A B-52H Stratofortress, belonging to the 2nd Bomb Wing, from Barksdale Air Force Base, in the state of Louisiana, made a beautiful takeoff in a crosswind and the moment was recorded in a video that can be seen below.
The takeoff took place in April 2019 at the RAF airbase in Fairford, UK, but the video is only now making the rounds on the internet.
In the footage it is possible to see the work of the landing gear of the bombers that are in the central part of the aircraft.
According to NASA's explanation “The landing gear of the B-52 is of the same bicycle arrangement as the B-47, but has four bogies with two wheels instead of the two bogies used in the previous aircraft. Compared to their location on the B-47, the stabilizer wheels are positioned much closer to the wingtip on the B-52. An interesting feature of the B-52 landing gear greatly eases the problems caused by crosswind landings. The front and rear bogies can be adjusted to angles of up to 20° to either side of the straight-ahead position. In a crosswind landing, consequently, the aircraft may be directed directly into the wind while rolling down a runway not aligned with the wind. ”
The B-52Hs continue to operate even with their advanced age and the USAF plans to further extend the useful life of these iconic aircraft. For this you will need a lady modernization in airplanes, modernization that includes changing avionics, engines, range of new weapons, among other modifications.
