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[Reply #15 on:]

Or some other two syllable word that starts with F...

[Reply #16 on:]

I think we all knew that, but didn't want to be so obvious.

[Reply #17 on:]

Trying to make a pun sorry.

[Reply #18 on:]

 I recall going to a U.S. Air Force air show at a local base about 15 years ago. They had a B-52 on display that you could walk under/around. One doesn't get a good idea of the size until your under one looking up. The inboard spoilers seem as big a barn doors.

 I saw a documentary once on the BUFF and it explained about a new classified (at the time) feature when the plane was first released, the landing gears are able to rotate on their vertical axis to help with high cross wind landings. Then they showed a landing where the plane was pointing about 5 degrees or more from the center landing strip so the pilot had to look sideways out the window as he landed, it was really something to watch. I can see where that would be a desirable feature as the side cross sectional area of this plane would present quite a challenge to cross winds.

 And of course the great movie Dr. Strangelove has many shots based around the plane.

Lefty

[Reply #19 on:]

As I recall they could crab up to 20 degrees or so.

Here's a good YouTube video of a crosswind landing:


I don't recall my reactions to the exterior shots of the B-52 in Dr. Strangelove but the interior shots didn't look like any B-52 that I ever saw, and I saw just about all of the C and D models.

Don

[Reply #20 on:]

I don't recall my reactions to the exterior shots of the B-52 in Dr. Strangelove but the interior shots didn't look like any B-52 that I ever saw, and I saw just about all of the C and D models.

That's true, I read that Stanley Kubrick didn't have any official support from the Air Force for the movie, all interior shots were just movie studio mock ups sets based on what they thought would work for the movie. Slim Pickens as pilot was a last min stand in as Peter Sellers was to have also played that role along this his other roles but had some kind of injury that prevented it. That movie is one of my top five all time favorites.

Le