B-52D "Stratofortress"

Plans for the B-52 began as early as 1945, but the first flight of a B-52D was not until June 4, 1956. The operational life of the B-52 spans the period from 1957 to the present and included the most critical phase of the war in Vietnam. This aircraft was among 170 B-52Ds manufactured by Boeing Airplane Company and was equipped exclusively for long-range bombing missions. Called "Calamity Jane," it has been demilitarized but remains in the night camouflage used during Vietnam operations. It was designed for a crew of six, with a gross weight of 450,000 pounds, a wingspan of 185 feet, a length of 157 feet 7 inches, a height with fin vertical of 48 feet 3 inches, total fuel capacity of 41,700 gallons, armament capacity of 84 500-pound bombs in the bomb bay and 13 750-pound bombs under each wing, a maximum speed of approximately 660 miles per hour at 20,000 feet, a service ceiling of 65,000 feet, and a range of 10,000 miles.

Mobile, Alabama · United States