"B-52" - the US bomber. History of creation

"B-52" - bomber, issued by the American corporation Boeing in the 50s of last century. Initially, it was designed to deliver two thermonuclear bombs anywhere in the Soviet Union. To this day remains the main aircraft in the arsenal of long-range aviation of the US Air Force.

History of creation

B-52 Stratofortress - the military offspring of one of the largest aircraft building corporations in the world - the American Boeing Company. In Russian its full name is translated as "air fortress". Its development began in the 1950s, when the company began to manufacture the second generation of military aircraft, namely bombers. The aircraft was designed to replace two obsolete models: the B-36 and the B-47. The author of the first model was the company Convair, the second - Boeing.

The American authorities decided to replace the piston bombers and announced a competition among design bureaus for the creation of a strategic jet aircraft. The contest was announced after the end of World War II, in 1946. The competition was attended by three companies - to the already named joined Douglas. It is worth noting that at that time none of the senior military leaders believed in the possibility of the emergence of a heavy jet aircraft, and even with a flight range exceeding 13 thousand kilometers. Nevertheless, scientists, designers and businessmen started enthusiastically to refute these prejudices. Their task was to create not just a bomber, but a strategic and ultra-long missile carrier.

Getting down to the task, everyone understood what the "B-52" (bomber) should become. How did this aircraft, which was new for the time, were created, than the inventors were guided by? The company Convair, taking as a basis its piston V-36, believed to achieve the task by installing jet engines and the wing in the form of an arrow. The second participant, Douglas, designed a fundamentally new machine, which featured turboprop engines. Boeing decided to work with the B-47 medium bomber it had created and improve its performance to a strategic level.

The design of Boeing

The group, which started developing the project under the working title "Model 464", included six leading specialists, who practically in the same composition worked on the V-47. The group began preliminary development of the B-52 aircraft. The bomber, whose characteristics were significantly higher than those that existed in the aircrafts created by the company earlier, required new approaches and solutions. In particular, it was clear that the required flight mileage, as well as the estimated weight of arms of 4.5 tons, would increase the take-off weight of the car to 150 tons. This is twice the figure of the previous generation aircraft. In addition, the speed, according to the terms of reference, should reach 960 km / h.

To solve the set tasks the company began to use turbojet engines J-57. Their draft was 3.4 tons. It was decided to install eight such engines. Combined in four complexes, they were installed on the wings of the aircraft with the help of huge pylons protruding in front of the wings. Simultaneously, for maximum longitudinal stability, the aircraft keel was constructed quite high. For fuel, the volume of which was supposed to be sufficient for intercontinental flight, the space inside the wing was increased to an area of 371.6 sq. Km. M.

The US authorities satisfied the "B-52" developed by Boeing Corporation. The American bomber was approved in 1947, and the company received state order, having signed a contract for two prototypes.

Testing

The first prototype, which the military gave the designation "ХВ-52", was ready in late November 1951. However, while the car was being prepared for the first tests, it managed to damage it. In order not to damage the reputation of the company, they decided not to name the true reasons for returning the aircraft to the plant. The suspension of the tests was explained by the need to install additional equipment. As a result, the right of the first flight passed to the second car, designated by the military as "YB-52". It was completed in mid-March 1952.

In mid-April, the flight tests "B-52" began. The bomber was equipped with a chassis of the so-called bicycle type, which is a rather curious construction. The chassis represented four two-wheeled racks (in the fuselage of the aircraft there are separate niches for each of them), were equipped with hydraulic control and automatic braking. In addition, designers removed the dependence of the machine on weather conditions during takeoff and landing in that the design of the wheels of the chassis allowed them to be installed at an angle to the center axis of the hull of the aircraft. Thus, having received information on the speed and direction of the wind, the pilots, using the calculation table, could arrange the wheels so that the aircraft moved sideways while running along the strip. It was this technical feature that attracted the public's attention during the official performance two years later.

When the tests were over, the car was officially named "B-52 Stratofortress", which meant "air fortress". However, the impressions of test pilots were not particularly enthusiastic. Many troubles during the flight delivered fuel tanks in the cavities of the wings - they constantly flowed. I had to contrive to avoid leakage during flights.

A lot of questions were raised by the crew's bailout system: it was safe to leave the plane by catapult only from a height of three hundred meters. The shooter was located in the tail section, in his cabin were installed a toilet and an electric oven. During the flight the shooter was actually isolated from the crew and kept only radio communication with him. Accordingly, if she refused, the expert had no idea what was happening to the plane. Once it became the cause of the incident with the "B-52". The bomber was in a thunderstorm during the flight in a stream of descending air. The shooter, deciding that the plane was falling, was catapulted, while he was forced to throw down the machine-gun installation. His lack of pilots found already on the ground.

Serial modifications

"B-52", a Stratofortress bomber, mounted the conveyor in 1955. The first version, the B-52A, was introduced in strategic aviation in June. The aircraft were used for the retraining of crews, as well as for working out the process of refueling aircraft in the air. After a short time came "B-52V". In total, fifty aircraft of this modification were produced. The vehicles of this series were completely ready for combat sorties with conventional and nuclear weapons on board. To do this, they were equipped with more advanced engines with a draft of 4.62 thousand tons and a sighting and navigation system. To demonstrate the power of the B-52 (bomber) went into a non-stop round-the-world flight, simulating along the path of an aimed nuclear strike.

In the demonstration raid, six aircraft took part, which ascended to the sky from the airfield at Castle Base, California at 1 pm on January 16, 1957. During the flight with a total length of 39.2 thousand kilometers "B-52" strategic bomber had to undergo the refueling procedure (in August), and four times. However, not all aircraft managed to make their way. A few hours later, one missile carrier made an emergency landing in England. The unexpected failure of the engine caused the failure of another aircraft, which crashed abruptly in Labrador. The remaining three vehicles landed at an airbase near Los Angeles, less than two days later. Because of the bad weather at their destination, they arrived half an hour later.

The route, including a flight over Newfoundland, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Ceylon, Malaysia (where the conventional combat goal was located), the Philippines, Guam Island and Castle base, took 45 hours 19 minutes. The flight took place at a variable altitude of 10.7-15.2 thousand meters at a speed of 865 km / h. When approaching the conventional combat target, the speed was increased to 965 km / h. Refueling was carried out by planes flying over the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. To enhance the effect of refueling passed as day, and at night, and in any weather. Before the beginning of the process, the rocket carriers reduced the altitude, the speed was then 400-480 km / h.

It is worth noting that the first round-the-world flight was made by the B-50 in 1949 and took 94 hours.

On the third series of aircraft - "B-52S" - put even more thrust engines - 5.4 tons. A total of 35 cars were produced in 1956. Thanks to the replacement of pneumatic starters with gunpowder, it was possible to reduce the plant period of all engines five times, from half an hour to six minutes. In addition, the use of weapons was expanded. On the "B-52" (bomber, rocket carrier), they installed new cruise missiles of strategic design, code-named "hound dog" (hound dog). When flying on a combat alert to shorten the takeoff run, pilots could use turbojet rocket engines as an accelerator. Then in flight, the missiles were refueled from the tanks.

Losses

In the early 1960s, the use of aircraft for the intended purpose was started. "B-52" - bomber, supernal missile carrier - was intended for delivery of nuclear weapons to any point of the Soviet Union. The first test reconnaissance flights began along the state borders of the USSR. It should be understood that an accident of such an aircraft, stuffed with nuclear warheads, could easily arrange another Hiroshima. Meanwhile, emergency situations with the "B-52" happened with an enviable regularity. Accidents involving nuclear weapons are code-named "broken arrows". Most of the incidents with these aircraft occurred over the US territory, as well as in the sky of friendly countries.

So, in 1958, the first accident occurred in the state of North Carolina, when the pilot accidentally dropped the bomb on the roof of the apartment building. As a result, six people were injured. In 1961, in the same state, the plane itself fell, from the impact the bomb collapsed. A year later, in the same state in the city of Goldsboro, a bomber with two rockets such as the "hound dog" fell.

The first tragedy outside the US occurred in 1966, when a patrol missile carrier collided with the KS-135 in the sky over Spain. One missile crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, three more fell to the village of Palomares. Because of the detonator, the entire settlement was contaminated with plutonium. The last officially unveiled accident took place off the coast of Greenland in 1968, when the burning aircraft did not reach the airfield and collapsed to the bottom of the bay. As a result, an area of six square kilometers was infected.

Latest Modifications

From 1956 to 1983, five more modifications were created. Series "B-52D" was released in the number of 101 aircraft. In this series we shortened the keel, and also improved the aiming system. In the next modification - E - only 100 planes were produced. The wing was strengthened. In addition, designers have installed equipment that allows to fly at low altitudes. More economical engines were installed on the F series, which included 89 aircraft. One of them had a tragic fate. In 1961, during the exercises, the conditioned attack of the fighter aircraft of the series "B-52F" was worked out. The pilot of the fighter mistakenly fired a missile and shot down the bomber. All three crew members were killed. After this episode, the planes were removed from similar exercises.

The largest number of missile carriers came out in the next series of "B-52". The bombers of modification G were released in 193 pieces for four years from 1958. The thrust of the engines was increased to 6.34 tons, more capacious tanks of aviation fuel were added. The last series - N - was produced before 1962, in total 102 planes came out. The thrust of the engines was already 7.71 tons. The economy of fuel consumption made it possible to increase the flight distance by 2.7 thousand kilometers - up to 16.7 thousand kilometers. This aircraft set a world record for the number of hours of flight without refueling: 20.17 thousand kilometers was overcome in 22 hours and 9 minutes. And in 2006 the missile carrier of this modification flew seven hours on synthetic fuel.

From 1965 to 1984, the B / C / D / F B-52 series were withdrawn from the US Army. With the end of the Cold War, which resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union, they were removed from combat duty. Thus, by 1992, 159 missile carriers of the G and N versions remained in the operating army. The armament agreements with Russia entailed a total reduction of these bombers. In 2008, the remaining machines of the H series also began to be cut. At the moment, there are 68 missile carriers left in the army, which will be in service until 2040. It may be that these aircraft will become record holders for the duration of use. Bombers participated in virtually all military clashes in the United States.

Characteristics

The B-52 is a rocket-propelled strategic missile equipped with eight engines. It is piloted by six crew members. Among the main technical characteristics can be called the wingspan, which is 56.39 meters, the length of the hull - 49.05 meters, height - 12.4 meters. At the last modification, takeoff weight was reached up to 221.5 tons. The thrust of each engine is 7.71 tons. The distance of the plane is 2.9 thousand meters. The maximum speed that the bomber develops is 1013 km / h. It has a combat range of 7730 kilometers.

On board the missile carrier a six-barrel 20-mm cannon is installed, which is located in the tail of the aircraft. "Air Fortress" is designed for combat load in the form of bombs up to 31.5 tons. In addition, the missile carrier is equipped with the most advanced equipment for the successful conduct of electronic warfare. In particular, it is equipped with equipment for noise and misinforming interference, dipole reflectors and equipment for infrared traps.

Earlier this year, US representatives disseminated information on new modifications of the "B-52". The bomber, whose system of discharge was characterized by a point-like throw only on the external shell of the projectiles, was now equipped with a more "smart" system. As it follows from the official message, precision munitions will now be placed in the bomb bays. The installation of the new system will increase the aircraft's capacity by at least 50%. In addition, this will remove the "smart" bombs from external suspensions, which will reduce fuel consumption by 15%, and also help to keep secret from the enemy information about what kind of weapons the bomber is carrying.

The contract worth $ 24.6 million was awarded to Boeing at the beginning of last year. It is planned that the new system will be adopted in 2016. Also, the military plans to adapt the B-52 to drones.

Aviation "grandfathers"

The American "B-52" is a bomber, which from the very first day of its existence was constantly compared with a Soviet strategic aircraft of the similar Tu-95 class. Experts of the military aviation industry both dubbed the aircraft "grandfathers of long-range aviation." Both cars are in the Air Force of both countries for more than 60 years, undergoing only a regular upgrade. A Russian rival, the American military call, as it is banal, a bear. Disputes about whose car is better and according to what indicators, continue to this day. Military experts note that both aircraft have evolved from a simple bomber to a strategic missile carrier. Machines are similar and for a number of other characteristics, for example, in both the flight range exceeds ten thousand kilometers. Moreover, the territory of the enemy is reached by both cars in any version, not even in a straight line of movement. At the same time, the American "B-52" is developing a great speed. The bomber in comparison with the Tu-95 accelerates to 1 thousand km / h, the maximum speed of the "carcass" reaches 850 km / h.

However, there are a number of characteristics on which the domestic car significantly exceeds its overseas rival. Such indicators, in particular, include increased engine efficiency - at least twice. According to experts, with a range of 10-12 thousand kilometers, the American bomber "B-52" spends 160-170 tons of aviation fuel, while the Russian aircraft at this same distance will take only 80 tons.

Domestic military experts are unflattering about engines. According to them, the advantage of the Tu-95 is that all four engines are equipped with screws of the opposite rotation. Thus, by their reliability they provide the domestic missile carrier with superiority over the B-52. The US bomber is equipped with eight engines, but they deliver a lot of problems and have rather weak characteristics. According to experts, this is evidenced by the loss of overseas military air units. So, it is known that out of 740 cars produced and supplied to the army, they managed to lose 120 aircraft. Moreover, it was the American B-52 bomber that caused the loss of several thermonuclear bombs, which have not been found to this day. Some argue that the bombs were lost on the territory of Greenland and the coast of Portugal.

The subtleties of rocket equipment

The armed forces of all countries, let alone leading powers, such as Russia and the United States, which are the largest arms manufacturers, participate in secret, and sometimes even in open competitions. Aviation is one of the areas of constant rivalry. To be the king of heaven - what can be more prestigious for the military field? Russian and American bombers are comparing incessantly. For example, the Americans repeatedly cited data confirming the superiority of their machine over the domestic in terms of missile and bomb load, almost a few times.

Russian experts are inclined to treat such statements with a fair amount of skepticism. Military specialists do not see any reason to trust the opposing party unconditionally, since it is these data that are used as an instrument of manipulation. If to speak in fairness, only the commander of the crew has a full idea of the number of guns he has on board. It is worth noting that the world's largest thermonuclear munition was dropped by a Russian aircraft. The power of the dropped bomb was 50 million tons of TNT, the blast wave tripled the Earth three times during the experiment. Charges were disposed of in the territory of Novaya Zemlya.

Risen from the ashes

"B-52" - bomber (photo see in the article) will return to the ranks of the Air Force of America. The news was spread in early March 2015. The "B-52N", which was called Ghost Rider, who was written off seven years ago, returned to the fighting ranks. He was released in 1962 and completed his flying career in 2008. Since then, he was in Tucson, Arizona, in the so-called aircraft cemetery. It is designed to replace a damaged similar machine. The repair of the aircraft took several months. He successfully passed the flight test, during which he overcame more than 1,6 thousand kilometers. After that, he was stationed at an airbase in Louisiana. Here, the repair work and final tests will be completed.

It is worth noting that in US military history this is the first time that the decommissioned "B-52" is returned to the operating combat system. As representatives of the Air Force explained, it will replace a similar aircraft that burned on the base, its repair would cost much more.