-35 prototypes. Further revisions of specifications during 1948 resulted in an aircraft with a top speed of 513 miles per hour (445 kn, 825 km/h) at 35,000 feet (10,700 m), a range of 6,909 statute miles (6,005 nmi, 11,125 km), and a 280,000 pounds (125,000 kg) gross weight which included 10,000 pounds of bombs and 19,875 US gallons (75,225 L) of fuel.

Entering the Jet Age

In May 1948 the AMC asked Boeing to incorporate the previously discarded, but now more fuel-efficient, jet engine into the design. This resulted in Boeing developing yet another revision � in July 1948, Model 464-40 substituted Westinghouse J40 turbojets for the turboprops. Nevertheless, on 21 October 1948, Boeing was told to create an entirely new aircraft using Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets.

On 25 October, Boeing engineers produced a proposal and a hand-carved model of 464-49. The new design built upon the basic layout of the B-47 Stratojet with 35� swept wings, eight engines paired in four underwing pods, and bicycle landing gear with wingtip outrigger wheels. A notable feature of the landing gear was the ability to pivot the main landing gear up to 20� from the aircraft centerline to increase safety during crosswind landings. The aircraft was projected to exceed all design specifications. Although the full-size mock-up inspection in April 1949 was generally favorable, range again became a concern since the J40s and the early model J57s had excessive fuel consumption.

Despite talk of another revision of specifications or even a full design competition among aircraft manufacturers, General LeMay, now in charge of Strategic Air Command, insisted that performance should not be compromised due to delays in engine development. In a final attempt to increase the range, Boeing created the larger 464-67, stating that once in production, the range could be further increased in subsequent modifications. Following several direct interventions by LeMay, on 14 February 1951 Boeing was awarded a production contract for 13 B-52As and 17 detachable reconnaissance pods. The last major design change, also at the insistence of General LeMay, was a switch from the B-47 style tandem seating to a more conventional side-by-side cockpit which increased the effectiveness of the copilot and reduced crew fatigue. Both XB-52 prototypes would feature the original tandem seating arrangement with a framed bubble-type canopy.

The YB-52 (actually, the second XB-52 with more operational equipment) first flew on 15 April 1952, a 2 hour 21 minute flight from Renton Field in Renton, Washington to Larson AFB with Boeing test pilot Alvin M. Johnston and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guy M. Townsend. The XB-52 followed on 2 October 1952. The thorough development, including 670 days in the wind tunnel and 130 days of aerodynamic and aeroelastic testing, paid off with smooth flight testing. Encouraged, the Air Force increased its order to 282 B-52s.

Only three of the 13 B-52As ordered were built. All were returned to Boeing, and used in their test program. On 9 June 1952 the February 1951 contract was updated to order the aircraft under new specifications. The final ten�the first aircraft to enter active service�were completed as B-52Bs. At the roll out ceremony on 18 March 1954, Air Force Chief of Staff, General Twining said:

�The long rifle was the great weapon of its day. ...Today this B-52 is the long rifle of the air age.�

In informal circumstances, the official name Stratofortress was rarely used; personnel involved with the aircraft most commonly referred to it as BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F####r). The more polite version of this is often quoted as Big Ugly Fat Fellow.

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Sources:
Wikipedia: B-52 Stratofortress


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