DESIGN BRIEF
The ultimate development of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, and the only variant still in service today,
the B-52H first flew on 6 March, 1961. The B-52H was the second version of the aircraft to be defensively
armed with 20mm cannon,
in this case the GE M61 rotary-barreled cannon. This tail gun was controlled
by an Emerson ASG-21 Fire Control System.
The B-52H was the only B-52 variant to be powered by turbofan
engines, its eight TF33s an adaptation of the earlier J-57. The B-52H quickly earned a reputation as a
long-legged nuclear carrier,
setting distance records that included the 10-11 January 1962 world record
12,519 mile straight-line flight.
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Click each photo below for large version
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B-52H 61-0022 of the 93BS/917BW AFRC
at Westover ARB, MA., 12 September 1998.
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Defensive armament came in the form of the
GE M61 Rotary-barreled cannon controlled by
the Emerson ASG-21 Fire Control System.
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B-52H 60-0011 of the 11BS/2BW aBarksdale AFB, LA.,
at Nellis AFB, NV., November, 2006.
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B-52H 60-0016 of the 644BS/410BW
at K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI.,
at Pease AFB, NH., 25 July 1982.
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Nose c/u shot of B-52H 61-0017
of the 325BS/92BW Fairchild AFB WA.,
at Westover ARB, MA., 6 June 1987.
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B-52H 61-0017 of the 325BS/92BW
Fairchild AFB, WA.,
at Westover ARB, MA., 6 June 1987.
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B-52H 60-0002 of the 449BW at Kincheloe AFB, MI.,
at Plattsburgh AFB, NY 23 June 1973.
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B-52H 60-0015 at Pease AFB, NH 3 August 1974.
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B-52H 60-0031 of the 2d BW
at Plattsburgh AFB, NY 21 August 1993.
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