The American Bomber That Infiltrated Pop Culture (And Is Still In Service) – SlashGear

The B-52H Stratofortress, as this aircraft is officially (and very intimidatingly) known, was a formidable aircraft that developed from a formidable brief. In November 1945, according to Marcelle Size Knaack’s “Encyclopedia of U.S. Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, Volume II,” the call was issued for a “bomber with an operating radius of 5,000 miles […] a speed of 300 miles per hour (260 knots) […] as well as a 10,000 pound bombload.”

In 1955, the United States Air Force began to use the first B-52s (B-52Bs). One model, the B-52H, is still in active use with the Air Force Global Strike Command. This is a testament to the model’s effectiveness, powerful arsenal, and capacity to keep up with the military’s changing needs over the decades. Naturally, the model still in service today is far from identical to the one that took off in the 1950s. Still, remarkably, it has proven adaptable rather than fading into obscurity, as many other acclaimed aircraft have done over the years.

With devastatingly successful roles in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, and various other bombing campaigns over its decades-long history, the B-52 became, and remains, symbolic of the military might of the United States.