Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Books - History and Deployment

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress : Warrior Queen of the USAF

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress began life at the Boeing Aircraft Corporation in 1946 and was the answer that General Curtis LeMay was looking for: a huge bomber. The B-52 entered service with the USAF in 1955 and is still in active service.

The B-52 had forged a successful career during the Cold War and was on constant alert against a Soviet nuclear threat. The B-52 was bloodied in the Vietnam War of which Operation Rolling Thunder became one of the monumental programmes in USAF history.
Also, the B-52 saw action in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Afghanistan.

During her operational career, the B-52 has been refined and revised with a number of improvements to her huge airframe and cockpit. Of a total of 744 that were built, eighty-five of the 'H' variant remain in service.
Her armament capacity is immense and after sixty years of service and many battle scars later, she remains as the Boeing B-52: Warrior Queen of the USAF.

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Boeing B-52 - A Documentary History

Conceived in 1948, first flown in 1952 and projected still to be in front-line service in the 21st century, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is one of the most extraordinary aircraft in history. Here is the book to do justice to the story of the development and operational career of this legendary bomber.
The book features a comprehensive history of the development of the U.S. heavy bomber, and intensive discussion of the Boeing B-47 and its effect upon the B-52 design, and perhaps more important than either of these today, the enormous number of modifications and changes which have kept the aircraft viable.
The important contributions of the Strategic Air Command, with its concepts of the dedicated crew, rigorous training and ceaseless evaluation is well covered, and special attention is given to the B-52's role in the Vietnamese conflict.

The book is reinforced with over 200 photographs and drawings, and includes a comprehensive set of appendices. The material for the book was derived almost entirely from the primary sources-the men who designed, built, flew, maintained and improved them and the documents created at the time. The author, a former B-52 and B-47 pilot himself, conveys the spirit of the B-52-the men and the missions behind the hardware, as well as a superbly detailed analysis of the aircraft itself.

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Stratofortress - The Story of the B-52

Boeing's mighty B-52 Stratofortress has seen continuous operational service with the United States Air Force since the type was introduced in 1957. The aircraft has been upgraded several times and has assumed many different new roles since it was originally conceived and then provided the key airborne platform for America's strategic nuclear force. It is predicted that it will serve as a front-line aircraft until 2040.
Apart from the formidable threat it provided during the long years of the 'Cold War', the aircraft has played a significant part in all US overseas operations since Vietnam. The more recent include Desert Storm in 1991, the Balkan conflict, Afghanistan and the liberation of Iraq. Over 700 were built and around 80 remain in service.

This book includes chapters on Concept Requirement, Design and Development, Production, Evolution and Variant Models, Operational Tasking, Operational History (with first-hand accounts from crews), Weapons and Equipment Carried, Flying the Aircraft and Current Service Operations. It is highly illustrated with many original shots taken aboard B-52s, together with archive material and also colour profiles.

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B-52 Stratofortress : The Complete History of the World's Longest Serving and Best Known Bomber (paperback)

The B-52 is the longest serving and most versatile of the United States Air Force's combat aircraft. The Stratofortress entered active service in 1955 and is scheduled to continue as part of the air force's inventory through 2040.
The jet-powered bomber was a mainstay of America's Cold War nuclear-deterrent strategy, providing air power that balanced the land and sea military forces. The massive plane also served as the launch platform for the experimental X-15 hypersonic rocket aircraft.

Due to its versatility as an aircraft, the B-52 has seen combat service in all of America's military conflicts since it came on active duty: Vietnam, the first and second Gulf wars, and the War in Afghanistan.

"B-52 Stratofortress" also covers every aspect of the aircraft's development, manufacture, and modification. These technical details set the stage for its military service, starting with its role as a nuclear bomber in the Cold War even though only conventional weapons have been used during its combat duty.

The airplane's service in key campaigns in Vietnam is covered, followed by the quieter years after it. The B-52 returned to prominence in the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, taking part in massive bombing campaigns in both conflicts.
Finally, the book ends with the constant upgrades that will keep the B-52 an integral part of U.S. airpower for decades to come.

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B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1955-73

Designed to form the backbone of Strategic Air Command's nuclear deterrent, the B-52 force was brought to higher states of readiness whenever crisis threatened the USA, most notably when Kennedy and Khruschev went eyeball-to-eyeball over Cuba. Soon afterwards, B-52s formed the backbone of the USAF's bombing campaign in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

This book follows the story of the B-52 from its genesis to its first combat missions in June 1965 and through to the briefly sustained but bloodily fought Linebacker II offensive in late 1972. Even after the withdrawal of US forces in 1973, B-52s remained in-theatre, flying training missions mainly from Guam.

Contents: Genesis of the B-52 - Atom bomber: Cold War to Cuba - South Bay to Sun Bath - Big Belly B-52D joins Arc Light - Arc Light Continues - Freedom Train and Linebacker - Linebacker II - An uneasy peace - Appendices - Colour Plate Commentary - Index.

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B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm (Osprey)

With the ending of the Cold War, the B-52's traditional combat role became redundant, and the USAF looked for new ways to use the machine. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990 gave the B-52 the chance to prove its worth in the new world order, and Stratofortress crews flying the B-52G seized the opportunity with both hands.

This book explains how, flying from bases in the Indian Ocean, Britain, Spain and Saudi Arabia, the B-52G was at the forefront of the campaign to free Kuwait of Saddam's forces and dropped the first bombs of Operation Desert Storm.

Contents: Back to War - The G-Model - Prelude to Desert Storm - Fire from the Island - 1708th BW(P)'s War - Moron & Fairford - B-52H in Desert Storm - Conclusions - Appendices.

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Boeing B-52

The Boeing B-52 is one of the most famous - if not "the" most famous - bombers in the world. The huge eight-engine machine was built in the years after the Second World War, when the arms race between East and West began.

The aircraft, which made dimensions and performances previously unknown a reality, became synonymous with the Cold War and has been used in a wide variety of operational scenarios and profiles since then.

The success story of this aircraft, which is still in use today, is presented in this book in fascinating and incomparably detailed images and texts.

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