B-70 was built as designed - to go very fast very high; Soviets at same time
developed surface-to-air (SAM's) that led to its cancellation, cause it was
unable to go very low, very long to avoid Soviet radar and SAM's, which B-52
was able to do for many more years.
B-52 had been built in 50's and 60's as high altitude bomber, also, but was
able to adapt for low level penetration of Soviet territory. 'Flew many
hundreds of hours at very low level myself.
Wilton
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Frederick" <psf...@earthlink.net>
To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [MBZ] B-52. was: Asiana
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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