Web posted Friday,
August 31, 2001
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Dryden is acquiring a B-52H to augment, and eventually replace, its workhorse NB-52B airlaunch aircraft.
NASA Photo / Tony Landis
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A 'new' B-52:
Historic B-52B 008 will receive help as it nears
a well-earned retirement
By Gray Creech
Aerospace Projects Writer
Special Recognition:
Key personnel made substantial contributions to
bringing the B-52H to Dryden including: Center Director Kevin Petersen; Lt. Col.
Don Thompson, AFFTC Director, Access to Space Office; Bob Jones, Dryden B-52H
project manager; Marle Hewett, Dryden B-52H chief engineer (Spiral); Ben Castillo,
AFFTC Access to Space Office; Senior Master Sgt. Bill Wade, Air Combat Command;
Bob Meyer, Dryden Director of Projects; Brand; Larry Crawford, Research Engineering
director; Marta Bohn-Meyer, Dryden Director of Flight Operations; Gordon Fullerton,
acting Dryden chief pilot; Frank Batteas, Dryden pilot; Matt Graham, Dryden B-52H
operations engineer; Bob Baron, Dryden X-38 project manager; Chris Nagy, Dryden
X-38 chief engineer; Frank Cutler, Dryden X-38 deputy project manager; Laura Peters,
Dryden; John McKay, Dryden chief of maintenance; Ken Wilson, Dryden B-52H crew
chief; Nate Bullock, Dryden; Jerry Henry, Dryden; Roger Otis, AFFTC; Bill Albrecht,
Dryden and many others at Dryden and Team Edwards.
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Dryden's "H" model B-52 Stratofortress arrived July 30, 2001 following lots of
hard work to get it here. The B-52H, U.S. Air Force (USAF) tail number 61-0025,
will be used as an air-launch aircraft supporting Dryden's flight research and
advanced technology demonstration efforts.
"We have been seeking a replacement aircraft for our existing B-52B model for some time - it is great to see the H-model finally arrive," said Dryden Center Director Kevin Petersen. "It should provide us an excellent launch platform for the future."
Dryden received the B-52H from the USAF's 23rd Bomb Squadron, 5th Bombardment Wing (Air Combat Command), located at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. An USAF crew flew the aircraft to Dryden. The aircraft, currently on loan from the Air Force, will be transferred to NASA in about a year.
The replacement air-launch aircraft will boost both NASA and USAF efforts in researching and demonstrating technologies for future access-to-space vehicles. In addition, looking at the history of Dryden's venerable B-52B "008," a myriad of other flight research possibilities await the H-model.
Dryden and the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) held an official welcoming ceremony and media day on Aug. 1 for the H-model. Emceed by Vance Brand, Dryden deputy director of Projects, the event included Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson, AFFTC commander, and Gary Krier, Dryden's acting deputy director as speakers.
The aircraft left Dryden Aug. 2 for de-militarization and programmed depot maintenance (PDM) at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. The depot-level maintenance, scheduled to last about six months, consists of a thorough maintenance and inspection process for the aircraft.
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Dryden's NB-52B shares the runway with the new B-52H.
NASA Photo / Tony Landis
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A new Dryden-designed pylon for carrying aerospace vehicles aloft will be built during the next year by the fabrication shop at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, Calif. The new pylon will be a "one-pylon-fits-all" design enabling the B-52H to literally "carry-out" its mission. In the past, most new aerospace vehicles taken up by Dryden's B-52B required their own pylon.
According to Dryden B-52H project manager Bob Jones, the new pylon is designed to accept different adapters for the variety of aerospace vehicle shapes and sizes each new Dryden project represents. Initially, the new pylon will be rated to carry a load weighing up to 25,000 pounds. Later modifications are planned to allow a load-carrying capability of over 70,000 pounds.
The B-52H is slated to replace Dryden's famous "008" in the 2003-2004 time frame. The H-model will be ready for flight research duties in about one year, following PDM, construction of the new pylon, installation of the flight research instrumentation equipment, and aircraft envelope clearance flights.
With flight research cooperation in mind, the Office of the Secretary of Defense
and the USAF are partially funding, along with NASA, the flight research instrumentation
package to be installed on the aircraft, as well as other modifications. The AFFTC
and Dryden already share a mutual Alliance that serves as a bilateral, cooperative
relationship to improve service and lower cost to the internal and external customers
of both.
On an historical note, versatile B-52 Stratofortresses served as the backbone
of Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War. As one leg of the United States'
nuclear "triad" defense strategy, B-52s, able to be recalled in-flight, offered
the most flexible weapons delivery platform.
Delivery of the first B-52H model aircraft to SAC occurred in May 1961 and the last was delivered in October of 1962. A total of 102 H-models were built; 94 of the workhorse aircraft remain on active duty with the USAF today. Stratofortresses participated in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and most recently in the Kosovo conflict.
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Lt. Col. Don Thompson, AFFTC director, Access
to Space Office; Les Bordelon, AFFTC executive director; Vance Brand, Dryden's
master of ceremonies; Gary Krier, Dryden acting deputy director; and AFFTC Commander
Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson attend the B-52H ceremony at Dryden.
NASA Photo / Tony Landis
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The B-52H arrives at Dryden July 30, 2001.
NASA Photo / Tony Landis
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