why was this aircraft manufactured?
2006-11-13 13:06:55 · 8 answers · asked by Candy 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
To deliver a large bombload (conventional or nuclear) at high speed (for the time) over long distances to an enemy target.
This was to maintain the cold war balance of power.
The real question is why this aircraft is still being used with the B-1B and B-2 available. The B-52 was obsolete in Vietnam.
2006-11-13 13:17:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It was first intended to deliver nuclear weapons to the Soviet Union with an unrefueled range of 8,800 miles . There was a total of 744 B-52s built but there are currently only 85 in active duty today. And unlike calnickel said it is not obsolete...current engineering analysis show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2040 and may very well be used until then. Also with a sub-sonic speed of 650mph it's not considered high speed, this is what the newer B1 is all about with 900-plus mph speeds at sea-level. And the reason it's still used while the B1 & B2 are availible is because can carry a much larger payload than the B2 and it's much cheaper to operate than either of them...
2006-11-13 16:40:25 · answer #2 · answered by barfoeng 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Stratofortress has seen a lot of action in it's 40 or so years of service. Carpet bombing missions in Vietnem where they dropped a staggering amount of munitions. The first Gulf war saw them used heavily pummeling the Iraqi ground forces. They have also more recently been flying missions against the Taliban in Afganistan and once again in Iraq during the second Gulf war operating out of British airbases amongst others.
The aircraft can carry 70,000 lb of weapons both internal and external. Munitions used include conventional free fall ordance and cruise missiles.
2006-11-13 14:32:50 · answer #3 · answered by markie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was designed as Strategic Bomber, like B-29, B-36, B-47, ecc to carry heavy loads of Bombs, conventional or nuclear.
B-52 are still in service because B-1 and B-2 are not able to lanch cruise missiles till now, because they had problems integrating cruise on them.
2006-11-13 14:14:04 · answer #4 · answered by sparviero 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aircraft was built because the USAF needed a large bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons into Soviet airspace, deliver it on target, survive and bring the crew home.
2006-11-13 14:04:19 · answer #5 · answered by supermech55 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a deterrent to communist aggression. It was built to deliver a nuclear strike inside of Russian airspace from US/NATO airbases. It was designed to replace the B-47, having a longer range and more payload capacity.
2006-11-13 13:13:55 · answer #6 · answered by Nomad 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was manufactured for dropping lots of large bombs in distant lands. It was also to be a deterrent to countries that knew we have it. It can fly very high and carry a large load of bombs.
2006-11-13 13:14:20 · answer #7 · answered by Robert D 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh, to do a number on the enemy "nice and proper." And I wish that we'd start using them today instead of sacrificing lives on the ground because of political correctness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B52
2006-11-13 13:09:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋