The B52 stratofortress

[bob10]

https://youtu.be/tXBYlzg3zHE

[Narangga]

Have you been to the Aviation Museum in Darwin to see the static display Bob?

[JDNSW]

The B-52 first flew in 1952 - it is currently in service 65 years later, and is expected to remain in service into the 2040s.

Any other combat aircraft that has ever come even close? (Or any other aircraft for that matter)

John

[THE BOOGER]

The B-52 first flew in 1952 - it is currently in service 65 years later, and is expected to remain in service into the 2040s.

Any other combat aircraft that has ever come even close? (Or any other aircraft for that matter)

John

The only one that comes to mind is the dc3 1936 and still going in many countries

Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-3 Commercial Transport (http://www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-3.page)

[goingbush]

I was going to suggest the DC3 too, They have an unlimited life airframe, Basler refurbishes them with Turboprops, could be flying forever.

you should see all the B-52's at Davis Monthan Boneyard

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Davis-Monthan+Air+Force+Base/@32.1666949,-110.8567578,707m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x86d6653db2375c9b:0xdf50c 8f87748ce38!8m2!3d32.155285!4d-110.8605934

not as many as last time I looked, but heaps more C31 & Orions now, Even spotted an EE Canberra or whatever the Yank version of it was.

[JDNSW]

The only one that comes to mind is the dc3 1936 and still going in many countries

.... (http://www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-3.page)

Yes, the DC-3 is the obvious one - not really a combat aircraft, although I have seen an allegation that the reason they took a back seat in civilian operations was that heavy use of them as gunship[s in the Vietnam was resulted in a severe run down of the world stockpile of spares (left over from WW2).

There are others though - the Beech Bonanza, introduced in 1947 and still in production is also a prime example (compare the DC-3 production run of less than ten years).

John

[bob10]

Have you been to the Aviation Museum in Darwin to see the static display Bob?

I spent nearly 4 years in Darwin,back in the 80's, didn't get to the museum -,North Point? once. On the bucket list, my wife and I are going back.They told us we would come back, This time I may be a little sober.Maybe.

[bob10]

Sorry, my mistake. Should be stand alone.

[Narangga]

I spent nearly 4 years in Darwin,back in the 80's, didn't get to the museum -,North Point? once. On the bucket list, my wife and I are going back.They told us we would come back, This time I may be a little sober.Maybe.

The old facility on Gardens Hill Road would have been open. The new hangar and location opened in 1990.

The Military Museum at East Point is also excellent. Worth the effort of the trip just for those Bob. ;)

[Pickles2]

https://youtu.be/tXBYlzg3zHE
Jeez Bob, We ain't gonna have too many "robust discussions" about this sort of stuff,....very very good indeed.
The only problem I have, is getting the time to watch it all.
I suppose the only question I can think of would be, that compared to when the B52 started flying, SAMs were almost unknown, but now there's some very serious SAMs about, so I was wondering how the B52 could still operate being so vulnerable, or so it would seem to me, to those things.
Thanks, Pickles.

[JDNSW]

I think the B52 relies for defence against these on electronic and infrared countermeasures, and to some extent on the use of standoff bombs.

Its major assets are load carrying capacity, range and adaptability - there have been major airframe and electronics modifications and I think they are on about the third engine type.

John

[bob10]

Jeez Bob, We ain't gonna have too many "robust discussions" about this sort of stuff,....very very good indeed.
The only problem I have, is getting the time to watch it all.
I suppose the only question I can think of would be, that compared to when the B52 started flying, SAMs were almost unknown, but now there's some very serious SAMs about, so I was wondering how the B52 could still operate being so vulnerable, or so it would seem to me, to those things.
Thanks, Pickles.

Horses for courses, mate. A platform that can carry the load the B52 can, in this day and age, is gold for conflicts such as Iraq against Daesh, or the Phillipines, against muslim rebels. Just the threat of using them, would make people think twice. We were involved in an exercise, back in the day, where we were a navigational way point for a B52, flying very low. And I mean low. Armed with modern stand off missiles, all they have to do is pop up at the appropriate moment, fire the missiles, and go low again, home.

[bob10]

https://youtu.be/WJuEAQbxWRo?list=PL8F26D920AA815835