- 7 weeks ago
For educational purposes
Boeing continuing its legacy of mammutaciariy notable heavy bombers, developed the BN aircraft used for over 35 years by the Strategic Command This film traces that develolution showing B-45, B-48, XB-47, B-46. YB-60 and the jet-powered flying wing.
The first flight of VB-52 through the various models to the shorter tail and turbo fan engine powered H, the last predoclos version.
From bases in Guam, B-52s were used for tactical strikes in Vietnam and later from Thar land, cutting sortie time. Capable of tremendous destructive power, B-52s take part in Operation Linebacker.
Raids into the north were not without losses as the Communists used every available SAM to prevent them Witness low level flight and the loss of most of the vertical fin and rudder of an H model on a research flight, the aircraft con-tinuing and landing safely.
Front line service for over 30 years, still flying and one of the Great Planes.
Boeing continuing its legacy of mammutaciariy notable heavy bombers, developed the BN aircraft used for over 35 years by the Strategic Command This film traces that develolution showing B-45, B-48, XB-47, B-46. YB-60 and the jet-powered flying wing.
The first flight of VB-52 through the various models to the shorter tail and turbo fan engine powered H, the last predoclos version.
From bases in Guam, B-52s were used for tactical strikes in Vietnam and later from Thar land, cutting sortie time. Capable of tremendous destructive power, B-52s take part in Operation Linebacker.
Raids into the north were not without losses as the Communists used every available SAM to prevent them Witness low level flight and the loss of most of the vertical fin and rudder of an H model on a research flight, the aircraft con-tinuing and landing safely.
Front line service for over 30 years, still flying and one of the Great Planes.
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LearningTranscript
00:00To be continued...
00:30Take off with the Discovery Channel in the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
00:36First deployed in the early 50s, the B-52 was the Strategic Air Command's primary weapon of deterrence.
00:43Its range enabled worldwide deployment of SAC's nuclear arsenal.
00:47Today, the B-52 is flown in low-level bombing and electronic warfare roles.
00:52Tonight, soar high in the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress on wings.
01:00When it went into service in 1955, the B-52 was the pinnacle of jet bomber design.
01:14But its genesis can be traced to a decision made by the Department of Defense ten years earlier, when the nation was at war.
01:22Throughout much of World War II, America was committed to the development of proven technology,
01:30because this would enable production lines to churn out the tools of war with the urgency needed.
01:35Piston engines were greatly improved.
01:44The piston power plant drove every American aircraft that served in the fierce air battles of World War II.
01:49Even the massive Boeing B-29, which had more speed, range, and payload than any other bomber,
02:03still depended upon piston engine technology.
02:05The B-29 was thought to be the ultimate in aviation.
02:14But in fact, its high technological standard was soon rendered obsolete by a new breed of aircraft.
02:21Early in the war, it came as a major shock for the United States to learn that Germany and Britain
02:33had developed gas turbine jet engines that would soon be able to propel fighters at speeds far faster than the fabled superfortress.
02:41In 1944, the American Army Air Force, issued a request for the United States,
03:11requirement for an all-jet bomber, fast enough to elude jet fighters.
03:17Contracts were issued for no less than five different designs.
03:27But it took another technological marvel, nuclear fission, to bring the war to a quick and dramatic end.
03:34Although a B-29 was employed to carry the weapon, just one aircraft dropped one bomb,
03:41and in seconds, the city of Hiroshima ceased to exist.
04:04If one aircraft could carry such a devastating payload,
04:30then, perhaps, large fleets of bombers would no longer be needed to win a modern war.
04:36The dreadful cost in lives that America had paid to establish island B-29 bases in the Pacific
04:43had changed the parameters for the next generation of bombers.
04:46During the early post-war period, strategy concentrated on the ability to deliver the atomic bomb over very long distances,
05:00and the Air Force put its emphasis on long-range intercontinental aircraft,
05:05a role that the Convair B-36 peacemaker adequately filled for some time.
05:10The giant B-36 was really a Second World War design that arrived too late for combat.
05:18It required no less than six massive piston engines to propel it at what were average speeds.
05:24However, jet engines were later fitted in pods under the wing to supplement its power.
05:29By 1947, the jet bomber project was starting to come to fruition.
05:52In that year, five submissions were tested, although by now, they were classed as medium bombers.
06:04The B-45 was the first of the jets from the 1944 requirement, and it was the second most successful.
06:11This simple but effective four-engine design was actually adopted by the Air Force
06:16and went into service in limited numbers, though mainly in the reconnaissance role.
06:22Consolidated offered the B-46 as another four-engine jet bomber.
06:30Its clean lines made it one of the most elegant aircraft of the time,
06:34and its performance as an early jet was quite acceptable.
06:38However, Consolidated was heavily committed to B-36 production,
06:42and the medium bomber project was not given a high priority.
06:45Comp Клок Man Camera 확
07:02forcounted to B-47.
07:06It was clear that debating the weight of the bolest global circuit,
07:07which was more competitive.
07:10The B-48, designed by Martin, was a cumbersome aircraft that employed six jet engines in mid-wing clusters.
07:23About the most impressive technology it offered was its bicycle undercarriage, placed on the center line of the aircraft and supported by two outrigger wheels on each wing.
07:34This project did not tempt the Air Force, and like the B-46, the prototype was scrapped.
07:40I don't know.
08:10Northrop, in an attempt to compete in the jet bomber program, took its previously piston
08:24engine flying wing and equipped it with eight turbo jets.
08:44The wing was a brilliant design that offered excellent efficiency. It was years ahead of
08:49its time. Perhaps because it was so different, it never seemed to attract government approval.
08:56The technological grasp that Northrop had of flying wings paid off 40 years later in the
09:01form of the B-2 stealth bomber. Today, the B-2's wing is a symbol of cutting-edge aviation design,
09:09but in 1947, the idea was considered far too revolutionary.
09:32Without doubt, the most impressive design offered to the Air Force came from Boeing. Their B-47
09:38stratojet design benefited from the manufacturer's analysis of German data on swept wing technology.
09:45To obtain the maximum efficiency these wings could provide, they were made extremely thin
09:51and flexible. Therefore, their six engines had to be suspended on pylons and spread across
09:57each wing. This approach made servicing the engines easier and also had aerodynamic benefits
10:03for the aircraft at speed. Because the wing was so thin, Boeing used the same fuselage-mounted bicycle
10:11undercarriage as Martin's B-48. The B-47 was adopted by the Air Force and literally hundreds were produced
10:19during the early 50s. It was, by any standard, a very successful design. A classic case of having the right design
10:28at the right time. But it was also an ideal test bed for Boeing to gain experience on the production
10:33of efficient swept wing jet bombers.
10:41I'm Jim Larkins, Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Air Force retired. Wings will be right back.
10:56Now, we return to Wings on the Discovery Channel.
11:03One of the problems of early jet engines was the relatively long time they took to reach full power,
11:12especially at takeoff. To offset this, Boeing adopted several versions of detachable rocket boosters,
11:20what became known as Jet Assisted Takeoff, or JATO.
11:33Following Boeing's legendary piston engine bombers, the success of the Stratojet project was to hold Boeing
11:43in good stead with the Air Force for years to come. The medium bomber project gave Boeing an edge in the
11:50new struggle to develop a new long-range heavy bomber to replace the B-36 Peacemaker, a plane that was
11:57clearly at the end of its career.
12:14In an attempt to keep the Peacemaker project alive, Convair produced an all-jet swept wing version given the model
12:20number XB-60. However, the revamping of an aircraft originally designed in the Second World War did not
12:27impress the Air Force.
12:33As far back as 1946, Boeing had been commissioned to develop a replacement for the Peacemaker.
12:40The company explored hundreds of different concepts, ranging from ultra-large piston engine aircraft
12:46to those using proposed compound supercharged power plants, and others with turboprops, jet engines driving propellers.
12:54But nothing provided the dramatic increase in performance over the B-36 that the Air Force was looking for.
13:08When the efficiency of the B-47's full-swept wing became apparent, Boeing proposed another all-jet design,
13:15based loosely on its medium bomber, but larger, much larger.
13:22This idea was refined on model 464-67 and was ultimately accepted by the Air Force as the B-52.
13:34An order for two prototypes, the X and Y models, was placed in October 1948.
13:40But due to minor problems with the X model, the YB-52 was ready first.
13:46Here, the YB-52 undergoes tests at Edwards Air Force Base.
13:51Its overall shape and fighter-like canopy was similar to the B-47, but its size and performance was much greater.
13:59The B-52 also had many updated features, like an all-steerable undercarriage,
14:07that adjusted to face forward on landing, even when the aircraft was pulling to one side.
14:12This feature was top-secret for several years.
14:16Apart from the cockpit layout, which was changed to a conventional side-by-side airliner arrangement,
14:31there was very little external difference between the prototypes and the B-52s that went into production.
14:37Work began in earnest on the B-52A, now named the Stratofortress.
14:42Only three B-52A models were built, but the B model, which was identical to the B-52A,
14:58except for minor improvements, went into full production.
15:03Increased range was always a primary goal for the B model.
15:15In-flight refueling, which had been perfected in the late 1940s by Boeing's flying boom method,
15:21had solved many problems.
15:23However, in the early days of the B-52 project, in-flight refueling was tricky at best.
15:29The early aerial tankers were powered by piston engines,
15:32with a maximum speed little more than the stalling speed of the jet bombers.
15:36Here, the Y model negotiates the delicate task.
15:44Jet tanker refueling was obviously preferable and safer.
15:48It was only with the arrival of the KC-135 Stratotanker
16:01that aerial refueling became relatively safe and practical.
16:11One other method of increasing range was the adoption of extra-large outboard wing tanks,
16:15like this example, which can hold 3,000 gallons
16:19and can be jettisoned in a combat situation.
16:34By March 1954, B-52s were rolling off Boeing's production line in Seattle.
16:40The planes then went into an induction program,
16:43where aircrew and aircraft were blended into one fighting machine.
16:51Inside this sleek shape, crews of six men learned the ways of the Stratofortress.
16:56After the B-36, they found Boeing's bomber much more cramped.
17:01Every available inch had been dedicated to fuel, payload, and electronics.
17:07Where the Peacemaker had no less than six gun positions,
17:11the B-52 had only one.
17:14The plane relied on its performance
17:16and the new science of radar jamming for its self-defense.
17:20The Strategic Air Command had to have the world's best bomber.
17:25B-52 is a great plane because I liked flying it.
17:28It was a fun plane to fly.
17:29One of the most challenging things about it was refueling it.
17:32You get a plane that big, you know, 500,000 pounds,
17:35behind a tanker that's 350,000 pounds
17:39and you've got to transfer 120,000 pounds of fuel.
17:42That's part of the things that make it a great plane.
17:46It can go and go and go.
17:48I never got to fly it, but they used to fly 24-hour missions in B-52s just to refuel.
17:55So I think what makes the great plane a great plane
17:57where all the crews that flew it over so many years, you know,
18:01my father was too old to fly it.
18:03I'm one of the younger people flying it myself,
18:05but there are probably 25 years old that are flying it to their planes 10 years older than they are.
18:14Now, back to Wings on the Discovery Channel.
18:18The Strategic Air Command made the same heavy demands of its crews
18:23that it did of its new B-52 bombers.
18:26Crew members were trained until they became an elite core of professionals,
18:30forming a team equal to the sophisticated new aircraft they flew.
18:34For over 10 years, the Stratofortress and its crew had one primary responsibility,
18:40carrying and delivering the thermonuclear hydrogen bomb.
18:44But if the bomb was to be carried as a deterrent,
18:49it had to be tested to prove its potential.
18:52Throughout the 1950s,
18:53hydrogen bombs were detonated in remote Pacific regions.
18:57The last tests, like many before, used B-52s to drop the deadly payloads.
19:02The other ones wereenee if the plane too.
19:04That means that they areunitized in remote Pacific regions.
19:08The other is a drone's machine.
19:11The other is a drone's machine.
19:12The aircraft and the robot are turned off on in the remote surface-eventure bay.
19:13The aircraft and the aircraft and the plane ?
19:16The aircraft and the aircraft and the aircraft are restricted to the aircraft.
19:20The aircraft and the aircraft and the aircraft end up here in the drone are still inside the air.
19:26To be continued...
19:56These men, loading the most destructive device ever conceived by the human mind is a matter of precision and routine.
20:04A specialist hauling job for the highly trained members of the Strategic Air Command team.
20:10Each cargo has a 100 megaton yield, 100 times greater than the bombs dropped on Japan.
20:26A
20:39Unlike the weapons of the Second World War, the device carried in this bomb bay will be slowed in its drop from the B-52 by a parachute,
20:51allowing the bomber more time to vacate the area before the catechism explosion.
21:21So, let's go.
21:51so
22:05fearing a soviet atomic attack america set up an elaborate array of early detection facilities
22:24during the cold war years the early warning systems were based mainly in the frozen north
22:30the most likely route to the first strike
22:44radar watchers constantly monitored scanners that probe the sky looking for the blip that
23:03might signal the beginning of world war three
23:26the strategic air command had fleets of b-52s on operational standby in a constant state of alert
23:33ready to act as the ultimate deterrent if needed
23:40when the red phone rang the procedure was automatic up to 100 strato fortresses could be dispatched in
23:45a few short minutes the routine was finally tuned by regular exercise the concept of an
23:51instant retaliatory strike by sack was seen as a nation's best defense during the cold war years
24:03the business of nuclear deterrence was trusted only to carefully screened officers all nuclear
24:19armed b-52 pilots held at least the rank of major they bore the heavy responsibility of commanding
24:25aircraft that could change or even end life on earth
24:40but just as jets replaced fist and engines so the b-52 and its high-flying soviet counterparts were
24:57superseded by an efficient and very deadly new technology that was born in nazi germany
25:02by the early 1960s ground-to-air missiles had been perfected by the u.s and the soviets
25:09to the point where massive nuclear bombardment by aircraft would be difficult to achieve
25:15the emphasis had shifted to another form of delivery intercontinental ballistic missiles
25:23years of development had produced the polaris and minuteman missiles
25:26among other forms of rocket which meant that manned flights over enemy airspace were no longer
25:32necessary to wage full-scale nuclear war
25:44but sack strato fortresses were kept in service they still had a major role to play in the dangerous
25:50game of nuclear brinkmanship for the trouble with icbms was that once launched they could not be called
25:57back this denied politicians the time-honored tactic of saber rattling and further heightened the risk of
26:03international conflict the b-52 used in conjunction with hound dog standoff bombs provided a flexible
26:12alternative b-52s could proceed to the very edge of enemy airspace signaling america's readiness to attack
26:20but still providing time for last-minute negotiations the b-52s effectiveness was further increased by the
26:29development of the quail decoy which confused enemy radar by mimicking the strato fortress radio signal
26:42further development after the hound dog produced the shram missile small and able to be carried in
26:48greater numbers the shram could be guided from within the b-52 to targets up to 100 miles away with devastating accuracy
27:18the b-52 was used for the first time in vietnam
27:47now it carried conventional bombs instead of nuclear warheads but it remained a deadly weapon
27:54the wing mounts now carried 24 500 pound iron bombs the internal bomb load brought
28:00the total payload of each plane up to a total bomb load of 108
28:16the strato fortresses
28:31during the course of the strato fortresses involvement in southeast asia b-52s dropped in excess of three
28:37million tons of bombs although the use of the high-flying bombers was controversial at the
28:43time there is little doubt that the strato fortress was very effective when used for conventional bombing
29:02many historians argue that the heavy bombing of north vietnam during the linebacker operations
29:08pushed the enemy back to the negotiating table and eventually resulted in ceasefire
29:18during other vietnam operations more sophisticated bombs were dropped
29:23some could be detonated later by personnel in other aircraft using infrared viewing equipment to coincide an
29:29explosion with enemy activity
29:37standard 500 and 750 pound iron bombs like these were used on most b-52 raids
29:43the bomb load
29:55To facilitate quick loading and turnaround, the internal bomb load was contained in pre-arranged
30:15racks so they could be installed in the shortest possible time.
30:25Red muita
30:34Go
30:35Go
30:36Go
30:37Go
30:39Go
30:40Go
30:45Go
30:49Go
30:51Go
30:52Go
30:52Go
30:53Crews initially based at Guam prepare for the long eight-hour flight to their distant
31:14target The crew in the front office and the lonely rear gunner
31:32assume their positions as each aircraft prepares for takeoff
31:44The primary role of the B-52 in Vietnam was basically tactical bombing of enemy troop concentrations
31:52But it really started out, we used to cut roads early in 67
31:56We did a lot of missions, we were interdicting trucks and supplies
32:00But primarily we were cutting roads to back them up so the tactical forces could make the strikes
32:06Later around Khe Sanh, we were really breaking up enemy troop formations
32:13And we got very, very successful as they had to concentrate their forces
32:18We became more successful at what the role of the B-52 could really bring to bear
32:22Which is massive air power
32:24Our defense posture provides the umbrella under which all competition flourishes in this capitalistic society
32:31So the B-52 because of its tremendous design lasted a great long time
32:37And because of the philosophy and sometimes the tendency to forget history
32:41Which we seem to do in this country, it's lasted a long time as well, it's had to
32:46During the long years of the Vietnam War, nose art was drawn on more than a few B-52s
32:53Although the art was tamer than its Second World War counterpart, the missions flown were no less hazardous
32:59B-52 crews had to cope with fast and agile enemy MiGs, anti-aircraft guns
33:06And worst of all, deadly surface-to-air missiles
33:09Despite it all, they had missions to perform
33:12And like all soldiers, they flew regardless of opposition
33:16And like all soldiers, they flew regardless of opposition
33:18And like all soldiers, you know, their bands should have been correlated
33:21When they ê²°ì œ had a boost view of mine
33:22And like all soldiers
33:23To be targeted profiling
33:44So I was sick of being took diret
33:44So this will last week
33:46After a raid, ground crews hurriedly repaired the bullet-riddled airframes of return stratofortresses,
34:00priming them for the next mission.
34:16Sometimes the hits were uncomfortably close.
34:30Despite the low-fuel takeoff policy, the heavy weight of the bomb load put tremendous stress on the engines,
34:51which regularly needed maintenance and often replacement.
35:00MiGs were kept at bay and sometimes shot down by rear gunners,
35:06who, in their lonely outposts, employed a radar-aimed remote-controlled array of four cannons with devastating firepower.
35:13The tail gunner's position was deleted with arrival of the B-52G and H models.
35:31All B-52G and H models are equipped with EVS, electronic visual systems.
35:40This enables the pilot and other crew members to see what is ahead of the aircraft,
35:45even in darkness and fog via infrared television cameras and a monitor.
35:50This development came just in time as the role of the B-52 has changed to that of a low-level tactical bomber.
35:59Today's stratofortresses may have to fly blind through atomic clouds.
36:04With the B-52 shielded by radiation-proof curtains, the EVS is the crew's only visual link to the outside world.
36:11But though the mission has changed, red phones and flashing lights are still the currency of SAC.
36:32When the bell rings in exercise or in war, SAC's awesome deterrent force swings into action.
36:48The first thing a general in charge of operations will do is vacate his ground base for the safety and mobility of an aerial command post.
36:55At the same time the alert is given, air crews rush to their aircraft, which are always on standby for instant action.
37:17The bind action.
37:48The general is airborne, and the B-52s are close behind.
38:02It is only in the safety of the air that SAC's deterrent force can survive an attack and at the same time be on their way to deliver a response.
38:13The high-speed takeoff is a prerequisite to survival.
38:18The high-speed takeoff is a prerequisite to survival.
39:48Now the crew is totally dependent on the EDS and other electronic aids, for they dare
39:53not look out of the cockpit.
40:11Laying low over the ground, each pilot awaits his orders.
40:18This time, the B-52s are called back, but all concerned know that they have the capability
40:25to go into enemy territory if required.
40:27The exercise is over and the general is content.
40:34After almost 40 years of service, the B-52 still performs its mission well, though the plane
40:41is clearly nearing the end of its surface life.
40:48The B-52 still performs its mission well, though the plane is clearly nearing the end of its
41:01surface life.
41:08We went over there, Arclight, which was six months at a time.
41:21And I did it, I did it five or six times, I don't remember.
41:25But the thing was, is you live with these people, you live with them, you sleep with them, you
41:29eat with them.
41:30They become brothers, so you trust them with your lives.
41:32You literally did.
41:33Because if an EWO said break right or break left, you didn't ask why, you just did it.
41:38That means turn the plane left or right because there was a threat coming.
41:41You just did it.
41:42You knew that whatever he was telling you, he was in the plane with you.
41:45And vice versa.
41:46You never second guessed the other guy because they were the expert in their position.
41:50And that's what the teamwork was.
41:51You learn to respect the other guy's position and how well they serve in their position.
41:56The B-52 is getting old.
41:58It does need a follow on bomber.
42:00And I think the B-1 is probably that type of an aircraft.
42:04Next question evolves is, do we need the B-2s?
42:07I don't know.
42:08It's an awful expensive aircraft.
42:11Almost as soon as the first B-52 rolled off the assembly line, the Strategic Air Command
42:15was searching for a replacement.
42:17First came the ill-fated XB-70, an advanced design that was considered outmoded by ground-to-air
42:23missile technology.
42:24More recently, there was the swing-wing B-1 bomber developed by Rockwell International.
42:29The B-1 provided a combination of high speed and altitude with the wings swept back
42:34and more economical low-level flying with the wings forward.
42:37However, the cost of deploying large numbers of B-1s was not acceptable to the Carter administration,
42:56and the project was shelved throughout the 70s.
43:00In the 1980s, the revamped B-1B went into production, not in the high altitude role, but as a low-level bomber.
43:08In the 1950s, the
43:12most наверное vision was detected.
43:14In the 1980s, the
44:03The plane is costly, but if the B-1B equals the overall performance and value for money that its predecessor, the B-52, so clearly achieved, it's money well spent.
44:33After three decades of service, through a period of unprecedented technological advances,
45:03the B-52 to follow.
45:03The B-52
45:33The B-52
45:35The B-52
45:37The B-52
45:39The B-52
45:41The B-52
45:45The B-52
45:49The B-52
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