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Old B-52 Stratofortresses, like other United States military aircraft, go to Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, Arizona to be retired, to the facility once known as the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC), and now known as the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) .
B-52E
Stratofortresses in the contractors' area of MASDC on April 27,
1975. 57-0710, 56-0711 and 57-0127 and a host of others have had
many of the more easily removable companents salvaged already.
Photographer: Brian Lockett.
The SAC badge on B-52E, 56-0709 had seen better
days by April 27, 1975. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
By December 30, 1981, B-52F, Serial 57-0177, was
retired, along with all other B-52E and B-52F model
Stratofortresses. This Stratofortress had been painted aluminum
over gloss white by the end of its career. Photographer: Brian
Lockett.
Parts of over two dozen B-52E and B-52F Stratofortresses can
be seen in this picture of the reclamation area of the Military
Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) on December 30,
1981. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
By December 30, 1981, the supply of spare B-52 main landing gear was
augmented by removing a diagonal pair of main gear bogies from
57-0105 and many other Stratofortresses. 57-0105 wears Strategic
Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) camouflage over anti-flash
white. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Windows and radomes of B-52E, 57-0115 have been coated
with spray latex, or "spraylat". It is applied with a
black layer underneath to opaque the windows for protection from
sunlight, and a white outer layer to reflect sunlight and keep
temperatures down inside the airplane. Photographer: Brian
Lockett.
B-52E, 57-0108
is still relatively intact on December 30, 1981. The old Navy
gooney birds in the foreground have not fared as well.
Photographer: Brian Lockett.
B-52E,
56-0651 is wearing patched and fading SIOP camouflage on a cloudy
December 19, 1984. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
B-52F, Serial
57-0039, is seen here in November 24, 1986. It had been joined by
the black-tailed B-52D fleet, which had also been relegated to
AMARC at that time. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
I couldn't quite read the last digit of the serial number of this
B-52C wearing SIOP
camouflage, but it starts 54-040. It shares the field with
Lockheed P-2 Neptunes on November 24, 1986. Photographer: Brian
Lockett.
B-52E,
57-0132. Over a dozen Stratofortesses can be seen in this view of
the AMARC on November 24, 1996. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
NB-52D,
56-0620 was the only D model not camouflaged. It was sitting on
"celebrity row" at AMARC on September 9, 1989.
Photographer: Brian Lockett.
NB-52D,
56-0620 spent its whole operational life at the AFSWC at Kirtland
dropping dummy nukes. Photographer: Brian
Lockett.
Aubrey Grey, a former B-52 crewman, has kindly
provided this photograph of NB-52D,
56-0620 at El Centro NAS circa 1968. The plane was stationed at
Kirtland AFB at the time. 
B-52E,
56-0636 sat next to the Boeing 367-8790 prototype of the 707 on
celebrity row on September 9, 1989. It lacked the right inboard
engine nacelle becuse it had been used as the testbed for the
Pratt & Whitney JT-9D engine for the 747. The two J57s were
replaced by a single engine with more thrust than the four
engines on the other side of the airplane put together.
Photographer: Brian Lockett.
One of the most colorful of the
Stratofortresses was the NB-52E
Control Configured Vehicle (CCV), Serial 56-0632, which had been
operated by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory. It was
already retired to AMARC on September 9, 1989, when this picture
was taken. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Giant Jet Airplanes |
||||||
| First Flight | Wing Span | Length | Wing Area | Gross Weight | Engines | |
| Airbus A380 | 2005 |
261ft,10in |
239ft,06in |
9,100 |
1,235,000 |
4 x 84,000 lb RR Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP-7200 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 2003 |
212ft,07in |
242ft,04in |
4,700 |
775,000 |
2 x 115,300 lb GE90-115B |
| Airbus A340-600 | 2001 |
208ft,02in |
247ft,01in |
4,729 |
811,300 |
4 x 56,000 lb RR Trent 556 |
| Boeing 777-200 | 1994 |
209ft,01in |
199ft,11in |
4,605 |
545,000 |
2 x 74,000 lb PW4074, GE90-75B, or RR Trent 875 |
| Airbus A330-300 | 1992 |
197ft,10in |
208ft,10in |
3,892 |
507,000 |
2 x 51,590 lb GE CF6-80E, PW4000, or RR Trent 700 |
| Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet | 1988 |
211ft,05in |
231ft,10in |
5,650 |
833,000 |
4 x 45,000 PW4062 or GE CF6-80C2B1F |
| Antonov An-225 Mryia | 1988 |
290ft,00in |
275ft,07in |
10,280 |
1,300,000 |
6 x 51,590 lb DT-18T |
| Antonov An-124 Ruslan | 1984 |
240ft,00in |
227ft,00in |
6,760 |
890,000 |
4 x 51,590 lb DT-18T |
| Tupolev 160 Blackjack | 1981 | 182ft, 09in | 177ft, 06in | 3,660 | 606,000 | 4 x 50,900 lb NK-321 |
| Lockheed C-5A Galaxy | 1968 |
222ft,08in |
247ft,10in |
6,200 |
769,000 |
4 x 50,000 lb GE TF-39 |
| Boeing 747-100 Jumbo Jet | 1968 |
195ft,08in |
231ft,04in |
5,500 |
850,000 |
4 x 50,000 lb P&W JT9D |
| Antonov An-22 Antheus | 1965 |
211ft,04in |
189ft,07in |
3,713 |
550,000 |
4 x 15,000 shp Kuznetsov NK-12MV |
| North American XB-70A Valkyrie | 1964 |
105ft,00in |
189ft,00in |
6,297 |
530,000 |
6 x 33,000,lb J-93 |
| Boeing B-52 Stratofortress | 1952 |
185ft,00in |
157ft,07in |
4,000 |
450,000 |
8 x 8,000 lb J-57 |
| Convair YB-60 | 1952 |
206ft,05in |
175ft,02in |
5,239 |
410,000 |
8 x 8,000 lb J-57 |
Boeing B-52
Stratofortresses displays.
You can buy a 2008 Calendar featuring my photographs of Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses.
A dozen photos of Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses in flight.
Stratofortresses pictured include:
B-52D 56-0612, March Air Force Base, February 23, 1978;
B-52H 60-0050, Edwards Air Force Base, November 9, 1986, October 23, 1988, October 9, 1999;
B-52G 58-0183, Saline Valley, October 25, 1989;
B-52G 57-6519, Edwards Air Force Base, October 29, 1989;
B-52G 59-2565, Castle Air Force Base, September 17, 1992;
B-52H 60-0008, Nellis Air Force Base, April 25, 1997;
B-52H 61-0023, Nellis Air Force Base, February 1, 2002;
NASA NB-52B 52-0008/X-43A Hyper-X, Edwards Air Force Base, November 16, 2004;
B-52H 60-0026, Naval Air Station Pt Mugu, March 29, 2007;
and Rockwell B-1B Lancer 85-0068, Edwards Air Force Base, October 9, 1999
Put a copy of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: 2008 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $16.95.
You can buy a 2008 calendar featuring my photographs of Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base.
A dozen photos of Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing flying at Castle Air Force Base in 1992 and 1993. Stratofortresses pictured include:
B-52G 57-6473
B-52G 58-0214
B-52G 58-0258
B-52G 59-2565
B-52G 59-5888
Put a copy of the Boeing B-52G Stratofortresses of the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base: 2008 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $16.95.
Books about
B-52 Stratofortresses available from 
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress by Tony Thornborough
B-52 Stratofortress : Boeing's Cold War Warrior
by Robert F. Dorr, Lindsay Peacock
B-52 Stratofortress in Action by Larry Davis
B-52 Walk Around by Lou Drendel
Boeing B-47, B-52 and the Avro Vulcan by Stewart Wilson (Legends of the Air Series Vol 5)
Boeing B-52 : A Documentary History by Walter J. Boyne
Usaf Plus Fifteen : A Photo History 1947-62 by
Menard. Full color photos of Air Force aircraft from 1947 to
1962.
Books about
the Strategic Air Command available from 
America's Shield : The Story of the Strategic Air
Command and Its People
Big Bombers : Strategic Air Command's B-52S, Swingwings, and Stealth by Robert F. Dorr, Jim Benson
Peace Was Their Profession : SAC : A Tribute by
Mike Hill, John M. Campbell, Donna Campbell
SAC, the Strategic Air Command by Richard Gibson Hubler
Send a message to Brian.