B-52 Stratofortress

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981. First U.S. Edition [Stated]. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. 128 pages. Illustrations. Technical data. Appendices. Recounts the eventful history and outlines future planned operations of the U.S. Air Force's B-52 strategic bomber, and examines the equipment, role, and performance of the USA's key manned nuclear weapons' delivery system. Jeffrey Ethell (1947-1997) was an American aviation author and pilot who wrote extensively on aviation and military matters. He was killed on June 6, 1997, when the restored P-38 Lightning he was flying crashed at Tillamook, Oregon, while preparing for an airshow to honor his father. Starting at a young age, Ethell published technical studies of WWII-era aircraft and eventually authored 60 books and over 1,000 magazine articles covering all aspects of aviation. He soloed at 18 and logged over 4,800 hours in over 210 types of aircraft, including most of the warbirds of the allied and Axis sides from WWII. His works on color photography of the World War II era brought to life an era which too many thought had only been filmed in black and white. While attending college in Tennessee in the 1960s, Ethell received research grants from the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and went on to guest lecture at colleges and academic institutes. His co-authored study of the first American daylight attack on Berlin has often been compared to the works of Cornelius Ryan and Stephen Ambrose in presenting a balanced account of one of the most pivotal events of WWII, the first daylight deep penetration raid against the capital of Nazi Germany. He appeared as an expert commentator on numerous documentaries. Joe Christy is a professional aerospace writer and editor and has won awards for aviation reporting. He was managing editor of the Aviation Division of the Sports Car Press, and a member of the OX-5 Club of America and the Air Forces Association. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. The bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds of weapons, and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles without aerial refueling. Beginning with the successful contract bid in June 1946, the B-52 design evolved from a straight wing aircraft powered by six turboprop engines to the final prototype YB-52 with eight turbojet engines and swept wings. The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952. Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War-era deterrence missions, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. A veteran of several wars, the B-52 has dropped only conventional munitions in combat. The B-52's official name Stratofortress is rarely used; informally, the aircraft has become commonly referred to as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fella). The B-52 has been in service with the USAF since 1955. There are 72 aircraft in inventory as of 2022; 58 operated by active forces (2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing), 18 by reserve forces (307th Bomb Wing), and about 12 in long-term storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Boneyard. The bombers flew under the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was disestablished in 1992 and its aircraft absorbed into the Air Combat Command (ACC); in 2010, all B-52 Stratofortresses were transferred from the ACC to the new Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept them in service despite the advent of later, more advanced strategic bombers, including the Mach 2+ Convair B-58 Hustler, the canceled Mach 3 North American XB-70 Valkyrie, the variable-geometry Rockwell B-1 Lancer, and the stealth Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. The B-52 completed 60 years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. After being upgraded between 2013 and 2015, the last airplanes are expected to serve into the 2050s.