B-52 "Iron Butterfly" on display at Dyess AFB Linear Air Park, Abilene, TX
I ran across
a CNET tribute to the B-52 just the other day, from back in April of 2012. There's some beautiful photos in the gallery, with nifty info in the captions. I figure it makes a good follow-on to
Lenny Flanks diary about the evolution of the nuclear bomber.
The CNET tribute notes the B-52 has been flying for 60+ years, and has photos of the various roles it has been adapted to in that time.
It was at the vanguard of aviation technology in the 1950s, and it's still going strong today: meet the B-52 Stratofortress. Like the multipurpose C-130 and the high-flying, super-spying U-2, also products of the '50s, the B-52 heavy bomber continues to show that old doesn't have to mean outdated, even in an era of rapid technological change. Just the opposite: through good maintenance and occasional updates, vintage tech can hold its own against flashier but more expensive, and more finicky, next-generation (and next-next-next-generation, even) designs.
If the B-52's keep flying as long as is currently intended, at some point they're all going to have to carry plaques
from this organization, as flying historic landmarks!
Enjoy!