The B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program held its Critical Design Review. This milestone enables the program to move closer to modernization of #B52 aircraft with fuel-efficient engines and advanced systems into the 2050s.

Less pollution is good. The big trail of smoke disappearing is part of the cost for less pollution. The smoke comes from unburnt fuel and is often full of partial combustion byproducts that are pretty nasty.

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Recoil42@reddit

Yep.

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BiggyShake@reddit

are there any renderings that show the plane with new vs old side-to-side so we can see the difference clearly?

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studpilot69@reddit

This rendering is with the new. You can google the old.

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russbroom@reddit

You can really tell when you zoom in. It looks like fairly amateurish Photoshop work, up close! 😂

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

These are the new nacelles in the image. It’s not a huge difference compared to the current ones, basically a little larger and without the step down by the pylon.

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jumpinjezz@reddit

I mean that's the point, they looked at using 4 big engines and the amount of other changes required cancelled out the cost benefit. This way they get new engines with minimal other changes requires.

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Gastroid@reddit

The most important part of the side-by-side will be the lack of the thick black exhaust trail in the after picture.

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WWYDWYOWAPL@reddit

Goddam treehuggers stopping us from rolling coal from the sky.

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ExocetHumper@reddit

Year is 3025, US has unveiled UFO-35. In other news B52 revisions have run out of letters to use, so Pentagon is coming up with new alphabetic letters.

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warredtje@reddit

In other news, France stepped out of the joint European ufo-29 program.

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kvasoslave@reddit

Nah it'll go like in Excel, B-52Z, B-52AA, B-52AB...

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Punkpunker@reddit

B-52Z-A9/mod.2/block-67

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sleepyprojectionist@reddit

Ah the anime/manga series naming convention.

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fireandlifeincarnate@reddit

B-52A2SEPv3

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soapy5@reddit

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AbrocomaSpirited5797@reddit

AI slop

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Useful_Argument_6490@reddit

Requesting JDAM to Alpha Centauri.

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karenwooosh@reddit

Oh c'mon just put eight f16 engines and she will be okay.

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SleestackMcGee@reddit

Was wondering if this was possible. Fantastic. Look at the B-1 too.

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spazturtle@reddit

B-1 is being retired starting in 2028.

The wing box is made from a huge single piece of titanium and is the life limiting factor since it cannot be restored. This is a common issue with variable sweep aircraft.

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Btherock78@reddit

Sounds like there's a realistic scenario where we are celebrating 100 years of the B-52, while still actively using them in combat roles. Crazy longevity.

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RedMacryon@reddit

Yep

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LaddieNowAddie@reddit

It's a giant bomb carrying tube with wings. The design doesn't get much simpler or more efficient than that.

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thf24@reddit

Not to mention at some point it becomes a Ship of Theseus debate. Does a simple, optimal design that’s had practically every part replaced if not upgraded really say that much about the longevity of its original iterations?

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bitching_bot@reddit

Now remove the wings and make the tube longer!

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xarvox@reddit

Realistic? Damn near preordained at this point, with 2052 being less than 25 years off…

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RedMacryon@reddit

Another 50yrs to go

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SpencerNK@reddit

I'm curious, I just google B52 airframe production, and see that the last unit was built in 1962. Is there are limit to how long an airframe can fly? Do things like metal fatigue not begin to be an issue?

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SchlopFlopper@reddit

Short Answer: Bomber of Theseus

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nalc@reddit

Eh, not really. Most of the airframes are original.

Ship of Thesues might be more accurate to some of the platforms that have been in continuous production for decades like the C-130 and H-47, where at various times they've had pretty major overhauls of every piece of it.

The B-52s flying now are ancient and have had some refreshes but it's not like they built new airframes and moved the systems over at any point.

The reason they're surviving is just that they have an exceedingly low operational tempo. They can be the airplane equivalent of your uncle's classic car that he drives only on the weekends. They don't rack up a ton of flight hours and they usually have time for plenty of maintenance between flights.

I'd wager that there are some ~20 year old 737NGs out there that have more flight hours and pressure cycles than the oldest B-52s in the fleet. Maybe a bit less battle damage though.

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elitecommander@reddit

I'd wager that there are some ~20 year old 737NGs out there that have more flight hours and pressure cycles than the oldest B-52s in the fleet. Maybe a bit less battle damage though.

Given how the average number of flying hours for the fleet is in the 21-23k range, that's an easy bet.

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stewieatb@reddit

As a fairly casual observer: every time the US Military attempts to replace one of its proven mid-20th-century big ticket items (like the F-15, the Arleigh Burkes, the Chinook, the Sea Stallion, the A-10, the Abrams, or the Humvee) the result is an absolute disaster of a project that runs over-budget, over-time, and produces a total kludge of an end product that barely works (see: F-35, V-22, LCS program, Zumwalts).

By contrast upgrading existing platforms and/or building an extra block of (ships/tanks/aircraft) seems to work pretty well.

To be fair the Brits are having a very similar problem, with the Type 45 destroyers barely able to leave port and the new Ajax armoured vehicle being an unmitigated disaster.

As to why you can't specifically build a new B-52: because reconstituting the tooling for the wings and fuselage would cost more than re-engining and upgrading the existing ones.

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MeatServo1@reddit

Do they just keep replacing spars and swapping in new bulkheads, etc.? A new engine is nice and all, but if one of the pylons rips off and takes the vertical stab with it, not a great day.

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elitecommander@reddit

No, the B-52H will not require a structural life extension until the 2050s at minimum when the upper wing skins will require replacement. The B-52H fleet has survived so long in large part because the airframe has not required significant repair programs since several early modification programs in the sixties and seventies.

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ce402@reddit

At which point the 22nd century modernization effort will begin, Ray-ray will have a program to install pulse drive engines and photon torpedoes.

Grandpa Buff is eternal.

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Either_Letterhead_77@reddit

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NCRnchr@reddit

I'm only mad it doesn't have eight warp nacelles.

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jumpinjezz@reddit

It has 4 nacelles with dual warp drives in each

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Pass1928@reddit

Thanks, laughed out loud at this.

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BreadUntoast@reddit

Fuck it we’ll have ground effect BUFFs for sea patrol duties, and airborne Arleigh Burkes as long range missile trucks

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history-boi109@reddit

Caspian Sea Monster? Wrong Buff of the Gulf (based out of Air & Space Base Barksdale home of all B-52s for now and all eternity)

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SchlopFlopper@reddit

Don’t forget the C-130X, now equipped with warp drives and cross-dimensional travel for maximum deployment capability in any warzone.

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Armamore@reddit

The most unrealistic thing about most sci-fi settings is the fact that there aren't a bunch of modified B-52Zs cruising around in space.

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elPatronSuarez@reddit

Xenu has entered the chat

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Armamore@reddit

Damn, there are some layers to that. Well done.

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old_righty@reddit

*Great Grandpa Buff at this point.

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flyingscotsman12@reddit

8 of them, of course.

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Medical_Wrap_3082@reddit

Yep - P&W messed this one up big time.

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aa2051@reddit

The year is 2259. The B-52Q variant, equipped with ion engines and a hyperdrive, has commenced nuclear carpet bombing on Jupiter’s moons during the miner insurgency. The B-52 is expected to have its retirement pushed back to 2300.

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BetweenTwoTowers@reddit

Ah yes, the B-52Z "Final Fortress"

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barkingcat@reddit

Also, the still under development B-52R will be our first faster than light demonstrator vehicle. This particular airframe was welded over 300 years ago and now will be the most advanced prototype in human history.

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wiggum55555@reddit

As long as they remebered to include black smoke injectors to the new modern efficient engines.. then I think we're all good here.

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

Bring back the B-52 tail gunner with a Maxim gun or two and really double down on the whole “ancient weapon, modern war” meme.

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Background-Taro-573@reddit

Modern needs would be a flak cannon to combat drones

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Turbulent-Sail-3947@reddit

Grab an old world war 2 flak cannon and shove it in the back!

/s

Or make an ac-130 type gunship with those double 128mm flak cannon guns from a museum lmao

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discombobulated38x@reddit

Ukrainians are using Maxims to shoot down drones tbf

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ThatHellacopterGuy@reddit

Tail-mounted Stinger launcher; *Flight of the Old Dog*-style.

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MattheiusFrink@reddit

i loved the old dog books.

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BoysenberryDue3637@reddit

Let's put a GAU-8/A back there . Give the old girl a boost in power.

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Difficult_Limit2718@reddit

Why not a spear throwing station?

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

Why not indeed!

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mikewastaken@reddit

A-10 go brrrt

B-52 go atlatl

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Te_Luftwaffle@reddit

Imagine a guy leaning out the side with a sling

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Evilbred@reddit

The mid century modern trend is so hot right now

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No_Greed_No_Pain@reddit

Complete with the turret by Saarinen and gunner's chair by Eames.

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RocketshipRoadtrip@reddit

Updated munitions with rose gold accents to be released in the fall 26 catalog

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MattheiusFrink@reddit

imagine a b-52 with high-bypass turbofans. turn the sound of death from a low rumble into a silent whirr.

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Flashpiont412@reddit

Give it GE90s you cowards

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Texas_Kimchi@reddit

I'm not a fan of the F130's they chose. I know they said that using the biggest turbo fans would require extra strengthening, I say pay the extra money and do it.

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buddhahat@reddit

lol. I'm sure no one thought of this.

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BroasisMusic@reddit

It would basically be like developing a whole new airframe at that point. It's not just "strengthening", it would also drastically change how the plane flies and especially how it behaves with an engine failure due to asymmetric thrust. They looked into it with very serious intent and it just wouldn't work for a very large number of reasons.

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WoodersonHurricane@reddit

This is some Warhammer 40K stuff.

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tenexchamp@reddit

We were writing reports on B52 re-engining in the 90’s. It’s taken absolutely forever to get this simple (really) thing done, AND ITS STILL NOT DONE YET!

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barkingcat@reddit

I want to see a version of the b52 with all 8 engines replaced by the military version of the ge9x family

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igame2much@reddit

Further proof that the B-52 will outlive us all.

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Fonzie1225@reddit

can someone help me understand why this is such an ordeal to just replace the engines? why wasn’t this done 30 years ago?

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RomanticFaceTech@reddit

can someone help me understand why this is such an ordeal to just replace the engines? why wasn’t this done 30 years ago?

Mentour Now did a good overview on why the engines needed replacing and why fitting new engines was so complex on YouTube earlier this year if you have a spare 25 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbCeKNcr6Wk

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markp_93@reddit

that video was absolutely fascinating 👍🏻

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SexySmexxy@reddit

its literally the powerplant of a warplane

Doesn't get much more mission critical than that im afraid

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Fonzie1225@reddit

Sure, but plenty of other combat aircraft have had engine replacement programs over their service life with exponentially less fuss… I recognize the points the other guy made though

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Every_Muffin8129@reddit

But most of those planes had 1 or 2 engines, every once in a while 4. This thing has 8, which makes anything involving engines vastly more complicated.

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Salsalito_Turkey@reddit

They have to use engines that are as close in size to the originals as possible, to avoid messing up the aerodynamics and a bunch of other design pitfalls. Then they'll have to completely re-wire the plane to accommodate the digital engine controls and the greater electrical output of the engines. Until recently, it just wasn't worth it.

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CollegeStation17155@reddit

Ans rhw GREAT grandchildren of the original pilots will be flying them,

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KickFacemouth@reddit

With the deletion of the chin sensor fairings, it'll have a clean contour again, like the old D model. That being said, I so badly want them to do a one-off SEA heritage scheme with the black undersides:

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ContributionEasy6513@reddit

The modernisation makes the B52 a stupidly capable aircraft to operate in terms of increased range, increased capabilities, far better reliability, less & cheaper maintenance.

When you look into the project, credit where it is due, the fact the new engines basically pay for themselves makes it one of the projects the Air Force, Government and all the contractors got right.

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Themindoffish@reddit

Big undying flying fucker

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LEAP-er@reddit

USAF's millenium falcon

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gravity_rose@reddit

One of the underated differences is that much bigger inner weapons station. that's got to be 2x the length of the current one.

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TrippinNL@reddit

L ron Hubbart was on to something making spaceships look like b52

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Rude_Buffalo4391@reddit

100 years from now the United States will be invading a desert country that starts with “Ira_”. Bombing it with B-52s and conquering it in Humvees equipped with M2s.

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Suspicious_Fail_2337@reddit

Roll Royce engine swap

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FSX_Pilot@reddit

This thing will outlive the entire US arsenal...

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PapaSheev7@reddit

Good stuff. This'll tide them over for the next few decades until DARPA gets their fusion engines working for the B-52I.

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post-explainer@reddit

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