'Planning to use the remaining H models on into the 2040's. BTW, that large open area in the BUFF aft fuselage wasn't really meant to haul cargo (no proper floor), but it could hold a bunch. Access hatch in the belly sorta small - maybe 3 feet by 3 feet or less.
Wilton ----- Original Message ----- From: "E M" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 3:47 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - BUFF stuff for Ed > Great story Wilton! The BUFF really is the evergreen bomber, and a pretty > good cargo plane too from the sounds of it. > > I have a site bookmarked that features pictures submitted by members of > various planes. Lots of pics of BUFFs on there too. Always sad to see one > being parted out, or scrapped. As far as operational costs go, the BUFF is > probably pretty cheap. Do you see a similar design coming one day to > replace it, or will the current fleet continue on for several more decades? > > Thanks for the stories Wilton. > > Ed > 300E > > 2008/12/6 Wilton Strickland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > MOVING IN THE BUFF by Wilton Strickland > > > > Several weeks after I arrived here at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, I learned > > that one of our crews was going to deliver a B-52G from our unit to Edwards > > AFB, CA, for a test crew there to fly a couple of times with ALCM's (Air > > Launched Cruise Missiles) during a weekend as part of the missile > > development program. My wife and two sons were still living in a little > > mountain village of Wrightwood about 45 minutes from Edwards. We had moved > > there while I was a Civil Engineer at George AFB and just before I went to > > Greenland for a year. I wangled my way onto the flight to visit my family > > for a couple of days. > > > > SWMBO, Alice, picked me up at Edwards upon my arrival there on Friday > > afternoon and dropped me off there for the flight back to Seymour on Sunday > > afternoon. Because I was beginning to build a house here in North > > Carolina, > > I needed some of my tools and equipment from our home in California. I > > brought several of those things back to NC with me in the BUFF: a long > > aluminum extension ladder, a six-foot wooden step ladder, a radial arm saw, > > a gas-driven rotary lawn mower (fuel tank was drained and vented), several > > boxes of assorted tools and lots of "stuff." > > > > To take my stuff out to the airplane at Edwards, we loaded it and the rest > > of the crew's baggage aboard an Air Force Suburban driven by the Edwards > > crew. The long extension ladder was laid across the tops of the seats and > > the dashboard for the short trip onto the flightline. One end of the > > ladder > > was touching the windshield; the other end was protruding slightly from the > > rear of the vehicle. We warned all the guys on both crews, Edwards and > > ours, "Don't close the rear doors. You may break the windshield by shoving > > the ladder into it." Sure enough, the last one of our crewmen to put his > > baggage on the vehicle tried to close the rear doors, cracking the > > windshield, of course. 'Don't know how the Edwards crew explained the > > cracked windshield when they turned in the vehicle. > > > > All of this stuff went very easily into the large open and unpressurized > > area in the aft fuselage behind the aft main gear. All of it was strapped > > down very well and presented no problem at all for the BUFF. I could have > > brought back a lot more, but I was a bit shy to appear to be moving my > > entire household in the BUFF. > > > > We sold the California house a couple of months later, Alice and the boys > > drove to North Carolina to join me, and the rest of my stuff was moved in > > the conventional manner by van. > > > > Wilton > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
