B-52 at Duxford

In 1983, in return for three Avro Vulcan bombers being sent to the US, the US Air Force reciprocated by sending a B-52 (it looks like a D model) from Carswell AFB in Texas, to the Duxford museum. The aircraft had to be flown in with minimum fuel reserves, and all unnecessary equipment stripped from it. The runway at Duxford is only 4900 feet long, which is the absolute minimum a B-52 can land on.

After two passes, the crew planted the aircraft on the runway (they actually bounced it, something you don't see a B-52 do every day). To give you an idea of how small a field we're talking, when they came around the taxiway off the runway, the left hand wingtip gear was rolling in the grass. The B-52 fuselage took up the entire taxiway area, with no room for anything else.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I wonder who got the better deal ROFL.

Good to see history preserved.

P

Not sure if its true but I heard that the B52 pilot got lost on his way to Duxford and a local RAF jet had to go get him.

As for the kangaroo landing, the aircraft has various creases over it's skin as a result.
However, the airfields runway is very short for the B52 and the pilot done an amazing job getting it in there.

reminds me of this video

Since I work not far from Duxford, I get almost all of the aircraft flying over my office every day.
Really nice to hear a few merlin engines at full bore with the windows open.

reply to post by diddy1234


Most of them have a few crinkles anyway, so what are a couple more. My father had one, tail number 007, at Castle that was a pilot training aircraft that was literally bent, so it flew crooked.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Thanks for posting the video!

I wonder if that pilot was '#tin' bricks on the approach? I think I would have been if I were on the a/c.

What! I did not know we had a b52 at duxford. I love my aviation and have never been to duxford it's not far from me I think I'm going to have to visit I love b52s

Great to give us a video even....cool
Best B-52 video ever, I didn'tknow they could crinkle the skin....I heard the wing root had aluminum that was 3 inches thick

reply to post by GBP/JPY


Some of the older ones are pretty bad, but you can't walk down the back of one without feeling the skin crinkle under your feet.







What makes it interesting is that like the SR-71, once they heated in flight, the skin would smooth out (somewhat).

ThePeaceMaker
What! I did not know we had a b52 at duxford. I love my aviation and have never been to duxford it's not far from me I think I'm going to have to visit I love b52s

Definitely worth a trip.

Also has a SR-71. The best plane ever built.

Ever. Ever, ever, ever.

(IMO)

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker

reply to post by khimbar


I need my driving license lol I had the opportunity to see an SR71 at international air tattoo at RAF fairford .. However I was young and I was asleep lol

Double post my bad

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


We got told to go to my father's work one day, he had something to show us. He took us to the hangar, opened the door, and there was a Blackbird sitting there. We went up to the ropes, he looked at the guard and asked if I could go up to it, the guard said it was fine, I looked at his gun and said "Nope." He looked back at me and said "It's ok, I won't shoot you."

reply to post by Zaphod58


Nice. Thanks for sharing! S&F.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Hah that's funny I would of been all over that chance as a kid. You have definitely expirenced a lot in your life that's just going by your knowledge. Also that vid that was mental .. I was looking at the time on the vid thinking hmm 5 or so mins and it's just b52 taking off. But no how wrong was I

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


That was back in the day when a MITO take off was 15 seconds. It's up to 30 now. My father used to tell us about ORIs back in the 60s, when the next plane was rolling before the last one was halfway down the runway. Pilots were briefed that if they had to abort DO NOT STOP ON THE RUNWAY, go all the way to the high speed turnoff before slowing. He said by the time the third airplane was gone, you couldn't tell if they were airborne until after they got above the smoke, at which point they were 4 or 5 miles downrange minimum.

reply to post by Zaphod58


My next reply was actually going to be about the taking off I was going to say it seemed all like non stop rolling one after the other very impressive. Also just as a favour Zaph next time you put some acronyms in your replies any chance you can put the meaning I'm brackets after I like to learn and this makes it easy .. Only of you remember of course

And I can see why the planes would be 4 odd miles out till you could see them, that's another thing I loved seeing when a b52 flew was the thick plumes of black smoke .. And smell aviation fuel just aye to top it off

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


I forget sometimes that not everyone has military experience.

MITO= Minimum Interval Take-Off
ORI= Operational Readiness Inspection

reply to post by Zaphod58


Ha thanks sorry I know I could look
It up myself just easy when reading when you know what it is. Regarding the b52 I recall a special manoeuvre using the four sets of wheels, they could angle the aircraft at a certain angle while going along the taxiways

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


Its called crabbing. Its used for landing in cross winds. They can turn the fuselage up to 17 degrees I think it was.