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Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
 

Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress"

 
 
Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 6, 2012
1. Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress" Marker
Inscription.
Remaining in operation longer than any bomber in U.S. military history, the B-52 was the Strategic Air Command's principal long-range heavy bomber from the time it became operational in 1955. Affectionately known as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fellow), it first flew on April 15, 1952. Nearly 750 B-52s (170 of them B-52Ds) had been built when production ended in October 1962. The B-52Ds were modified to carry the largest conventional bomb load of any in the series and due to the "Big Belly" and external carriage modifications, it could carry 108 conventional munitions. On January 18, 1957, mid-air refueling enabled B-52s to complete the world's first nonstop around-the-world flight by a jet aircraft. The flight lasted 45 hours, 19 minutes. A B-52 also made the first-known airborne H-bomb drop on May 21, 1956, over Bikini Atoll. B-52s entered combat in June 1965, flying missions in Southeast Asia (SEA). By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with 17 B-52s lost to enemy action.

The aircraft on display (S/N 55-0057) saw extensive service in SEA, logging over 300 combat missions including six during the Linebacker II operation in December 1972. Its 27-year career began in 1956 with the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, and ended 14,204 flying hours later with its final flight to Maxwell on October 11,
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1983. It served with numerous bombardment wings and saw combat with the 22nd Bomb Wing, 99th Bomb Wing, and 306th Bomb Wing.

Specifications
Span: 185 ft.
Length: 156 ft. 6 in.
Height: 48 ft. 3 in.
Weight: 450,000 lbs. loaded
Armament: Four .50 cal. machine guns in tail plus 50,000 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs thrust each with water-alcohol injection
Crew: Six
Cost: $7,000,000

Performance
Maximum speed: 638 mph
Cruising speed: 526 mph
Range: 8,338 statute miles unrefueled
Service ceiling: 46,200 ft.

This aircraft in on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
 
Erected by United States Air Force.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & SpacePatriots & PatriotismWar, ColdWar, Vietnam. A significant historical date for this entry is January 18, 1957.
 
Location. 32° 22.938′ N, 86° 20.79′ W. Marker is in Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Marker is on Twining Street north of Ash Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is in the Maxwell Air Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Montgomery AL 36112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sikorsky MH-53M 'Pave Low IV' Helicopter (about 300 feet away, measured in
Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress" image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 6, 2012
2. Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress"
View from near marker
a direct line); William R. Lawley, Jr. (about 400 feet away); British and Commonwealth Pilots Trained in the U.S.A. (about 400 feet away); Monument to Powered Flight (about 400 feet away); North American B-25 Mitchell (about 400 feet away); McDonnell RF-101C "Voodoo" (about 400 feet away); Air University / Maxwell Air Force Base (about 400 feet away); 1Lt Karl W. Richter (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Maxwell Air Force Base.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
 
Also see . . .
1. B-52D Stratofortress. Global Security website entry (Submitted on April 16, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) 

2. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 22, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress" image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 6, 2012
3. Boeing B-52D "Stratofortress"
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,430 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 16, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 19, 2024