--> Cessna-----Grand Caravan

History:

Clyde Vernon Cessna was born in Iowa in 1879 and grew up on a Kansas farm. He became captivated with flying after learning of Louis Blériot's 1909 flight across the English Channel. He purchased a monoplane for himself and spent the next several years travelling to exhibition air shows, meeting many of the daredevil pilots of the era, including Roland Garros, René Simon, Charles Hamilton, and René Barrier.
Travelling east to New York, Cessna spent a month at the Queen Airplane Company factory, learning the fundamentals of flight and the art of plane building. He became so enthusiastic about flying that he spent his life savings of $7,500 to buy an exact copy of the Blériot XI monoplane, shipping it west to his home in Enid, Oklahoma. Cessna flew this aircraft, along with others he designed and built, in exhibition flights throughout the Midwest, continuously modifying the planes to improve their performance.
In 1924, Clyde partnered with fellow aviation pioneers Lloyd C. Stearman and Walter H. Beech to form the Travel Air Manufacturing Co., Inc., a biplane-manufacturing firm, in Wichita, Kansas. Clyde infused the fledgling company with cash and equipment and became its president.
But Clyde always preferred monoplanes, so in 1927, he left Travel Air to form his own company, the Cessna Aircraft Company. There he would build his vision of the ideal aircraft, a full-cantilever-winged monoplane dubbed the Phantom. Commercially successful, the Phantom, along with the Model AW and DC-6, sold well until the start of the Great Depression.
Clyde and his son Eldon turned their attention to building racing aircraft in the early 1930s—their CR-1 racer made a notable showing in the 1932 National Air Races, and the CR-3 established an international speed record in 1933. But Clyde abruptly retired from aviation when his close friend Roy Liggett was killed in the crash of a Cessna-built racing plane. He never again participated actively in the industry.

the Cessna CR-3 racing plane

Clyde's nephew Dwane Wallace, an aeronautical engineer, along with brother Dwight and engineer Jerry Gerteis, designed a sleek monoplane, the Model C-34. Dwane then assumed the mantle of leadership, reviving the Cessna Aircraft Company in 1934 to manufacture and market the plane.
The C-34 became the aircraft that enabled Cessna Aircraft Company to emerge intact from the Depression and established the firm as one of the leaders in American general aviation. A four-passenger high-winged monoplane, it could achieve a top speed of 162 miles per hour (261 kilometres per hour). Known as the Airmaster, the C-34 won the title of the “world's most efficient airplane” in 1936.
The Airmaster evolved into the C-37 and C-38, improved versions with wider fuselages and landing gear, rubber engine mounts, wing-mounted flaps on the C-37 and a belly-mounted drag flap on the C-38. The last Airmasters, the C-145 and C-165 models, sported longer fuselages, split wing-flaps, and more powerful engines.
The Airmaster line ended with the arrival of World War II after a total of about 180 had been built. Its design reappeared after the war with the larger, all-aluminium Cessna 190 and 195, produced from 1947 to 1954.
Cessna introduced its first twin-engine design, the Model T-50, in 1939. Thousands were sold to the Canadian and U.S. armed forces for use as pilot training aircraft during World War II.
After the war's end in 1946, Cessna's facility began manufacturing two versions of tail-wheel monoplanes, the Model 120 and 140, selling more than 7,000 of these popular and inexpensive two-seaters before shifting to the production of four-seat aircraft.
In 1948, advertisements began appearing in aviation publications for what would become the biggest selling and most widely produced light aircraft in history—the Cessna 170. This single-engine four-seat plane was actually a stretched and enlarged version of the Model 140. It had fabric-covered wings, V-shaped wings struts, and three fuel tanks for additional range. Late in 1948, Cessna replaced the fabric-covered wings with all-metal wings with larger flaps and changed the V-strut to a single strut configuration, creating the most recognizable variation of the aircraft—now dubbed the Cessna 170A. The future direction of Cessna now centred on the design of all-aluminium, high-winged, monocoque fuselage aircraft, featuring side-by-side seating, flat-spring steel landing gear and dependable engines. Known as a “good, honest taildragger,” a total of more than 5,000 Cessna 170s of all types were manufactured during the plane's six-year production run—half of those aircraft are still flying in 2001.
In 1953, Cessna began manufacturing the Model 310, a twin-engine lightweight five-passenger aircraft. Popularized by the television series “Sky King,” the Model 310 is widely regarded as one of the most attractive aircraft ever built. Produced for almost 30 years, more than 5,500 Model 310s were manufactured, eventually becoming Cessna's most popular twin-engine model.
Cessna unveiled a pair of twin-engine aircraft in the early 1960s that were designed to avoid the asymmetrical drag that often occurs if one of the two engines fails—the Model 336 Skymaster (with fixed landing gear) and the Model 337 Super Skymaster (with retractable landing gear). Capable of carrying six passengers, it also served with the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. The aircraft's versatility and excellent cockpit visibility for the pilot made it ideally suited as a spotting aircraft that searched and marked targets for other aircraft to attack. Approximately 2,000 Skymasters were manufactured in its 20-year production run that ended in 1983, becoming Cessna's second best selling twin-engine model.
A specialized aircraft designed for crop-dusting, the Model 188, was developed in the mid-1960s, selling under a variety of names. These aircraft featured lights for night operations, safety windshields, and wire-cutter blades designed for unexpected encounters with telephone wires. Equipped with powerful turbocharged engines and large hoppers, about 4,000 Model 188s were manufactured.
The Model 172 Skyhawk, developed as Cessna's answer to Piper Aircraft's popular PA-22 Tri-Pacer, replaced the 170 in 1956. It featured tricycle landing gear and a new tail design. Affordably priced and easy to handle, the Model 172 could fly at almost 144 miles per hour (232 kilometres per hour) and would become (and remains) the best selling four-seat aircraft in the history of general aviation.
A tricycle-geared version of the Model 140 soon became aviation's most common two-seat training aircraft—the Model 150. The second most popular general aviation aircraft ever built, its production started slowly at first. Only 122 were built during 1959, its first year of production, but eventually, a grand total of 23,840 were manufactured before production ended in 1977.
In 1966, a version of the 150 designated the Model F150 started production in Reims, France—a total of 1,758 model F150s were built. An aerobatic version of the 150 saw limited production, starting in 1970. This plane used a four-cylinder 100-horsepower (75-kilowatt) Continental O-200 engine and Cessna made a number of changes to the plane's airframe and configuration during its 18-year production run. In 1978, Cessna introduced the more powerful Model 152, which was also better adapted to newer aviation fuel blends. By the time production ended in 1985, a total of 7,500 Model 152s were manufactured.
In the 1960s, Cessna began producing lighter twin-engine aircraft with a pair of pressurized cabin models, the 411 and 421, followed by a move into the business jet aircraft market with the turbofan-powered Fanjet 500 in 1968. In December 1993, the Cessna Citation X business jet made its first flight, establishing itself as one of the fastest mass-produced aircraft in the world, capable of carrying 12 passengers and two pilots while flying at Mach 0.92 (about 600 miles per hour [447 kilometres per hour]).
After becoming a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation in 1985, Cessna stopped producing piston-engine airplanes with the 1986 model year due to concerns over product liability. In 1992, Textron, Inc. acquired Cessna Aircraft and soon resumed producing light aircraft; however, rising production costs and concerns over product liability did not justify the reintroduction of the popular and affordable two-seat models.
Clyde Cessna, with only a fifth-grade education and lacking a private pilot's license, helped create the general aviation industry. Although it was his two nephews, Dwane and Dwight Wallace, who transformed Cessna Aircraft into the aviation powerhouse that produced more than 100,000 piston-powered airplanes and another 2,000 Citation jets, it is Cessna's name that has become synonymous with small planes—a legacy to Clyde Cessna's vision.

Grand Caravan:

Certified Ceiling ft/m 25,000/7,620
Cruise Speed (10,000 ft)
knts/km 184/341
Range (10,000 ft) nm/km
Includes takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and 45 min. reserve at max. cruise power 907/1,679
S.L. Rate of Climb fpm/mpm 975/297
Stall Speed (Ldg) knts/km 61/113
Takeoff S.L. ISA
GroundRoll ft/m 1,365/416
50-ft Obs. ft/m 2,420/7386

Landing S.L.
Ground Roll ft/m 950/290
50-ft. Obs. ft/m 1,795/547
Maximum Useful Load lbs/kg 4,500/2,041
Maximum Weights lbs/kg
Ramp 8,785/3,985
Takeoff Landing
Power Loading lbs/hp 13.0
Standard Empty Weight lbs/kg 4,285/1,944
Wing Loading lbs/sq ft 31.3

--> Aerodynamics of Animals ...Under water like Flying Fish

When fish swim, it is like flying under water. Water is thicker than air and harder to move through.
Unlike birds in the air, fish in the water can float without moving.

How Fish SwimThey move through the water by moving their fins back and forth. When swimming, the fish uses its side fins to steer. It uses its tail like a propeller to push it forward.
Many fish have long thin (streamlined) bodies to help them swim fast. They may also have slimy skin to help it slide quickly through the water.
Other fish are flat and live on the bottom of the ocean. They move their fins in a wave-like motion (up and down) to move forward. The tail helps the fish move very fast through the water. Fish move their tails side to side.

Flying Fish:

Flying fish do not actually fly. They glide above the water. The flying fish uses its tail to push itself out of the water at high speed. It glides for many feet and drops back into the water.

................................................................................................................

Rays swim by waving their fins up and down.

................................................................................................................


Hydrofoils:

Many animals use flippers to swim through the water. Sea turtles, seals and sea lions all use their flippers to move through the water.

................................................................................................................


Jet Propulsion:

Several water animals use water to push themselves around.



The body of a jellyfish or a squid looks like an umbrella or a parachute. The jellyfish and squid fill their "umbrella" and push (expel) the water out. This pushes them in the opposite direction. That is how they move through the water. Squid can move quickly and even jump out of the water on to a ship!
Some sea animals have shells. Clams can move by clapping their shells together.

--> Aerodynamics of Animals ...Birds & Bats

Introduction

We love to watch birds. They fly! From the very start of time we have been
looking at them. They do such great things.

Birds take off

Birds soar and dive

Birds twist and turn in the air

Birds land without help on the ground

It has taken man a long, long time to learn about flight. We first tried to
do what a bird can do. But we could not.

We had to make a special engine that could move man through the air. The
engine had to be powerful but light. We had to be able to fly in a controlled
way.

A bird is a wonder. It is a natural flying machine. What is it about a bird?

Everything about a bird is made for flight. We need to look at the parts of a
bird. We also need to look at how birds take off, fly and land.

---

What Makes a Bird a Bird?

Birds are very special. Birds have feathers. Birds live in a hurry.

Birds are fast. They breathe faster than any other animals. Their heart
beats faster. Their body temperature is higher. Birds lay eggs. All birds
have wings. But not all birds fly.

Birds play a big role in the balance of nature. Some birds eat seeds.
Because of this lots and lots of weeds do not grow on the earth.

We eat eggs from birds. We make pillows and quilts from bird feathers.

We see birds as symbols. The dove for peace. The owl for wisdom.

---

Physical Characteristics of a Bird

Looking at a bird is fun. There are many things that make a bird a bird.

Feathers

The first thing we see is a bird's feathers. Feathers make birds special.
They are strong and tough. But the feathers are light and move easily.

Feathers do not grow all over a bird. They grow on "feather tracks".
In between the feather tracks down feathers grow.
Birds need their feathers. A bird takes time to clean them. Birds have lotsof feathers. When they wear out new feathers grow.
Feathers keep the bird
warm.


The shape of the wing helps the bird to fly. The shape is made by the
feathers. The tail of the bird is like a rudder. It helps the bird steer.
When the bird lands the tail is used as a brake.

Beaks and Feet

The beak of a bird is special. Other animals have a jaw and teeth. Birds get
their food with their beak only. Some beaks are long and pointed to spear
fish.

All birds have 2 legs and 2 feet. On the ground the birds walk, hop or climb.
Birds with short legs mostly fly. All birds have claws on their toes.

Internal Structures of a Bird

The insides of a bird are made for the most power and the lightest weight.
The biggest flying bird today is the Great Bustard. They weigh 32 pounds and
are 4 feet long.

But most birds are smaller. This is the best way to fly. Another way is to
use light weight `stuff' to make the bird.

Feathers are light. Birds have less bones. The bones they have are hard but
thin. Some birds have bones weighing less than their feathers.

Birds have less muscle. Their bones are "glued" together . This keeps them
lighter too.

The biggest muscles a bird needs are its flight muscles. These muscles need
to raise the entire body weight into the air.

The eyes of the bird are very strong. Their hearing is also.

Internal Power System

Birds have a natural machine. It helps them with power in lift and take-off.
The inside organs of a bird run at high speed. They need to eat "high-octane"
foods.

A hummingbird would not live through the night if his heart, breathing and
body temperature did not slow down.
Oxygen is taken into the body through the lungs. It then passes into the
blood cells. In the cells it mixes with the food to make energy.

In birds there are air sacs next to the lungs. They never run out of breath.

The heart is the key for pumping their blood. A bird's heart beats much
faster than other animals. A bird's temperature is higher than mans'.

BATS:

A long time ago people thought bats were mice. People thought bats were birds.
Bats are mammals. Their bodies have fur. Bats are born alive. Bats do not come from eggs. They drink milk from their mother's breasts.
Bats live all over the earth. Most live in Africa.

Flight
Bats love to fly. Most bats fly at night. Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
A bat's body is made for flying. The neck is short. The chest is big. The stomach is small.
The bat's wings push the bat through the air.
A bat's wing has long bones. The long bones are covered with skin. The skin is very thin. Light can shine through skin.
The sides of the bat's body, legs and tail are covered with skin. The skin is special. It is thin and flat. The thin, flat skin helps bats fly.
A bat has thumbs. The thumbs do not have skin. A bat's thumbs help it to climb trees. A bat wing is like an airplane wing.
Some bats use their tails to catch insects.
Bats fly with a rowing motion.
Bats have large muscles in their backs and chests. These large muscles help bats move their wings.
Bats can move their wings one at time. Moving one wing helps bats stop.
Bats are true fliers. They use energy to flap their wings. Bats can glide through the air.

--> Aerodynamics of Animals...Insects

Insects:

There are millions of insects. Many fly, but some do not . Flying insects have two or four wings. Flying insects have muscles to move their wings, like birds. The wings may move fast or slow. A few insects can hover (fly in one place) or fly backward.

Insects have 3 main body parts called the head, thorax (chest area) and abdomen (tail end). The thorax has 6 legs and 2 or 4 wings attached to it.

Many insects, such as the Butterfly and the Moth go through stages of growth. First as an egg, then as a larva (like a worm) then into a cocoon (pupa). Finally the new insect breaks out as an adult. It is then that the wings grow and the insect can fly.
Many insects can fly great distances (far). Most flying insects do not not glide (float), but must keep their wings moving.

--> Aerodynamics of Animals.. Flying Lizards

Ancient Flyers:

Flying lizards are called pterosaurs. They lived at the same time as
the dinosaurs. This was millions of years ago. Did Pterosaurs have
backbones and wings? Did they fly? Were they warm blooded? Were they big or small?

Pterosaurs fossils (bones) have been found in many places. They came
in all sizes from big to small. One big one had wings as big as a DC-3
airplane! Some were as small as a sparrow. Usually they were about the
size of a chicken.

Could Pterosaurs fly? They had light bones. They had wings like birds
and bats. They had muscles and backbones. Pterosaurs probably had warm
blood like birds and bats.

The first Pterosaurs had long tails. Some had a part on their tail that
looked like a kite.
Some later Pterosaurs had short tails and bigger wings.

Birds and bats have many of the same things that have been found in
Pterosaur fossils. Pterosaurs had wings, beaks and legs to land on the
ground. Birds have feathers Pterosaurs had something like scales on
their bodies but their wings were covered with only skin, like bats.

Some birds fly (flap their wings) almost all the time. Other birds
spend most of their time gliding (holding their wings open) through the
air. Pterosaurs could fly and glide too.

Sea birds soar near cliffs and waves. They catch fish or gather food.
Pterosaurs had special beaks (mouths) for catching fish, too.

Pterosaur fossils (bones) have been found all over the world. They were
able to adjust to their environments. Flying helped them find food,
escape enemies and mate.

Most scientists believe that Pterosaurs looked like birds and bats and
could fly.

--> Different types of airplanes.

Experimental Airplane:

Cargo Airplane:

Military Airplane:

Passenger Airplane:

What are the different types of airplanes?

You may be wondering why there are so many different
types of airplanes out there. What makes them different from each other?
We'll take a quick look at what makes each of the following airplanes
unique:

• Cargo/Transport Airplanes


• Experimental Concept Airplanes


• Fighter/Military Airplanes


• Passenger Airplanes

Cargo/Transport Airplanes

Cargo/transport
airplanes have a lot of room inside them to carry things that would ordinarily
be too large or too heavy to carry on other types of airplanes. Sometimes
these planes carry trucks, packages, construction equipment, or even other
airplanes! Since cargo/transport airplanes are so big they usually have
large, powerful engines to help get themselves off the ground. Because
of their large cargo bays, a few of these planes are a little unusual-looking.
It's no wonder that the "Guppy" and the "Beluga" are
named that way - they look like huge fish! Sometimes private shipping
companies and the postal service use modified passenger jets as cargo
planes. In those cases, most or all of the passenger seats are removed
and large containers full of cargo go in their place. Pictured here are
a Boeing 757 freighter and a Airbus Guppy.

Experimental Concept Airplanes

When engineers are designing
an airplane, they often build one or two full-size airplanes of the design
to see if it flies the way it should. Because the engineers are still
experimenting with the design, these types of airplanes are sometimes
called experimental concept airplanes or prototypes. A specially trained
and very experienced pilot flies these airplanes, and then reports to
the engineers. The research pilot can tell them what he or she thought
were the good and bad features of the airplanes and what needs to be improved.
Many times, experimental concept airplanes are quite unique-looking because
they are trying out a strange, new concept or technological advance. Most
experimental planes, like the X-36 and X-29 pictured here have names starting
with "X" as in eXperimental.

Fighter/Military Airplanes

There are many different
kinds of military airplanes. Transport airplanes carry armies, equipment,
and supplies hundreds of miles to where they are needed. Reconnaissance,
or spy, airplanes fly secret missions to photograph enemy territory. Fighter
airplanes were used for the first time in World War I. Today, most fighters
have advanced computer, navigational, and weapons systems and are able
to maneuver quickly and precisely in case they have to participate in
aerial combat. Some fighters are able to fly at supersonic (faster than
sound) speeds for short periods of time, and other fighters use stealth
technology to make themselves nearly invisible to enemy radar. The first
letter in the name of a military airplane tells us what kind of mission
it flies. For example, the F-16 and F-15 shown here are types of fighters.
Similarly, a B-2 is a bomber, a A-10 is an attack airplane, and a C-7
is a cargo/transport airplane.

Passenger Airplanes

The airplanes most people see most often are
passenger airplanes. These are the type of airplanes that you are more
likely to board at the airport or see or hear flying overhead. The earliest
airliners in the 1950s were very noisy and could not travel very far without
refueling. Today, people use passenger jetliners to travel all over the
world for both business and pleasure. Most jetliners travel at about 600
miles per hour (965 kilometers per hour), and some can carry people and
cargo for over 8,000 miles (12,874 kilometers) non-stop. Some airplane
designers are working on passenger airplanes that carry more than 600
people or fly at supersonic speeds. Right now, the Concorde is the only
supersonic passenger jet, traveling at twice the speed of sound
(1,400 miles per hour or 2,250 kilometers per hour)!

---

--> World’s largest passenger aircraft takes off

The world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, has completed its maiden flight.






“The behaviour of the aircraft both before and after take-off was completely normal,” says Jacques Rosay, the Airbus chief test pilot who flew the aircraft. “After take-off we went up to 10,000 feet accompanied by the chaser aircraft. The aircraft has been fantastic.”
The plane, which has taken 10 years and $13 billion to develop, flew from its production site in Toulouse, France, with a crew of 6. It also carried 20 tonnes of test equipment to monitor the performance of the autopilot and other aircraft systems. Airbus intends to build four prototypes and to carry out 2200 hours of testing before the aircraft enters service in 2006.
The A380 dwarfs the Boeing 747 jumbo, currently the world's largest passenger aircraft. It has a wingspan of 80 metres, more than twice the distance flown by the Wright brother’s on their first powered flight. The A380 is capable of carrying up to 840 passengers on two decks and an air freighter version of the aircraft will carry a payload of 150 tonnes on three decks.
Globe trotting
The prototype is powered by four Rolls Royce turbofan jet engines which were tested prior to the maiden flight on a modified Airbus A340-300 aircraft. These engines give the plane range of at least 15,000 km. That should allow direct flights in both directions between London to Sydney without refuelling.
Airbus says the sheer size of the aircraft leads to economies of scale that will allow airlines to reduce costs by as much as 20% per passenger. However, the improvements are too little too late, says Richard Dyer, a spokesperson for the environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth.
While air travel efficiency is increasing at a rate of roughly 1% per year, the number of passengers is increasing by 5% per year. This is dramatically increasing the amount of noise and pollution associated with air travel. "The A380 is a step forward but it's not enough," he says.
Another worry is the noise that the aircraft will make. The A380 will meet a new set of noise standards that come into force in 2006. “But it will still be one of the noisiest aircraft in the skies because of its size," says Dyer.
Airbus says it has already received 149 orders for the plane and the world’s busiest international airport, Heathrow in London, UK, is spending $450 million to cope with the introduction of new aircraft. But the Heathrow Association for the Control of Noise is bracing itself for the impact of the new aircraft. “I'm anticipating more noise rather than less," says HACAN member David Franklin.

--> Spain develops first hybrid airplane-helicopter

Madrid, Nov 15 (IANS): Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology has developed the first airplane-helicopter hybrid, an unmanned aerial vehicle that will be operational in 2010 and is designed to monitor borders and coastlines.

The HADA, as it is known, will be the first aircraft to take off and land vertically like a helicopter but then deploy its wings and fly horizontally like an airplane, project leader Manuel Mulero told the Spanish news agency EFE Wednesday.

He said at a later date, the HADA could be used for manned flights.
The HADA project will remain in the design phase until the middle of next year when an operational prototype is expected to be available.
Mulero said that the aircraft, which will carry instruments to transmit images, position and trajectory of targets in real time, will allow “high efficiency” flights in less time and on one-third of fuel normally consumed.

The HADA, the first prototype of which will carry a cargo of up to 150 kg and will be able to remain airborne for 3-6 hours, could be used on missions to monitor coasts and borders, to prevent smuggling or infiltration by terrorists.

--> Su-7 FITTER A (SUKHOI)

The Sukhoi Su-7 is a single seat ground attack aircraft that was long a standard tactical fighter-bomber with the Soviet Air Force. The development of Su-7 began in the early 1950's. First prototype called S-1 "Strela" made its first flight in 1955. The Su-7 was unveiled to the West at the 1956 Soviet Aviation Day display at Tushino Airport outside Moscow. The prototype came out to be very promising and Su-7 went in production several years later, with modifications including the Su-7B and Su-7BKL. The airplane was exported to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, China, and other countries.

The Su-7 is armed with two 30mm NR-30 guns in wing roots, each with 70 rounds. Under-wing pylons allow two 742 kg or two 495 kg of bombs or rocket pods. The wings are mid- to low-mounted (wings are mounted below center of aircraft) with wide wing roots, swept-back, and tapered with blunt tips. There is one engine in the body. There is a circular air intake in the nose and a large, single exhaust. The fuselage is a long, tubular body with a blunt nose and rear. There is a large, bubble canopy. The tail is swept-back and has a tapered tail fin with a blunt tip. It has swept-back and tapered flats mid- to low-mounted on the fuselage.

Country of Origin	CIS (formerly USSR)
Similar Aircraft	Lightning F-100 Super Sabre MiG-21 Fishbed
Crew	One
Role	ground-attack
Length	57 ft (17.38 m)
Span	29 ft, 3 in (9 m)
Weight	13,387kg (loaded)
Maximum Speed	1.6 Mach
Maximum Ceiling	Unknown
Service Ceiling	18 km
Maximum Range	1,449 km
Cruise range	645nm
Combat Range	250-350 km (with drop tanks)
In-Flight Refueling	No
Internal Fuel	2350 Kg
Payload	1000kg
Drop Tanks	600 L drop tank with 479kg for 69 nm range Ferry tank with 719kg for 99nm range
Sensors	High Fix (SRD-5M) radar.
Armament	two Cannon: NR-30 30mm FAB-500, UV-16-57 rocket bods, FAB-250, AA-2,FAB-750, FAB-500
Usesr Countries	Afghanistan Algeria Bangladesh Czech Republic North Korea South Yemen.

--> B-1B Lancer

The B-1B is a multi-role, long-range bomber, capable of flying intercontinental missions without refueling, then penetrating present and predicted sophisticated enemy defenses. It can perform a variety of missions, including that of a conventional weapons carrier for theater operations. Through 1991, the B-1 was dedicated to the nuclear deterrence role as part of the single integrated operational plan (SIOP)

The B-1B's electronic jamming equipment, infrared countermeasures, radar location and warning systems complement its low-radar cross-section and form an integrated defense system for the aircraft.

The swing-wing design and turbofan engines not only provide greater range and high speed at low levels but they also enhance the bomber's survivability. Wing sweep at the full-forward position allows a short takeoff roll and a fast base-escape profile for airfields under attack. Once airborne, the wings are positioned for maximum cruise distance or high-speed penetration. The B-1B holds several world records for speed, payload and distance. The National Aeronautic Association recognized the B-1B for completing one of the 10 most memorable record flights for 1994.

The B-1B uses radar and inertial navigation equipment enabling aircrews to globally navigate, update mission profiles and target coordinates in-flight, and precision bomb without the need for ground based navigation aids. Included in the B-1B offensive avionics are modular electronics that allow maintenance personnel to precisely identify technical difficulties and replace avionics components in a fast, efficient manner on the ground.

The aircraft's AN/ALQ 161A defensive avionics is a comprehensive electronic counter-measures package that detects and counters enemy radar threats. It also has the capability to detect and counter missiles attacking from the rear. It defends the aircraft by applying the appropriate counter-measures, such as electronic jamming or dispensing expendable chaff and flares. Similar to the offensive avionics, the defensive suite has a re-programmable design that allows in-flight changes to be made to counter new or changing threats.

The B-1B represents a major upgrade in U.S. long-range capabilities over the B-52 -- the previous mainstay of the bomber fleet. Significant advantages include:

• Low radar cross-section to make detection considerably more difficult.
  
• Ability to fly lower and faster while carrying a larger payload.
  
• Advanced electronic countermeasures to enhance survivability.
  

Numerous sustainment and upgrade modifications are ongoing or under study for the B-1B aircraft. A large portion of these modifications which are designed to increase the combat capability are known as the Conventional Mission Upgrade Program. In FY93, The Air Force initiated CMUP in FY1993 to improve the B-1’s conventional warfighting capabilities. The $2.7 billion CMUP program is intended to convert the B-1B from a primarily nuclear weapons carrier to a conventional weapons carrier. Capability will be delivered in blocks attained by hardware modifications with corresponding software updates:

• Initial conventional capability was optimized for delivery of Mk-82 non-precision 500lb gravity bombs
• Current capability (Block C) also provides delivery of up to 30 Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs) per sortie for enhanced conventional capability against advancing armor. Initial capability achieved in September 1996 with FOC in August 1997. The upgrade consists of modification for B-1B bomb module from the original configuration of 28 500-pound bombs per unit to 10 1,000-pound cluster bombs per bomb rack. The modifications apply to a total to 50 refitted bomb racks -- enough to equip half the B-1B fleet.
• Block D integrates the ALE-50 repeater decoy system, the first leg of the electronic countermeasures upgrade, and JDAM for near precision capability and adds anti-jam radios for secure communication in force packages. FY96 and FY97 Congressional plus-ups are being used to accelerate JDAM initial capability by 18 months (1QFY99). Congress has provided extra funding to allow a group of seven aircraft to be outfitted and ready a full 18 months early, with the first three JDAM equipped aircraft to be ready by December 1998, and the last of those seven aircraft are planned to arrive at Ellsworth AFB by Feb 99.
• Block E upgrades the current avionics computer suite and integrates Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD), Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) and Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) for standoff capability (FY02)
• Block F improves the aircraft’s electronic countermeasures’ situational awareness and jamming capabilities in FY02

Background

The B-1B is a modified B-1A with major revisions in offensive avionics, defensive avionics, weapon payload, range, and speed. These modifications were made to incorporate certain technological advances that had occurred between the original B-lA contract award in 1970 and the LRCA competition in 1980. Improvements consist primarily of off-the-shelf technology such as a new radar, new generation computers, expanded ECM capabilities, reduced RCS, and avionics compatibility with the ALCM. The wing sweep is restricted to 60 which limits the maximum speed to just above supersonic. Rockwell also estimated range increases for the modified B-1.

Differences between the B-1B and its predecessor, the B-1A of the 1970s, are subtle, yet significant. Externally, only a simplified engine inlet, modified over-wing fairing and relocated pilot tubes are noticeable. Other less-evident changes include a window for the offensive and defensive systems officers' station and engine housing modifications that reduces radar exposure. The B-1B was structurally redesigned to increase its gross takeoff weight from 395,000 to 477,000 pounds (177,750 to 214,650 kilograms). Still, the empty weight of the B-1B is but 3 percent greater than that of the B-1A. This added takeoff weight capacity, in addition to a movable bulkhead between the forward and intermediate weapons bay, allows the B-1B to carry a wide variety of nuclear and conventional munitions. The most significant changes, however, are in the avionics, with low-radar cross-section, automatic terrain-following high-speed penetration, and precise weapons delivery.

Prior to 1994 B-1B fleet had never achieved its objective of having a 75-percent mission capable rate. In 1992 and 1993 the B-1B mission capable rate averaged about 57 percent. According to the Air Force, a primary reason for the low mission capable rate was the level of funding provided to support the B-1B logistics support system. Concerned about the low mission capable rate, a history of B-1B problems, and the Air Force's plans to spend $2.4 billion modifying the B-1B to become a conventional bomber, the Congress directed the Air Force to conduct an Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) from June 1, 1994, through November 30, 1994. The purpose of the ORA was to determine whether one B-1B wing was capable of achieving and maintaining its planned 75-percent operational readiness rate for a period of 6 months, if provided the full complement of spare parts, maintenance equipment and manpower, and logistic support equipment. During the ORA the test unit achieved an 84.3-percent mission capable rate during the test period. The ORA demonstrated that, given a full complement of spare parts, equipment, and manpower, the Air Force could achieve and sustain a 75-percent mission capable rate for the B-1B. The Air Force projects that the entire B-1B fleet will reach a 75-percent mission capable rate by 2000 by virtue of numerous on-going and future reliability, maintainability, and management initiatives. However, as of mid-October 1999 the Air Force wide mission capable rate of the B-1 had fallen to 51.1 percent -- mainly because of maintenance problems and a shortage of parts. Over the previous 12 months, the Kansas Guard had maintained a mission capable rate of 71.1 percent for the 10 usable aircraft assigned to it.

The basis for the projection of useful life of the B-1 is the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP). The useful life of the structure is assumed to be the point at which it is more economical to replace the aircraft than to continue structural modifications and repairs necessary to perform the mission. The limiting factor for B-1’s service life is the wing lower surface. At 15,200 hours, based on continued low level usage, the wing’s lower skin will need replacement. Current usage rates, operational procedures, and mishap attrition will place the inventory below the requirement of 89 aircraft in 2018, while the service life attrition will impact around 2038.

The first B-1B, 83-0065, The Star of Abilene, was delivered to the Air Force at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1985, with initial operational capability on Oct. 1, 1986. The 100th and final B-1B was delivered May 2, 1988. The Air Force has chosen to fully fund the operation of only 60 B-1Bs for the next few years, compared with plans to fund 82 beyond fiscal year 2000. In the short term, the Air Force has classified 27 of 95 B-1Bs as "reconstitution aircraft." These aircraft are not funded for flying hours and lack aircrews, but they are based with B-1B units, flown on a regular basis, maintained like other B-1Bs, and modified with the rest of the fleet. B-1B units will use flying hours and aircrews that are based on 60 operational aircraft to rotate both the operational aircraft and the reconstitution aircraft through its peacetime flying schedule. These 27 aircraft will be maintained in reconstitution reserve status until the completion of smart conventional munition upgrades. At that time, around the year 2000, there will be 95 aircraft providing an operational force of 82 fully modified B-1s. The B-1 will complete its buy back of attrition reserve by the fourth quarter of FY03, and re-code six training aircraft to attain 70 combat-coded aircraft by the fourth quarter of FY04. During the Cold War, heavy bombers were used primarily for nuclear deterrence and were operated solely by the active duty Air Force. According to the Air Force, the National Guard's part-time workforce was incompatible with the bombers' nuclear mission because of a requirement for continuously monitoring all personnel directly involved with nuclear weapons. With the end of the Cold War and increased emphasis on the bombers' conventional mission, the Air Force initiated efforts to integrate Guard and reserve units into the bomber force. As part of its total force policy, the Air Force assigned B-1B aircraft to the National Guard. Heavy bombers entered the Air Guard's inventory for the first time in 1994 with a total of 14 B-1Bs programmed by the end of fiscal year FY 1997 for two units, the 184th Bomb Wing (BW), Kansas, and the 116th BW, Georgia. The 184th completed its conversion in FY 1996 at McConnell Air Force Base (AFB), Kansas. After a long political struggle that involved resisting the planned conversion from F-15s and an associated move from Dobbins AFB near Atlanta to Robins AFB near Macon, the 116th began its conversion on 1 April 1996. The unit completed that process in December 1998. All the bombers in both units were configured for conventional, not nuclear, missions. Prior to 1994, the B-1B fleet operated out of four bases: Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas; and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. In 1994, the Air Force realigned the B-1B fleet by closing the Grand Forks Air Force Base and transferring the aircraft at McConnell Air Force Base to the Air National Guard. With the transfer, the B-1B support structure, including spare parts, was distributed to the two remaining main operating bases. The concentration of aircraft and repair facilities at Dyess and Ellsworth Air Force Bases resulted in improved support capabilities, which improved mission capable [MC] rates.

On 26 March 1996 it was announced that the 77th Bomb Squadron would return to Ellsworth. On 1 April 97, the squadron again activated at Ellsworth as the geographically separated 34th Bomb Squadron completed its transfer to its home at the 366th Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. By June 1998, the 77th had six of its B-1Bs out of the reconstitution reserve. This number ballanced those lost by the 34th BS.

Upgrades

Cockpit Upgrade Program (CUP) - Current B-1 cockpit display units are not capable of supporting graphic intensive software modifications. The CUP installs a robust graphic capability via common display units throughout the front and aft stations. This program increases B-1 survivability by providing critical situational awareness displays, needed for conventional operations, keeping pace with current and future guided munitions integration, enhancing situational awareness, and improving tactical employment. Link-16 – Providing Line-of-Sight (LOS) data for aircraft-to-aircraft, aircraft-to-C2, and aircraft-to-sensor connectivity, Link-16 is a combat force multiplier that provides U.S. and other allied military services with fully interoperable capabilities and greatly enhances tactical Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence mission effectiveness. Link-16 provides increased survivability, develops a real-time picture of the theater battlespace, and enables the aircraft to quickly share information on short notice (target changes). In addition to a localized capability, the B-1’s datalink will include BLOS capability increasing flexibility essential to attacking time-sensitive targets. B-1 Radar Upgrade is a candidate Long Term Upgrade that would improve the current Synthetic Aperture Radar resolution from three meters to one foot or better, allowing the B-1 to more autonomously and precisely Find, Fix, Target, Track, Engage, and Assess enemy targets with guided direct-attack or standoff munitions (JDAM/JSOW). Finally, the upgrade would replace older components that will be difficult to maintain due to obsolescence and vanishing vendors.

Specifications
Primary Function:	Long-range, multi-role, heavy bomber
Builder:	Rockwell International, North American Aircraft
Operations Air Frame and Integration:	Offensive avionics, Boeing Military Airplane; defensive avionics, AIL Division
Power Plant:	Four General Electric F-101-GE-102 turbofan engine with afterburner
Thrust:	30,000-plus pounds (13,500-plus kilograms) with afterburner, per engine
Length:	146 feet (44.5 meters)
Wingspan:	137 feet (41.8 meters) extended forward, 79 feet (24.1 meters) swept aft
Height:	34 feet (10.4 meters)
Weight:	Empty, approximately 190,000 pounds (86,183 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight:	477,000 pounds (214,650 kilograms)
Speed:	900-plus mph (Mach 1.2 at sea level)
Rotate and Takeoff Speeds:	210 Gross - 119 Rotate kts / 134 kts Takeoff 390 Gross - 168 kts Rotate / 183 kts Takeoff
Landing Speeds:	210 Gross - 145 kts 380 Gross - 195 kts
Range:	Intercontinental, unrefueled
Ceiling:	Over 30,000 feet (9,000 meters)
Crew:	Four (aircraft commander, pilot, offensive systems officer and defensive systems officer)
Armament:
Date Deployed:	June 1985
Unit Cost:	$200-plus million per aircraft
Inventory:	100 total production 93 total current inventory Active force, 51 PMAI (69 actual) ANG, 18 PMAI (22 actual) Reserve, 0 AFMC, 2 (Test)

--> B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52H BUFF [Big Ugly Fat Fellow] is the primary nuclear roled bomber in the USAF inventory. It provides the only Air Launch Cruise Missile carriage in the USAF. The B-52H also provides theater CINCs with a long range strike capability. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

The aircraft's flexibility was evident during the Vietnam War and, again, in Operation Desert Storm. B-52s struck wide-area troop concentrations, fixed installations and bunkers, and decimated the morale of Iraq's Republican Guard. The Gulf War involved the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., launched conventional air launched cruise missiles and returned to Barksdale -- a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission.

A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and all are assigned to Air Combat Command. The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles. In addition, it can carry the conventional cruise missile which was launched from B-52G models during Desert Storm.

Barksdale AFB, LA and Minot AFB, ND serves as B-52 Main Operating Bases (MOB). Training missions are flown from both MOBs. Barksdale AFB and Minot AFB normally supports 57 and 36 aircraft respectively on-station.

Features

In a conventional conflict, the B-52H can perform air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface.

Starting in 1989, an on-going modification incorporates the global positioning system, heavy stores adaptor beams for carrying 2,000 pound munitions and additional smart weapons capability. All aircraft are being modified to carry the AGM-142 Raptor missile and AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.

The B-52H was designed for nuclear standoff, but it now has the conventional warfare mission role with the retirement of the B-52G’s. The B-52 can carry different kinds of external pylons under its wings.

• The AGM-28 pylon can carry lighter weapons like the MK-82 and can carry 12 weapons on each pylon, for a total of 24 external weapons. With the carriage of 27 internal weapons, the total is 51.
• Heavy Stores Adaptor Beam [HSAB] external pylon can carry heavier weapons rated up to 2000 lbs. However, each HSAB can carry only 9 weapons which decreases the total carry to 45 (18 external).
• A third type pylon is used for carrying ALCMs/CALCMs/ACMs.

So the B-52 can carry a maximum of either 51 or 45 munitions, depending on which pylon is mounted under the wings. However, the AGM-28 pylon is no longer used, so the B-52 currently carries on HSABs, limiting the external load to 18 bombs, or a total of 45 bombs.

The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by crew endurance. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers).

All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high resolution low-light-level television sensors to augment the targeting, battle assessment, flight safety and terrain-avoidance system, thus further improving its combat ability and low-level flight capability.

Pilots wear night vision goggles (NVGs) to enhance their night visual, low-level terrain-following operations. Night vision goggles provide greater safety during night operations by increasing the pilot's ability to visually clear terrain and avoid enemy radar.

Current B-52H crew size is five. Pilot and co-pilot are side by side on the upper flight deck, along with the electronic warfare officer (EWO), seated behind the pilot facing aft.

Side by side on the lower flight deck are the radar navigator, responsible for weapons delivery, and the navigator, responsible for guiding the aircraft from point A to point B. Because the H model was not originally designated for conventional ordnance delivery, weapons delivery was assigned to the radar navigator and the "bombardier/navigator" crew station designation of the earlier B-52 series was not used.)

The controls and displays for aircraft systems are distributed among the crew stations on the basis of responsibilities. The Air Force’s objective is to employ the latest navigation and communication technology to reduce the crew size to four people, by combining the radar navigator and navigator functions into one position.

The navigator stations use CRT displays and 386x-type processors. Interface to avionics architecture is based on the Mil-Std-1553B

data bus specification.

Current Upgrade Activities

The current service life of the aircraft extends to 2040.

The B-52 is a typical representation of the misnomer of "legacy"

system. While the B-52 exceeds 30 years of age, new

modifications and mission capabilities are constantly

updating the system. The following is a list of curren

B-52 modification programs:

1. Global Positioning System (GPS)
2. TACAN Replacement System (TRS)
3. Integrated Conventional Stores Management System (ICSMS)
4. ARC-210/DAMA Secure Voice
5. AGM-142 HAVENAP Missile Integration
6. High Reliability Maintenance-Free Battery
7. Electronic Counter-Measures Improvement (ECMI)
8. Off-Aircraft Pylon Tester (OAPT)
9. Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS)
10. Electro Viewing System - EVS 3-in-1 (EVS, STV, FLIR)
11. Advanced Weapons Integration Program (JDAM, WCMD, JSOW, JASSM)
12. Night Vision Imaging System Cockpit Compatible Lighting
13. Night Vision Imaging System Compatible Ejection Seat Mod
14. Standard Flight Loads Data Recorder (SFLDR)
15. Avionics Midlife Improvement (AMI) (ACU, DTUC, and INS Replacement)
16. ALR-20 System Replacement
17. Fuel Temperature Monitoring System
18. Panoramic Night Vision Goggles
19. Advanced Infrared Expendables
20. Advanced real Time Engine Health Monitoring System
21. Closed Loop Sensor-To Shoot Data Collection/Trans
22. Precision Targeting Radar
23. TF-33 Engine Replacement
24. Lethal Self Protection
25. B-52 Cockpit Modernization
26. KY-58 VINSON Secure Voice
27. AVTR
28. Additional Cabin Pressure Altimeter
29. Enhanced Bomber Mission Management System
30. Chaff and Flare Dispenser Upgrade
31. Non 1760 Pylon Upgrade

The B-52 is undergoing a Conventional Enhancement Modification which allows it to carry MIL-STD 1760 weapons. The Advanced

Weapons Integration (AWI) program supports the conventional enhancement of the B-52 through the addition of the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW), and the Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM).

Limited Initial Operational Capability for the WCMD

was achieved on the B-52 in December 1998, and

LIOC for JDAM was achieved on the B-52 in

December 1998.

The Air Force Mission Support System supports the Air Force movement of all mission planning to a common system. GPS TACAN Emulation provides support to the Congressionally-directed GPS-2000. Electronic Countermeasures Improvement supports a DESERT STORM identified deficiency. The B-61 Mod 11 program was added at the direction of the Nuclear Posture Review and Presidential Decision Directive-30.

The AGM-142 (or Have Nap as it is commonly called) and Harpoon missile systems were first installed and made operational on the B-52Gs in the mid-1980s. When the “G” models were retired, these capabilities were moved to the B-52H model. While Air Combat Command (ACC) was happy to retain these operational capabilities, they were limited in their ability to employ either Have Nap or Harpoon by the fact that only a limited number of B-52Hs could employ the missiles. In the early 1990s the B-52 Conventional Enhancement Modification (CEM) Integrated Product Team (IPT) began programs to make it possible for any B-52H to carry and launch either missile. At about the same time, the AGM-142 SPO began a second phase of their producibility enhancement program, PEPII for short, to upgrade the AGM-142 missiles to both enhance supportability and lower the missiles cost. As of 31 December 97 these programs provided ACC with the expanded and more flexible mission capability they desired.

Upgrades

The B-61 Mod 11 program involves development and testing of a modified nuclear weapon on B-52 operational aircraft. Replacement of a strategic weapon was recommended by the Nuclear Posture Review and directed by Presidential Decision Review-30. Congress was notified during the second quarter of FY 1995, of the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy intent to modify an existing weapon to provide a replacement option. Modifications (made by the Department of Energy) to the B-61 Mod 7 strategic bomb accomplish the mission requirements of the replaced weapon. Modification of an existing weapon is less expensive than the cost to develop a new weapon from "scratch." Flight testing by the 419th FLTS, Edwards AFB, CA is required to certify the modified weapon mass and physic properties are the same as the Mod 7 device. The Air Force asked and received permission from Congress to reprogram the $4.5M FY 96 Congressional plus-up for AGM-130 integration on the B-52, into the B-61 Mod 11 Flight Test program. This program was completed in FY 97.

A key element to preserving the combat capability of the BUFF is the continued effort to improve the reliability, maintainability, and supportability (RM&S) for the B-52s in the near future. The three major defensive ECM systems on the aircraft, the AN/ALQ-172, AN/ALQ-155, and AN/ALR-20, all needed upgrades or replacement due to performance, reliability, and/or supportability problems. In addition, a myriad of other defensive systems on the BUFFs required enhancements to keep the B-52 ECM suite viable throughout the lifetime of the aircraft. In FY97, the B-52 fleet received only six percent of the overall bomber budget which further complicated efforts to maintain these aging ECM systems.

Between October 1996 and March 1997, the B-52 ECM suite became the leading cause of the Air Combat Command's B-52 bomber wings not meeting mission capable (MC) rate standards for the B-52H fleet. The aircraft's three major defensive systems all needed upgrades or replacement due to performance, reliability, and supportability issues. During these six months, these three systems combined to produce a six month mission incapable (MICAP) driver rate for the B-52 fleet of more than 43,000 hours. In addition, B-52 ECM employees discovered that because of this, readiness spares packages (RSPs) kits were depleted of several key system line replaceable units (LRUs). This resulted in a significant impact to the operational readiness of the entire B-52H fleet.

In March 1997, HQ ACC B-52 logistics officials (HQ ACC/LGF52), Oklahoma City ALC B-52 leadership (OC-ALC/LHL), and managers from the Center's LNR division implemented an ECM Support Improvement Plan (SIP) to improve the B-52H ECM MICAP rate and RSP fill rates to acceptable levels. As a result, they eliminated MICAPs by April 1997 and filled RSP kits to the Independent Kit Level by May 1997.

The ALQ-172 ECM electronic countermeasures suite is being improved to cover a requirement identified during DESERT STORM. The improvement provides for an increased memory capability to handle advanced threats as well as correcting a coverage capability problem. The project adds a third ALQ-172 to the ECM suite and develops the new display required by the addition of the third system. The B-52's electronic countermeasures suite is capable of protecting itself against a full range of air defense threat systems by using a combination of electronic detection, jamming and infrared countermeasures. The B-52 can also detect and counter missiles engaging the aircraft from the rear. These systems are undergoing continuous improvement in order to enable them to continue to counter emerging threat systems.

Situational Awareness is the highest priority modification needed for the B-52. The Electronic Countermeasure Improvement is a Reliability and Maintainability initiative that upgrades two low Mean Time Between Failure components, and replaces two Control and Display Units (CDU) with one CDU. The ECM system uses 1960s-era technology and will likely be unsupportable by FY02.

Link-16 - A line-of-sight datalink that uses structured message formats to provide the capability for an organized network of users to transfer in real-time/near real-time, digitized tactical information between tactical data systems used to increase survivability and develop a real-time picture of the battlespace.

An unsolicited proposal for reengining 94 aircraft in the B-52 fleet was submitted to the Air Force by Boeing North American, Inc. in June 1996. Boeing proposed modernizing the B-52 fleet by replacing the current TF-33 engines with a commercial engine through a long-term leasing agreement, and providing fixed-cost, privatized maintenance based on the number of hours flown each year. Boeing's proposal included modernizing the B-52 fleet by replacing the TF-33 engines with the Allison/Rolls commercial RB-211 engine through a long-term leasing agreement and providing a fixed-cost, privatized maintenance concept through a "power-by-the-hour" arrangement. Boeing initially projected reengining cost savings of about $6 billion, but later revised the projected savings to $4.7 billion to reengine 71 B-52s. An Air Force team formed to study Boeing's proposal analyzed the lease and purchase alternatives and concluded that both options are cost prohibitive compared to maintaining the existing TF-33 engines. The General Accounting Office estimated that Boeing's unsolicited proposal to reengine the B-52 fleet would cost the Air Force approximately $1.3 billion rather than save approximately $4.7 billion as Boeing projected.

Service Life

Updated with modern technology, the B-52 will continue into the 21st century as an important element of US forces. There is a proposal under consideration to re-engine the remaining B-52H aircraft to extend the service life. B-52 re-engine plans, if implemented, call for the B-52 to be utilized through 2025. Current engineering analysis show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2040. The limiting factor of the B-52’s service life is the economic limit of the aircraft's upper wing surface, calculated to be approximately 32,500 to 37,500 flight hours. Based on the projected economic service life and forecast mishap rates, the Air Force will be unable to maintain the requirement of 62 aircraft by 2044, after 84 years in service

The May 1997 Report of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), prescribed a total fleet of 187 bombers (95 B-1, 21 B-2, and 71 B-52). Since the QDR, two B-1s have been lost in peacetime accidents. However, the Report of the Panel to Review Long-Range Air Power (LRAP) concluded the existing bomber fleet cannot be sustained through the expected life of the air frames and that additional aircraft will eventually be required. To address this issue, the Air Force will add five additional B-52 attrition reserve aircraft, bringing the B-52 total from 71 to 76 for a total bomber force of 190. The B-52 fleet will remain the same with 44 combat-coded aircraft.

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