First entering service with the Strategic Air Command in 1955, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is the longest-serving active combat aircraft in U.S. Air Force history.
Designed during the Cold War as a long-range strategic nuclear deterrent, the B-52 has adapted across decades to perform conventional carpet bombing, stand-off cruise missile launch, maritime patrol, and precision-guided strike roles across major conflicts, including Vietnam, Desert Storm, and modern global operations.
The B-52H is the ultimate operational variant, equipped with fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engines and modern digital avionics. Known affectionately as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fella), the B-52H fleet is projected to remain operational well into the 2050s, exceeding 90 years of service.
Technical Specifications (Real Aircraft)
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Type: Long-Range Strategic Heavy Commercial / Military Bomber
- First Flight: April 15, 1952 / B-52H introduced 1961
- Powerplant: 8 × Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofans (17,000 lbf / 76 kN thrust each)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW): 220,000 kg (488,000 lb)
- Maximum Speed: Mach 0.86 (1,050 km/h / 650 mph) at altitude
- Combat Range: 14,200 km (8,800 mi) without aerial refueling
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
- Payload Capacity: Up to 31,500 kg (70,000 lb) of ordnance (bombs, AGM-86 cruise missiles, mines, and precision weapons)
- Wingspan: 56.4 m (185 ft 0 in)
- Overall Length: 48.5 m (159 ft 4 in)
