The B-52 serves the role of big and slow strategic bomber. This is an
obsolete role, since strategic bombing became a moot point when the
ICBM became operational in the late 50's. The need for a high bomb
load aircraft didn't go away, so we are stuck with truly ancient
equipment because all the "replacements" were supposed to be
supersonic, super performance, nuclear bombers. We don't need a
nuclear bomber, and have not since 1958 or so. There is a role for a
heavy support bomber, but a newer aircraft would be a good idea.
The B-70 was a dud -- supposedly the prototype couldn't make the trip
to the USSR with a bomb aboard unless it would be re-fueled a couple
times on the trip, effectively mooting any strategic use -- it's
arrival would be telegraphed half a day before arrival by the
squadrons of KC135's waiting for it to arrive. It also never met
operational criteria (notably fuel use) and after McNamara ran the
numbers, Kennedy cancelled the program -- it was never going to be
able to perform as required, and delivering a nuclear weapon six or
eight hours after then end of the world was stupid.
Naturally, the MIP still lusted after all that government cash, and
the concept was revived later during the Nixon Administration in the
B1, also cancelled by Carter because it wasn't gonna happen and there
was no reason to have a nuclear bomber. Raised from the dead by the
Reagan Administration, the B1 and derivatives morphed into low level
subsonic strategic bombers (an oxymoron if there ever was one) and
became the champion "hanger queens" until the B2 came along -- that
one was the revival of another dead project from the 50's to make a
"flying wing". By using an incredible amount of computing power, the
B2 can fly almost as straight and level as a Cesna on autopilot and
takes a couple months to change engines because the "stealth" coating
has to be chipped off, cleaned up, and re-applied by hand.
A failed temperature sensor crashed one the other year, confused the
computer into a low speed stall on takeoff.
Way too much technology and way too little actual thought, eh?
Shades of the Asiana crash -- who, or what, was flying the plane?
Peter
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