A B-52 To Visit Oshkosh This Summer

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A Boeing B-52H Stratofortress will take center stage at EAA AirVenture this summer, marking the first time one of the big bombers has ever been on ground display during the event. The B-52H will visit from the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 93rd Bomb Squadron of the 307th Bomb Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, in Louisiana. The strategic bombers have been in active military service for 60 years, serving in every combat operation since Vietnam. Each aircraft receives regular upgrades to modernize its flight equipment and capabilities. More than 65 still are flying in military service, and government officials estimate they will continue to be useful for at least another 25 years.

The aircraft is driven by eight Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, flies at speeds up to Mach 0.84, and carries a payload of 35 tons. It can travel more than 8,800 miles with a crew of five, and with aerial refueling it has flown as far as 16,000 miles nonstop. The B-52H models were the last ones built, at Boeing’s facilities in Wichita, Kansas, between 1958 and 1962. “EAA AirVenture creates unmatched opportunities for people to see aircraft in one place that you cannot see anywhere else in the world,” said EAA’s Rick Larsen. “It’s only fitting that on the B-52’s 60th anniversary of active military service that it comes to Oshkosh and, for the first time, will be on ground display for the world’s aviation enthusiasts to see up close.” AVweb’s Glenn Pew spoke with U.S. Air Force Major David Donatelli about the B-52 about three years ago; click here for the podcast.

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