A Moment in Air Force History

***image1***When did the B-52 fly for the first time?

A. 1952
B. 1955
C. 1962
D. 1965

Answer: A. On April 15, 1952, YB-52 (49-0231) flew for the first time. The B-52 was the first all jet intercontinental heavy bomber. YB-52 was donated to the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 27, 1958. It was then scrapped in the mid-1960s. A total of 744 B-52s were built. There are currently 95 B-52Hs in service; 85 with the U.S. Air Force, nine with the Air Force Reserve and one used as a NASA test aircraft. It can deliver 70,000 pounds of munitions, has a maximum speed of 611 mph and can fly at about 50,000 feet. During Operation Desert Storm, the B-52 delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. Each bomber costs approximately $53.4 million dollars.

(Courtesy of the 435th Air Base Wing and 86th Airlift Wing History offices)