B-52: Aging BUFFs, Youthful Crews (Repost)
B-52: Aging BUFFs, Youthful Crews (Osprey Colour Series) By Rene J. Francillon, Peter B. Lewis
Publisher: Osprey Pub Co 1988 | 128 Pages | ISBN: 0850458633 | PDF | 6 MB
Publisher: Osprey Pub Co 1988 | 128 Pages | ISBN: 0850458633 | PDF | 6 MB
In 1960, five years alter fho B-52 had entered service with the 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB. California, a Soviet surtace-to-air missile brought down the high-Hying U-2 of Francis Gary Powers. It was enough for pundits the world over to announce the end of the manned bomber era Even within Strategic Air Command many were those who saw little future for the B-52. In their opinion, switching from high altitude operations to low-level penetration and making increased use of stand-off weapons were at best short-term palliatives indeed, from a peak strength of 32 Bombardment Wings and six Strategic Aerospace Wings in 1963 (with 636 B-52s and 593 Hound Dog missiles), the force was allowed to dwindle slowly and tho first Stratolortress operational model.