Visiting the Davis Monthan Aircraft Boneyard..many pics

[rhinochopig]

RDMcG said:

carreauchompeur said:

+1. Very interesting angle- If nuclear bombers started disappearing it would raise similar alarm bells as to when Ahmedinnerjacket announces a new nuclear power station!

I would assume that they have missiles and submarine based stuff these days that have superseded most of the need for Nuclear bombers. They mentioned that there are still about 30 B52s in active service. Not bad for a 50 year old plane. When they started to fly, a 50 year old plane was pre WW.1

All ICBMs are silo or SSBN launched. TLAM (tactical rather than strategic) is also capable of carrying a physics package but IIRC under one of the START treaties they don't. Tactical nukes are a bit of a no no.

[FourWheelDrift]

B-52s are still a good option of dropping bombs on less advanced oil producing countries without getting smacked on the bottom by the UN for being a nasty bully by using a single US launched nuclear missile.

It's said the B-52s are due to be in service until 2045, that's 90 years service (93 since first flight) in total for the aircraft. 85 years for the H model. currently used. 85 on current active service.

[Eric Mc]

At their peak there were around 800 B-52s in active service.

[LimaDelta]

Eric Mc said:

such as the B-52s and the B-1s, may be required to be parked for a number of years so that they can be observed by Russian satellites as part of teh various SALT agreements.

So logic dictates the Ruskies should have a similar facility somewhere? I have found various bits and pieces on google earth but nothing on the scale of the boneyard.

Any ideas where it is?

[andy97]

Eric Mc said:

PugwasHDJ80 said:

not sure why, but find this really sad- all that money and resource wasted to just sit in the field.

Sure we could find a use for 30 or so B1s!

Not wasted at all. Most of the aircraft stored will have given around 40 years of service at least - which is good for any aircraft. And many of these stored examples will donate parts to keep the remaining ones flying for a few more years. Some are held in reserve so they can be reactivated if needed.

I'm reasonably sure that the 3 x Rivet Joint a/c that the RAF are getting spent a number of years in the boneyard before being chosen to be re-activated.

[Jimbo.]

FourWheelDrift said:

Those photos show what's changed since I bought my Desert Boneyard book

Published 1987, I bought it about the same time - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Desert-Boneyard-Philip-Chi...

I had that book! Got it around 1991ish.

I feel old

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

FourWheelDrift said:

B-52s are still a good option of dropping bombs on less advanced oil producing countries.

They are also pretty amazing in the AsuW role with 12 Harpoons each.

[Hooli]

LimaDelta said:

Eric Mc said:

such as the B-52s and the B-1s, may be required to be parked for a number of years so that they can be observed by Russian satellites as part of teh various SALT agreements.

So logic dictates the Ruskies should have a similar facility somewhere? I have found various bits and pieces on google earth but nothing on the scale of the boneyard.

Any ideas where it is?

Ukraine type direction I think. I'm sure I've seen a link to it on google earth before.

[Ian Lancs]

FourWheelDrift said:

It's said the B-52s are due to be in service until 2045, that's 90 years service (93 since first flight) in total for the aircraft. 85 years for the H model. currently used. 85 on current active service.

IIRC there are now pilots on B-52 today who's grandfathers flew them when they first entered service!

[FourWheelDrift]

Were there any Harriers stored there?

[ph1l5]

Scary thought the the Yankie's junkyard stuff is still a few times larger than our airforce.

[RDMcG]

FourWheelDrift said:

Were there any Harriers stored there?

Not sure what these are

[FourWheelDrift]

2 seater Harriers, just asking as the US Navy & Marine Corps are buying our 74 stored GR9s for active service use as they are phasing out their older F/A-18Ds before they all get replaced by F-35Bs. I wondered if they still had any in store.

[RDMcG]

FourWheelDrift said:

2 seater Harriers, just asking as the US Navy & Marine Corps are buying our 74 stored GR9s for active service use as they are phasing out their older F/A-18Ds before they all get replaced by F-35Bs. I wondered if they still had any in store.

DId not see anything that would resemble them/

[FourWheelDrift]

What no single seater Harriers around that you remember?

[RDMcG]

FourWheelDrift said:

What no single seater Harriers around that you remember?

RIght,,nothing in the pics ( I only posted a minority of them)