Specifications
Primary Function:
Heavy bomber
Contractor:
Boeing Military Airplane Co.
Power Plant:
Eight Pratt & Whitney engines TF33-P-3/103 turbofan
Thrust:
Each engine up to 17,000 pounds (7,650 kilograms)
Length:
159 feet, 4 inches (48.5 meters)
Height:
40 feet, 8 inches (12.4 meters)
Wingspan:
185 feet (56.4 meters)
Speed:
650 miles per hour (Mach 0.86)
Ceiling:
50,000 feet (15,151.5 meters)
Weight:
Approximately 185,000 pounds empty (83,250 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight:
488,000 pounds (219,600 kilograms)
Range:
Unrefueled 8,800 miles (7,652 nautical miles)
Armament:
NOTE: The B-52 can carry 27 internal weapons. Authoritative sources diverge as to maximum munition loads, with some suggesting as many as 51 smaller munitions and 30 larger munitions, while others suggest maximum loads of 45 and 24, respectively.
· The Heavy Stores Adaptor Beam [HSAB] external pylon can carry only 9 weapons which limits the total carry to 45 (18 external).
· The AGM-28 pylon could carry lighter weapons like the MK-82 and can carry 12 weapons on each pylon, for a total of 24 external weapons, for a the total of 51. 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.
Approximately 70,000 pounds (31,500 kilograms) mixed ordnance – bombs, mines and missiles.
NUCLEAR
20 ALCM
12 SRAM [ext]
12 ACM [ext]
2 B53 [int]
8 B-61 Mod11 [int]
8 B-83 [int]
CONVENTIONAL
51 CBU-52 (27 int, 18 ext)
51 CBU-58 (27 int, 18 ext)
51 CBU-71 (27 int, 18 ext)
30 CBU 87 (6 int, 18 ext)
30 CBU 89 (6 int, 18 ext)
30 CBU 97 (6 int, 18 ext)
51 M117
18 Mk 20 (ext)
51 Mk 36
8 Mk 41
12 Mk 52
8 Mk 55
8 Mk 56
51 Mk 59
8 Mk 60 (CapTor)
51 Mk. 62
8 Mk. 64
8 Mk 65
51 MK 82
18 MK 84 (ext)
PRECISION
18 JDAM (12 ext)
30 WCMD (16 ext)
8 AGM-84 Harpoon
20 AGM-86C CALCM
8 AGM-142 Popeye [3 ext]
18 AGM-154 JSOW (12 ext)
12 AGM-158 JASSSM [ext]
12 TSSAM
Systems
· AN/ALQ-117 PAVE MINT active countermeasures set
· AN/ALQ-122 false target generator [Motorola]
· AN/ALQ-153 tail warning set [Northrop Grumman]
· AN/ALQ-155 jammer Power Management System [Northrop Grumman]
· AN/ALQ-172(V)2 electronic countermeasures system [ITT]
· AN/ALR-20A Panoramic countermeasures radar warning receiver
· AN/ALR-46 digital warning receiver [Litton]
· AN/ALT-32 noise jammer
· 12 AN/ALE-20 infra-red flare dispensers
· 6 AN/ALE-24 chaff dispensers
· AN/ANS-136 Inertial Navigation Set
· AN/APN-224 Radar Altimeter
· AN/ASN-134 Heading Reference
· AN/APQ-156 Strategic Radar
· AN/ASQ-175 Control Display Set
· AN/AYK-17 Digital Data Display
· AN/AYQ-10 Ballistics Computer
· AN/AAQ-6 FLIR Electro-optical viewing system
· AN/AVQ-22 Low-light TV Electro-optical viewing system
· AN/ARC-210 VHF/UHF communications
· AN/ARC-310 HF radio communications
Crew:
Five (aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer)
Accommodations:
Six ejection seats
Unit Cost:
$30 million
Date Deployed:
February 1955
Inventory:
44 combat-coded
Active force, 85; ANG, 0; Reserve, 9