Once they receive their new Rolls Royce F130 engines, B-52Hs will become B-52Js, according to the Air Force’s fiscal 2024 budget documents.

Air & Space Forces

Before I read about this, I had no idea that there was a Rolls Royce North America. Is this company linked with Rolls Royce UK in any way?

And the new engines will extend the lifespan of the aircraft for another 30 years. Potentially a greater than 100 year lifespan for the aircraft. 

Amazing!  The B-52 entered service before I was born and the USAF now wants to keep the B-52 fleet flying into the 2050's, so odds are pretty good it will be retired about the same time or possibly after I retire from this world.

 

Edited April 7, 20233 yr by stans

4 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

Before I read about this, I had no idea that there was a Rolls Royce North America. Is this company linked with Rolls Royce UK in any way?

It is the same company - the North American subsidiary. 

I'm just surprised that this plane is still flying and more surprised that it will get new engines and another 30 years of service.

I know the B-52 has had many upgrades over the years to modernize it, but what I'm wondering about is the airframe.  I thought there was a limit to how many compression/decompression cycles an aircraft fuselage can endure before the structure itself is compromised due to micro-cracks to the point where it becomes unserviceable.  Same thing with the wings and control surfaces, although they don't undergo compression and decompression like the fuselage, just normal flexing and wear and tear over time.  I know the Air Force conducts non-destructive testing of the airframe periodically, so I can only surmise that they deem them to still be intact and safe.

Pretty amazing.

Dave

1 hour ago, dave2013 said:

know the B-52 has had many upgrades over the years to modernize it, but what I'm wondering about is the airframe.  I thought there was a limit to how many compression/decompression cycles an aircraft fuselage can endure before the structure itself is compromised due to micro-cracks to the point where it becomes unserviceable

 

A lot of the variants were retired. Those that remained have had re- skinning done to wings and fuselage. As its a long range machine, there are fewer cycles than you'd think. 

Will they scream as much as the B52 does today? I guess not.

I thought it was kind of amusing to read that "It seems increasingly likely that there will be a B-52 flyby for the retirement of both the B-1 Lancer and the B-2 Spirit".

https://thediplomat.com/2015/12/the-case-for-the-centuryfortress-defining-the-b-52j/

Regarding the B52, this clip from "Only fools and horses" explains a lot :

 

I was once told by an authority that over the course of 7 years every cell in the human body is replaced. Some time later I related this fact to another authority in the field and they insinuated that that was rubbish! 😁

54 minutes ago, FBW737 said:

over the course of 7 years every cell in the human body is replaced

It's an average. Some cells are never replaced and some cells are replaced every few days. So you'd have to look at exactly what the first authority said to you and exactly what you said to the second authority. There were probably important differences.

20 hours ago, martin-w said:

 

A lot of the variants were retired. Those that remained have had re- skinning done to wings and fuselage. As its a long range machine, there are fewer cycles than you'd think. 

This is correct.  Commercial and private owned pressurized aircraft usually go through their pressure cycle limits much sooner due to being flown multiple times each week and commercial aircraft multiple times each day.  The B-52 fleet is not flown in this manner.  The B-52H is the version in current use and to be upgraded to "J" version.  The B-52H was the last of the B-52's to roll off of the Boeing production line, with 102 being produced between 1960 and 1962.  Only 76 B-52H's remain in service, all other variants have been retired.

12 hours ago, dmwalker said:

It's an average. Some cells are never replaced and some cells are replaced every few days. So you'd have to look at exactly what the first authority said to you and exactly what you said to the second authority. There were probably important differences.

Oh, I see. So its my fault that experts in same field disagree with each other. I'm glad you straightened that out for me. 🤣

21 minutes ago, FBW737 said:

I'm glad you straightened that out for me. 

You are welcome.