Happy Birthday BUFF

by Great American Sat Apr 16, 2022 1:39 pm

Yesterday (April 15), was the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the prototype Boeing XB-52 Stratofortress. Somewhat inaccurately nicknamed “BUFF” (polite version is Big Ugly Fat Fellah), it has become perhaps the oldest weapon in the U.S. armed forces. If, as some sources claim, it will be kept in service into the 2050s, it’ll be a century old. I remember in the early '80s a news story that was investigating concern that the B-52s were too old then, and likely to suffer serious metal fatigue issues. And to think that many of the F-15 Eagles that are now flying are older than the oldest Stratofortresses at that time.