Boeing NB-52A "The High and Mighty One" Cockpit Tour 

Your Uncle must have had some incredible tales! Is he still with us?

That is ace! Thanks for sharing

I lived in North Edwards in the 70's and totally relate..

They have done an incredible job on her. The dynawrite lables everywhere was amazing to see.

@@damcasterspod The sheer number of those Dynawriter labels! There must have been a NASA secretary stationed at Edwards just to generate those.

Interesting how you deleted the comment I made stating my Grandfather was the Crew Chief of the "High And Mighty One" B-52 tail 003 whom launched the X-15... I am also a Marine veteran. Why did you remove my comments?

Very jeslous for getting to look around FIFI, bucket list trip to visit them.

Just stick 8 of the most powerful jet engines at the time

A flying static display?

@@jcdenton6074 No it was on display

I used to have an Alfa Romeo, my oil consumption was about the same...

Thanks!

It is a privelage I don't wear lightly! It is amazing to get to do this and I hope to get better in how I film it all to share the experience with everyone.

For the amount I get to do this, I'm not sure I can justify the cost but I have been consider one or someting like the DJI Pocket 3. Hopefully, if these videos and the interviews prove popular, I'll be able to sneak one past my wife.

DO NOT GET A GO-PRO !! they are Notorious for failing ,overheating, and corrupting files !! Agreed go with the DJI !!

Different times!

It is a toasty warm piece of history...

Glad you enjoyed it!

I always wondered why they removed that small window on the left side of the Radar/Nav compartment. Many of the downstairs crews would get airsickness and claustrophobic when it was removed. 🤮

Happy to make any connections required to make this happen!

Thanks for watching!

I'd certainly get comfy and listen to them all

It sure would!

NASA aircraft since the late 50s have often carried an N prefix, but that nuclear 36 is quiet something. Have you seen our video on Pima's B-36 on the channel?

@@damcasterspod I specified TWO letters, NB. But I DID forget about NASA's OTHER former bomber the WB-57 which was derived from the venerable Canberra. I did glance at it, talking about what was the last Peacemaker built, but learned about them Many years ago when I wrote a term paper on SAC. But the story of the NB-36 is just as interesting.

“N” is the USAF prefix for an aircraft that has been permanently modified to be a test aircraft. “J” is the prefix for an aircraft that is temporarily modified to be a test aircraft. 56-620 was an NB-52D permanently assigned to the Air Force Special Weapons (i.e. nukes) Center. It apparently carried the JB-52D designation for a while. 56-632 was an NB-52E permanently assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center. 57-119 was an NB-52E provided to GE to test engines for use on the C-5 Galaxy. 56-636 was a B-52E provided to Pratt and Whitney to test their JT9D turbojet engine, but I can’t find any information that says it was officially designated “NB.” I would think it was because there’s a picture of that B-52 flying with a single JT9D mounted under the right wing in place of the inboard engines 5/6 pod. This was the same set up I think as GE engine testing on 57-119, and Pratt &Whitney kept that B-52 until it was scrapped. The JT9D was the first engine for the Boeing 747, which Boeing designed and submitted as a competitor against the Lockheed Galaxy.

In which regard? The interior? You should see the state of the interiors of aircraft in some museums...

As we said in the video, 003 is one of the 8 B-52As produced and spent its whole service with NASA at Edwards, hence the NB designation. Her record is highly documented and Pima have done great work documenting her history.

D and G models were the primary units used. Maybe a few F.

The Cessna 195 had the crosswind landing gear.

I think most of the 1488 yoke logos have mysteriously disappeared. 😉

There also wasn't much need for them once the X-15 program finished and given how modified they were, NASA moved on.

They flew a B52H model after balls 003 and 008 got park for about 15 years I remember being on a 135 and we actually did an air-to-air refuel on its replacement it was funny to see a all white 52

Almost the entire collection is open for you to walk around. There are a handful of aircraft in the restoration area, but the are visable over a very short fence at the top of the site. With the B-52A out, all the main 'big things' are back on the line.

It was moved back into the public area with the B-36 and other B-52s this week!

I believe that refers to "Lifting Body" for the M2-F3 and X-24

In military and NASA humor, "Large Bomb"

No, Pima does not restore aircraft to flight but preserves them for future generations. The USAF and NASA wouldn't allow it anyways.

The last Buff NASA operated was Balls 8, a B-52B, which was retired in 2004.

​​@@damcasterspodThanks. I have thought that sort of a high altitude test launcher would come in handy for NASA. edit: correct my spell check.

Balls 3

@@Spectator1959 thanks!👍

I'll play with that for future videos. Thanks for the feedback

It’s just the normal flex created by the wings. If I remember correctly, the wing moves about 14 feet from take off to cruise configuration.

@@Hawker900XP what I meant was in the fuselage sorry should have been more clear

@@sidthompso8097 Yes, the wings being attached to the fuselage creates those ripples from just forward of the wing all the way back to the 47 section of the fuselage.

@Hawker900XP Gotha thanks my friend for the clarification

Balls 3 actually

Thanks for your feedback and I am sorry you found the video lacking. This video, based on this edit, didn't proport that Joe and I were anything more than an excited enthisuat and an aircraft designer getting a very rare oportunity. Prehaps on my next visit, if you are around, we could correct the record by looking over the A, D and G models.

A killjoy makes it's presense known, much like a vegan and decaf coffee drinkers .

The man knows his aircraft and I understand his point.

There's a better way to say that if improving the conversation is truly your goal.

It is the internet, I just try to keep things moving along happily here.

True story

Do you mean 0003?

Interesting model productuon number breakdown

@@leftseat30 I worked on them and learned their history when I was SAC 82-92 when the command changed 1 June 92

@damcasterspod No 0008 and if I remember right it's as gate guard at Edward's AFB

@@thomascreary990 The plane featured in this video is NB-52A 52-0003, not NB-52B 52-0008. 003 had orange paint (in schemes that varied over time) and you can see in the video 003 painted on the nose (26:26)and the tail (20:10) as they do the walk around. 008 does not have orange paint, but it did have a yellow horizontal stripe outlining “NASA” at the top of the vertical stabilizer; otherwise it was basically silver. This makes it easy to distinguish them in the videos. Both were used as mothership for the X 15. 008 is at Edwards and 003 at Pima.

I'm affraid not, this aircraft is one of the 8 B-52As and one of the two operated by NASA until the 1970s. The B-model was first to be delivered to the USAF.

Only 3 B-52A models were produced, 52-0003 being the third. They were officially delivered to the USAF but all three immediately loaned to Boeing for testing. The B-36 was originally slated to carry the X-15, but it was realized the B-36 would be out of service by the time the X-15 was ready to fly, so the NASA chose the B-52 to replace it. 003 was converted to NB-52A configuration starting in February 1958. It was retired in 1969 and went to “The Boneyard” for storage, later transferred to museum at Pima. 50 B-52B/RB-52B models were produced and were the first B-52s to enter actual service. RB-52B 52-0008 was converted to NB configuration starting in Jan 1959. It was retired in 2004. At the time it was the oldest flying but lowest flight hour B-52 in service. It is on display at Edwards AFB. The USAF loaned (and later transferred )B-52H 61-0025 to NASA in 2001 to replace 008, and NASA designed a new pylon for it to launch research vehicles. But after 008 was retired there were no projects envisioned that would require a B-52 as mothership, so NASA returned 025 to the USAF. It became a maintenance trainer at Sheppard AFB. p.s. X-15 was carried by both 003 (40 times) and 008 (159 times). On the side of the airplane the horizontal X-15 mark means a captive carry, and the angled X-15 means a launch.

I was conflating 8 variants with numbers built. And I do believe we mention that this one of two of the motherships, mainly as the NARA footage available is mostly of Balls 8.