The greatest bomber on the planet.

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tigisfat said:
I'm not talking about likability, I'm talking sheer capability. The B-52 cannot do half the things a B-1 can, and it never will.
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This could get interesting - especially with the number of prior B-52 aircrew members we have here at SOH...:monkies:
 
Panther_99FS said:
This could get interesting - especially with the number of prior B-52 aircrew members we have here at SOH...:monkies:
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Yes, but how many current B-1 and B-52 guys are there? These aircraft are in a continuous state of upgrade, and they are a far different beast than they were 20 years ago. Not only that, but their current value can only be measured by how they're employed currently. I've taken both aircraft overseas.

On a sidenote, I didn't know we had any B-52 aircrew members. Who are we talking about?
 
Panther_99FS said:
GZR_Sactargets & GZR_Greebean (Greenbean) to name a couple...
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That's pretty cool. I haven't seen them here, I'll assume they were more active a while ago, or don't come around the FSX side of the house much. All the more reason for Captainsim's B-52. I'll bet it's been semi-permanently curbed anyway.
 
Well, it’s obvious that someone who rides in, or works on, a particular plane will have a non-objective bias towards that plane (i.e., will like it more.) In terms of capability, clearly the B-2 is better than the B-1. Simply no question about it.:d
 
tigisfat said:
I'm not talking about likability, I'm talking sheer capability. The B-52 cannot do half the things a B-1 can, and it never will.
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and the B-52 has done more and flew more than the B-1 ever will.
Just to set the record straight though...I love the B-1 and hope it will be around many more years.

Where's my FSX B-52?

Bob
 
b52bob said:
and the B-52 has done more and flew more than the B-1 ever will.
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The B-1 didn't have the chance to, because B-52s were overproduced just to close the bomber gap in the 50's and sixties. You can't just give up after you've made 900 of the things, yuo gotta stick with them.

When it finally got it's chance, it outdid the B-52 in every aspect. During Operation Anaconda, the B-1's first serious outing, B-1s flew 3% of the total sorties and dropped 46% of all munitions. The media doesn't like the B-1, so noone heard about that. Rest assured that those number swill remain unmatched for a long time, and probably by any bomber. The B-1 brings capabilities to the table no other bomber can.



b52bob said:
Where's my FSX B-52?
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I know, right? Yago made a great photoreal repaint for the Alpha B-52, and it not only dissapeared, they don't work in FSX.
 
Panther_99FS said:
Well...
I knew that sooner or later that this thread would turn into its' very name/subject sake "The Greatest Bomber On The Planet" :mixedsmi:
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eh, it happens. Here's another comparison:

There's a great deal about B-1s that remains classified. B-52s, on the other hand, don't have very many secrets. They have been modified over the years, but there are certain things it's aging platform just can't support.


Most of the argument for B-52s is: B-52s are awesome because they're awesome and they've been around forever!! Everyone likes a cherry old corvette, but it's no match for the latest Formula 1 cars.
 
Alright, the B-1 has more capabilities now, but what about what's went before. seven days on the alert pad every other week, chrome dome missions for 24 hours straight, a BIG part in bringing Viet Nam to a close, the deterent during all those years of the cold war. Our opponents in various wars saying that the B-52 was the most feared weapon in war. The thousands of crew members that spent many hours with them and almost always brought them home. The first low level bombing sorties....etc.

Not to mention some great movies like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove riding that nuke down!

Bob
 
this bomber was built when i was 3 years old....and i'm 51 so do the math:icon_lol:

b52.jpg


the longevity, combat record and cold war record qualifies the Buff as greatest bomber on the planet.

period.
 
b52bob said:
Alright, the B-1 has more capabilities now, but what about what's went before.
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The B-1 was designed in the B-52's heyday with most of the capabilities it has now. Now we carry more advanced weapons and have better targeting and self-ident capabilities, but the B-1 was literally designed by B-52 people to carry the same weapons, perform the same missions and do it better.

b52bob said:
seven days on the alert pad every other week, chrome dome missions for 24 hours straight
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The B-1's done it too.

b52bob said:
a BIG part in bringing Viet Nam to a close, the deterent during all those years of the cold war.
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I can't argue with that!!

b52bob said:
The thousands of crew members that spent many hours with them and almost always brought them home.
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The B-52 does sport an accident/incident rate worse than that of the B-1.

b52bob said:
The first low level bombing sorties....etc.
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Ah, an art pioneered by B-52s for strategic strikes, but perfected by B-1s. It'll probably die with B-1s too.
 
redriver6 said:
......On this or any other planet....
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(please excuse my paraphrasing):bump:

My imagination is running wild right now with images of smoky old clunking B-52s screaming along low level (nose down, tail high of course) while alien spaceships look for it in a purple sky with three moons. :icon_lol:


I gotta say, B-52 guys like B-52s..........because they like B-52s. The BUFF is a great aircraft, but like I said, you can't tell a classic Corvette owner that they would get beat at the track by a new Formula 1 car.

The BUFF guys are out in full force!! I noticed the recent Avatar changes, nice.:guinness: I might have to conjure something up myself to compete. As well, it will have to show something a BUFF can't do....

OH YEAH!!! I passed 1,000 posts in this thread!!
 
b52bob,
I've never worked directly with B-52's, - but I also won't try to take away your pride in such an aircraft that already has & will continue to leave its mark in history.

You BUFF guys did a helluva a lot that my generation hasn't - and you did it in worse conditions with less pay. :medals:

I can only hope that my generation can live up to some of the standards that you folks have set for us!

If you're in Louisiana & I'm still at Barksdale, I'd be honored if you looked me up....:icon29:
 
Best investment

IMHO the biggest merrit of the BUFF is that it is the best investment the USAF has ever made.

I can't see the B-1 of B-2 living up to that!
 
imagination is running wild right now with images of smoky old clunking B-52s screaming along low level (nose down, tail high of course) while alien spaceships look for it in a purple sky with three moons. :icon_lol:
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:icon_lol::icon_lol:
 
PRB said:
I work with some retired and active duty (guard) B-52 and B-1 flight crews. The B-52 guys seem proud of their plane. The one B-1 guy has very little good things to say about the B-1, which surprised me. He's an EW guy and most of his contempt is reserved for those systems, which he has very little “faith” in. I like the B-1. Awesome looking ship. But, the “greatest”? B-52! The loudest? B-1, no question! :d
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I guess the B-2 doesn't frequent your neck of the woods........... It doesn't seem to stealthy on take off. You can hear the thunder way before you see the bomber! Where I live if you don't see or hear at least one B-2 daily, they are grounded for some reason.
 
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