A fuselage of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber is making an interstate trip in the United States. The 61-year-old jet is crossing the country in a trailer and draws attention wherever it goes.
According to The War Zone, the B-52H nicknamed 'Damage Inc. II' was at the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan, the famous US military aircraft graveyard. The 1961-built aircraft arrived there on September 25, 2008, but has now left and is being trucked from Arizona to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The dismantling of the bomber took almost four months.
The last trip of Damage Inc. II should take about 1 month, depending on weather conditions and other factors. The length of 48 meters and the height of the load also make the process difficult, preventing the age over viaducts and smaller streets. Curves at intersections have their margins measured in centimeters.
The entire convoy finally hit the road on Monday morning (03), leaving the Pima Air and Space Museum to begin what will be a long and challenging journey.
Ramón C Purcell, from the group boneyard safari, told the The War Zone that the B-52 and its escorts occupy two lanes of traffic, so they have to pull over every five miles or so to let traffic , which slows them down. Traveling just 50 miles from Pima took over six hours.
#b52roadtrip going up the hill to Heber, AZ #rollsroyce #boeing #usaf #aviationsafari #aviationpreservation #boneyardsafari pic.twitter.com/4DOC5EXoXm
— Boneyard Safari (@Boneyardsafari) January 7, 2022
Even with the inconvenience, people don't seem too bothered by the operation. According to Purcell, they seem excited, if not surprised, to see the iconic bomber on the road. At some stops, crowds of onlookers came to check out the B-52 and even some veteran crew got a chance to interact with their aging aircraft.
Along with the B052's fuselage, registration number 61-0009, its left wing will be transported to a Boeing facility in Oklahoma City, where they will be reattached to form what is known as an integration model. It will be used to test how new systems can be integrated into the B-70's 52-year-old design.
With the B-52H is scheduled to serve alongside the new B-21 Raider for decades, a series of upgrades are planned to keep the aircraft relevant for years to come. They range from new sensors, communications systems, defensive countermeasures, avionics, and especially new engines.
Rolls-Royce was chosen to finally give the Air Force's remaining B-52 fleet, which is comprised of 76 aircraft, modern engines that will significantly increase the aircraft's capabilities, efficiency, reliability and overall sustainability. The initial retrofit and integration work for the new engines will be extensive and using 61-0009 in much of it will dramatically reduce cost and risk as opposed to a flying example.
