AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2015 - 83

WANT A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT A B-52?

AN AIR FORCE survival instructor

(at left) teaches how to use a
parachute and how to steer on
the way down (below left), The
portable transceiver (far left) is
for search-and-rescue operations.

however, do not get too excited about the
failure of one engine. Losing one of eight is
similar to losing 25 percent of one engine's
power on a twin-it's not very traumatic.
Climb speed for the first 1,000 feet is
180 knots. The flaps are then retracted,
which takes forever-a full minute. Cabin
pressurization does not begin until reaching 8,000 feet. With 7.45 psi of differential
pressure, cabin altitude at FL400 is 10,000
feet and at FL550 is 13,500 feet.
Each thrust lever has two knobs. The
smaller, lower knobs allow you to grab all
eight throttles with one fist and make gross
power changes of all engines at the same
time. The larger knobs are for adjusting individual engines with your fingertips. Engines
four and five, the two inboard engines, have
the tallest throttle knobs. Small adjustments
of only these engines are like using a vernier
and make it easier to establish and maintain
a precise airspeed.
When it was my turn to fly, I quickly
discovered that the flight controls are not
boosted. They're heavy and reminiscent
of a Boeing 707-not surprising, given the
bloodline of these aircraft. Unlike earlier
models, the B-52H does not have ailerons;
spoilers are used for roll control. An odd
characteristic of rolling into and out of
turns is the need to simultaneously push
slightly forward on the control wheel to
prevent nose-up pitching. This is because
spoiler activation on a B-52 shifts the center of lift forward.
The center instrument panel is dominated by 32 vintage analog engine
instruments, eight columns of four that all
look similar. Eight oil-pressure gauges are in
a horizontal row above the windshield. The
cockpit is old and worn, from another era,
almost a relic. The airplane lacks many of
the safety features taken for granted on large
modern jets, such as engine fire extinguishers, fuel dumping, and thrust reversers-but
it does have brakes and a drag chute.
The flight instruments are not presented in a standard matrix of six. This

EAA has announced that for the first time ever a B-52 will be
on display at AirVenture, July 20 through 26 in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin. The B-52H is from the U.S. Air Force Reserve's
93rd Bomb Squadron of the 207th Bomb Wing at Barksdale
Air Force Base in Louisiana. It will be hard to miss on the ramp.

devastates the scan of someone accustomed to a "six pack." Adding to my
confusion was that some instruments have
unfamiliar displays. Also, the instrument
layouts for the aircraft commander and the
co-pilot are reversed, and specific instruments are not where you expect them to be.
All of this takes getting used to.
Each pilot's panel has an electro-optical viewing system, a large green display
that utilizes high-resolution optical and
infrared cameras to provide a remarkable
view of the outside world (in all ground
and flight conditions).
The KC-135 tanker appeared several
miles ahead of us on AR302, a refueling
route over Louisiana. The idea is to rendezvous 3 nm behind and 1,000 feet below
the tanker while indicating 310 knots. You
then begin a gentle climb to get in position
with the tanker at a matched airspeed of
275 knots.
Maj. Hancock wisely did not offer me
an opportunity to try this, but I did accept
the challenge from another instructor,
Capt. Ryan Russell, in a B-52 simulator.
It's more difficult than it looks. A factor I
had not considered is that the tanker gets
lighter as the bomber gets heavier. The
pilots of both aircraft need to make opposite power and pitch changes.
I also got to shoot the "dreaded sevenengine approach," a facetious reference
to the relative ease with which the airplane is handled following failure of only
one engine. Descent from cruise altitude
begins only 40 nm from the airport with
engines idling and landing gear extended.
The spoilers are partially deployed during the landing approach so that when
the spoilers on the low wing rise farther
during turn entry, the spoilers on the high
wing retract somewhat. This increases the
difference in lift between the two wings
and improves roll rate and control. It
is similar to why two ailerons are more
effective when entering a turn in a conventional airplane than just one would be.

The tower-reported wind is used to set
the crab angle of the main landing gear for
landing, with extreme care not to crab the
wheels in the wrong direction.
The approach is flown flaps down
and with respect to the best flare speed
(and with side cockpit windows open,
if desired). The downwind leg is flown
at best flare speed (BFS) +30 knots and
final approach at BFS+10. Unlike other
large turbofan airplanes, normal procedure is to retard the throttles to idle well
prior to the runway threshold (so as to
glide across the threshold at best flare
speed and touch down 10 to 15 knots less
than that).
During a BUFF pilot's first few crosswind landings in a B-52, he learns to resist
the urge to kick the aircraft out of the
crab and align it with the runway before
touchdown (as we normally would do).
He must discipline himself to touch down
in a wings-level crab. Once he becomes
accustomed to this, he'll probably want all
airplanes to be equipped with crosswind
gear. The B-52 can be landed comfortably
with a direct crosswind well in excess of
40 knots.
The last of 742 Stratofortresses rolled
off the Wichita assembly line in 1962.
There currently are 58 on active duty plus
18 in reserve. The Air Force plans to continue rewriting history with the B-52H
until beyond 2040. Some BUFF drivers
yet to be born will be flying an airplane
in service that had been flown by their
great-grandfathers. No other military
airplane has such a legacy-or likely ever
will again.
AOPA
The author expresses his gratitude to Lt. Gen.
Donald Aldridge, Maj. Corey Hancock, Capt.
Cody Bias, Capt. Ryan Russell, Capt. George
Shanks, and the men and women of the 20th
Bomb Squadron for so graciously sharing
their time and expertise.
WEB

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AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2015

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