Why the B-52 is outliving newer bombers 

People flying the 1st b52: "wow I wonder what bombers they will have in 2050" 2050: grandkid flying the same airframe.

You just have to love Grandpa Buff. Eventually the upgrades will include warp nacelles and photon torpedoes.

Very fitting this video is being published in the week of James Earl Jones' death as his first film role was as a B-52 bombardier in Dr Strangelove. And considering the production team were denied information about what a B-52 cockpit looked like, they built an uncannily accurate set.

I worked at the USAF depot where the B-52, B-1, E-3 and KC-135 were overhauled. The secret to aircraft like the B-52 and KC-135 having such longevity was the construction method. These aircraft were designed with slide rules plus 20 percent for structure components. Boeing also built the aircraft off a very thick ship-like lower keel. The B-52 and KC-135 will still be flying when the B-1, B-2 and KC-46 are parked at Davis-Monthan Air Force base. Back in the day Boeing really knew how to build very high quality aircraft.

It never gets old hearing stories of B-52 pilots who are grandkids of the first pilots that first flew them!

Don't fix what isn't broken...but you can upgrade it

I was a Marine grunt in the Vietnam War and witnessed several B-52 airstrikes. We never saw the planes and had no idea they were even up there until we saw the huge explosions in the distance, followed by the sound of the bombs falling and the subsequent detonations. We were also witness to the strikes at night when it seemed the whole countryside was lit up by blinding lights of the explosions.

I love the Star Trek meme that shows a B-52 with warp nacelles next to the Enterprise-D of the Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Captain's Log, Stardate 43125.8. In preparation for the decommissioning ceremony for the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, we have the exceptional honor of being escorted by one of the newly re-engined Federation ships...the B-52X"

I saw 689 at Duxford in 1987 when it was still kept outside. Holy cow that was a long time ago. Thanks for the video particularly answering why it is still flying.

The B-52 is the aircraft equivalent of Trigger's broom. It's been flying for over 60 years but has had 4 new handles and 6 new heads! 😂

Funny. I heard a different last word for the acronym BUFF 😂😂😂

Hard to improve on a overbuilt bomb truck. The re-engine program is going to add decades to it's operational life.

The Imperial War Museum at Duxford is special. The living flying exhibits are unique. The construction of the American Air Museum is a fitting tribute our shared sacrifice. During my 4 year service at RAF Mildenhall, I lived in a tiny village just 20 miles from Duxford...LOVED when the Spitfires would fly over my garden during the summer airshow!

"I'm gonna get them doors open if it hairlips everybody in Bear Creek."

Grandapa buff will live forever

very proud to have served as USAF ground crew on B52 in the mid 80s - so many stories, but my fave? me and dad brother sitting around drinking a few years ago - dad (ex-T37 pilot, one engine) griping about how loud the Tweet was, brother (ex-F15 engine specialist) tells him, "that's just one little engine, we had two big ones on the Eagle" - i looked over my glass at them & said, "you two are just adorable..."

In the film Dr. Strangelove, they wanted to use one for filming, USAF said No. So using photos from magazines, the built an interior … the USAF wanted to know where they got the information from … books and magazines …

My dad was a Radar Navigator aboard B-52s, and participated in Operation Desert Fox

'By Dawn's Early Light' is a must see for a B-52 centred movie.

Have an acquaintance who flew the B-52D for 25 years ('til his retirement). He is pushing 93 years of age today and while he has short term memory loss, his long-term memory is solid. The first time I met him, I asked him what it was like to fly the B-52. His reply? "Easy to drive, hard to park." We had a great conversation after that...from Operation Chrome Dome to Linebacker II in 'nam. A true hero to the Strategic Air Command's history.

As bombers shift more and more to being missile trucks, and the next generation of them focuses more and more on stealth, there will still be a place for something that can circle around for a long time, very much visible on radar, and carrying enough explosives aboard to make your military installations resemble the -average Glasgow road- moon it'll have so many -potholes- craters. Stealth does trade some capacity to get the right shapes and sizes for maximum sneak points (B-2 and probably B-21 have about 2/3rds the bomb bay capacity), and of course, you might also be wanting stealth cruise missiles to be even more ninja. And yet sometimes all you really need is a really big hammer. A really big hammer that might also be firing some stealth cruise missiles as well as raining down some other very unwelcome presents....

Saw it in '88 as an Air Cadet during our summer camp at RAE Bedford, jaw dropping to say the least. Concord was there too - know which one I'd rather have been able to fly in, leg room on Concord was terrible.

8:40 I'm so glad that you mention "chrome dome". Before the ICBM, this is how nuclear war was prevented. B-52s taking off from Texas to patrol western Europe. Multiple jets airborne every minute of every hour. Brought to you by the United States and their taxpayers ... our condolences to Greenland for the accident. Really impressive video! Thumbs up, new sub.!

I currently work at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, Home of B-52 52-8711, the first B-52 delivered to the Air Force.

Grandpa Buff and Franklin 2024!

The reason for the losses at Christmas during Linebacker II was because the crews were ordered to turn at an angle which greatly reduced the effects of the aircrafts missile jammers. Before they flew these missions the crews warn that this would cause those losses but were told to do it anyway. Once the losses started to build they were told not to turn so tightly.

Love the B52. Seen 2 fly & some on static at RIAT & seen the example at Duxford. I am still surprised that it managed to land at Duxford considering the length of the runway & size of the aircraft

Worked on the Ds and Gs gun system (DFCS) 72-79 at Loring, UT and Griffiss. One of the best times of my life.

The "B-52s," what other bomber could create such memorable songs as "Love Shack" and "Rock Lobster"? 😉😁😄

Well written and presented doc. Excellent narration.

Y'know when I was a kid a Hickam, I remember the first time I saw the B52s flying overhead, it wasn't until I saw the F15s flying escort that it dawned on me at how BIG those bombers were! Later when I saw them on the ground did they really impressed me on their enormous size. The ONLY time I ever saw a bigger plane was the C5 Galaxy!!!

Excellent presentation!

An accurate history of the B-52 but the title implies the video would answer why it has outlived the bombers built to replace it. I don't think this video explains that, at least not explicitly. Still, a good presentation.

Great video, yep the b52 which is getting fitted with british Rolls Royce jet engines

brilliant informative video, many thanks to all those people involved in making it

The mic sound is peculiar in this video.

I've always been fascinated by the extremely well thought out engineering that allowed this thing to last and adapt with the times this is called good engineering folks!

Grandpa Buff has seen more action than the kid and still going

I love that they named it after such a great band. 😂

This old girl is half a century old She flies right up where the air is cold You bet it's gonna be tough if you're underneath a Buff And may god have mercy on your soul She sits there in the dark and all alone I just hope they never ring that phone 'Cause if they do she'll puke six or seven great big nukes In the back yard of someone else's home She hauls a hundred plus Mark 82s And when she flies I mind my Ps and Qs They've flown that big ass bongo from Minot to the Congo Routine for a B-52 She flew the Arc Lights over Vietnam She did it all for her Uncle Sam She heard them weep and wail up and down the Ho Chi trail About those bastards she don't give a damn They sent for her in 1991 She told herself "Now this is gonna be fun" They called it Desert Storm and she made it mighty warm For them SOBs beneath the desert sun Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda too Would find out what the mighty Buff can do She beat the Taliban all around Afghanistan Until their bloody ass was black and blue She's been around since Jesus was a boy No place in this world she can't destroy She's Johnny on the spot when everything gets hot I thank the folks at Boeing for this toy

July 4, 2276: in honor of the nation's 500-year anniversary, the B-52Ω performs a flyover of the capital of the US State of Mars.

Did anyone catch the “You-eye-nals” 😂 8:05

To bad Boeing forgot how to build good aircraft.

Miss those. Grew up near Griffiss AFB. Overflights daily

Long live Geandpa BUFF!

Very interesting video IWM Thanks Really enjoyed my visit to Duxford a few years ago. Probably time for a re visit I think.

The B-52 is an imposing example of "if it works, it doesn't need replacement".

Kinda wish the Vulcan would have received the same upgrade program as the B-52.

Last time I was at Duxford, the US part was closed so didn't get to see it. What is amazing though Hattie is seeing you climb in to the cockpit there and how "snug" it appears in such a large aircraft. A very well presented video and a great deal of knowledge is obviously in yours and your colleagues brains. How come you and you colleagues, especially my friend Graham, are not presenting docos like this on mainstream television?

At 4 minutes 23 seconds into this video Hattie says that "on each wing we have four pods, each housing a pair of Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojet engines". That would be a total of sixteen engines, would it not? Doh!

Nice video, This was when things were built properly and always over engineered.

You forgot the wood model made in the hotel room. Lemay didn't want a cockpit where the pilot and copilot sat behind the pilot. The side by side was a must by Lemay!

I saw one of these flying out of nowhere on a ship while I was in the Indian Ocean. It seemed pretty low altitude, perhaps giving us a friendly hello. It reminded me of seeing the Star Trek Enterprise by the F-104 pilot in an episode. I wondered how it stayed aloft, lol. I understand why its called the BUFF.

Realistically, if the USAF wants a replacement, they need to drag out the original designs and - very lightly - update them. No changes without a damn good reason. Replacing the engines definitely counts as a damn good reason, by the way.

learning something new all the time. I never knew BUFF stood for that. I always thought it was something else. So if the BUFF is going on for 100 years, why did we get rid of the Vulcans?

Two of my uncles flew on B52s.

I really miss flying in these.

Iconic Undercarriage...those slowly folding twisting massive feet snugly nestled in their bays...TOO COOL!

Pretty sure BUFF stood for “Big Ugly Fat (and an F word not repeatable)

if the B-52 is still being used in the 2050s it's the equivalent of us still using WW1 biplanes lmao

TRIVIA: The B52 was in the movies: "Bombers B-52" and of course, "Dr. Strangelove...". A RAF Vulcan bomber was hijacked by SPECTRE in "Thunderball."

I'm just realizing now that with the b52Js soon arriving and given how long the lifespan will be for the buff we may actually live to see the old plane run-out of letter designations

Certainly an impressive part of the Duxford exhibition. I visited in the 2001-2003 period and took photos using actual film! I left with the impression that while an aircraft can look very big from the outside the reality on the interior is nothing less than claustaphobic. Thanks for the experience and see you next time I am in country!

Buff is a difficult aircraft to fly. Very interesting the B-52 its four double engines & other features.

12:08 that was a Navy landing...

How weird is it that the B52 has now been operational for far longer than the time between its first flight and that of the Wright Brothers first powered flight? We went from Wright Flyer to B52 in about 50 years, the B52 has been around for about 70 years, and counting!

Loved….amongst its politer crews.

3:22 He would say that, or he’d never work for Boeing ever again.

It’s not some silly saying to say “they don’t build things like they used to”, it’s simply a fact

Due respect to Curator Hearn and the rest of the staff from Imperial War Museum who put together this excellent video. You should have replaced the word 'antiquated' with 'vintage' in your closing statement. 'Antiquated' meaning old, no longer useful, or outmoded which the B-52 clearly isn't. Where as 'vintage' meaning old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality which the B-52 clearly is. The aircraft is a brilliantly crafted workhorse that stands the test of time!

Another very informative and well presented video..... Thank you IWM... Roger.. Pembrokeshire

The fact that the B-52 may still be flying 100 years from it's first inception is beyond astounding. It was born into a world where the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15 ruled the sky. It has already lived to see the advent of 6th gen fighters, who knows what might be flying alongside it in 20 or 30 years time.

Grandpa Buff is eternal.

Thank you. I have a hard time considering the BUFF as a "ground attack aircraft" or as any other "low level" (meaning, sub-30k feet) type aircraft. I'm ignorant of many/most "new" war time scenarios, so maybe I misunderstand her current roles. When she entered USAF service, this is NOT the bomber I'd have guessed to be a "50-year platform". She's right in there with the C-130 and, to a lesser extent, the A-10 Warthog. ("Go Ugly Early!") Thanks again.

Grandpa Buff is forever!

When choosing military equipment, you either go very low or very high, preferably both. Anything in the middle is both overkill and too expensive.

The old "how much does the paint weight?" method of size comparison, the gold standard of aircraft size comparison. Does IWM actually understand it's audence for these videos?

Fly high, fly safe big bird.

Grandpa Buff - Franklin 2024 🔥🔥

Realky good. Presenter could have mentioned the M61 tailgub phase - and the (very) relative low cost per hour of flight and high serviceability could have been added to the reasons given for the type's long service. (Serviceability came up later - knowing nothing, I was surprised at how high the quoted figure was.)-

THE DAY I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

The B-52 bomber is the absolute beast of all bomber aircraft. It was first built the year before I was born "1953" and it will still be flying by fantastic young men and women long after I am gone from this world. Only the 4 Iowa class battleships come close to matching the history of the B-52 bomber. Shalom

I think it’s fascinating that the RAFs contemporary to the B52, the Avro Vulcan looks much sleeker and more modern than the B52. Obviously the upgradability and the willingness of the US air force has allowed the B52 to be in service over 40 years after the Vulcan was retired

They are so old they are being flown by the grandchildren (girls and boys) of the men who originally flew them as new back in the 1960’s.

The wreckage of a B-52 D or G shot down during Operation Linebacker II is on display at the B-52 Victory Museum, Hanoi.

Worth noting that B52s were part of the air campaign *before* air superiority was established over Iraq, not even total supremacy. The B52s fired the first shots of the gulf war when Operation Senior Surprise saw the longest bombing mission in the history of warfare saw seven B52s depart the mainland US and deploy cruise missiles before returning to their base, remaining airborne during the entire operation.

The large variety of modern stand-off weapons that can be carried is keeping the B-52 still in service, since it can launch weapons well away from enemy air defense systems. The deployment of the original AGM-69 SRAM missile proved that point, and even more so when the AGM-86B ALCM started to become available by 1980. Interestingly, the RAF should have modernized their Avro Vulcan fleet, too. Fitted with more fuel-efficient and quieter Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, a totally new three-person digital cockpit and the ability to carry modern standoff weapons, the modernized Vulcan B.2 would likely still be in service in 2024.

Can’t afford to build anything like a b52 so keep patching it

This audio really is messed up.

Can’t afford to replace them So keep patching them them til the air frames fail

689 so alot of action over N. Vietnam. D model

Why no mention of the B47 and where that fitted in to the development of large USAF bombers?

Excellent video, thank you, 👍👍👍👊.

Buff and Franklin 2024!

An analog plane that flies in the future

I was born in 1952, the same year the B-52 was born. I was three when it first took flignt, in 1955. Now they tell me that the BUFF will outlive me, which is fine, unlessi live to be 98😂

Grandpa buff and Franklin 2024!

The wing mounted hanging engines make them very simple to repair, replace and upgrade

The civilian casualty numbers are based on NVA reporting versus reality

The Air Force and Congress are going to pay for updating these antique aircraft to make them somewhat suitable to operate in the 1980's. For the price of 76 updated B-52's, they could purchase more than 80 new, stealthy, B-21 Raiders. That is IF, the B-52 upgrade program sticks to its budget and schedule. Most likely, the program will get further and further behind, the costs will rise until they are forced to cut the quantity of modified aircraft. My guess; the USAF will get 70, or fewer, B-52's at a cost over $50 Billion. Or, they could have 80-90 new B-21's, with modern sensors, that would cost less than that.