BOEING B-52 A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY Walter BoyneConceived in 1948, first flown in 1952 and projected still to be in front-line service in the 21st century, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is one of the most extraordinary aircraft in history. Here is a book to do justice to the story of the development and operational career of this legendary bomber. ‘No other weapon system has served as the first line of defence for so long, nor has any other had its mission and operating environment changed so radically. The basis for the aircraft's amazing success was inits original conception, which produced what is even today the worlds most capable subsonic bomber, and in the care with which both the U.S. Air Force and the Boeing Company anticipated changes in mission requirements far in advance, and created the equipment which permitted the aircraft to endure for so long. The book features a comprehensive history of the development of the U.S. heavy bomber, and intensive discussion of the Boeing B-47 and its effect upon the B-52 design, and perhaps more important than either of these today, the enormous number of modifications and changes which have kept the aircraft viable. The important contributions of the Strategic Air Command, with its concepts of the dedicated crew, rigorous training and ceaseless evaluation is well covered and special attention is given to the B-52's role in the Vietnamese conflict. continued on back flap £8.95 Net in UK only The book is reinforced with over 200 photographs and drawings, and includes a comprehensive set of appendices. The material for the book was derived almost entirely from the primary sources—the men who designed, built, flew, maintained and improved them and the documents created at the time. The author, a former B-52 and 8-47 pilot himself, conveys the spirit of the 8-52 the men and the missions behind the hardware, as well as a superbly detailed analysis of the aircraft itself Walter J. Boyne is Assistant Director of the National Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C. He was formerly Curator of Aeronautics and Chief of Preservation and Restoration at the Museum's Silver Hill, Facility. Mr. Boyne joined the Museum in June 1974, and was assigned curatorial duties for the Gallery of Air Transportation. Subsequently, it was his task to schedule and supervise the assembly, installation and suspension of all of the artifacts in the Museum. He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois in 1929, obtaining his first taste of flying at the Parks Air College Field. He enlisted as a private in the USAF in 1951 and retired as a Colonel in 1974, with more than 5,000 ying hours in a score of different aircraft, including the B-50, B-47 and B-52, Mr. Boyne graduated with honours from the University of California, Berkeley (BSBA) and the University of Pittsburgh (MBA). He is currently an Associate editor for Wings and Airpower magazines. He has published three books (The Jet Age, Flying and Messerschmitt Me 262) and has written over 180 articles on aviation subjects. Mr. Boyne lives with his wife and four children in Alexandria, Virginia. Jacket design: Peter Matthews ISBN 07106 01220 Printed in the UK