BUFF at Orlando International

[Matt Harper]

I fly in and out of MCO every week and drive past this plane, sitting on the NE corner of the field at least twice every work week. I've never stopped to take a closer look, so I did today and learned that what was McCoy AFB, had a pretty important role in the "Rolling Thunder" campaign in Vietnam. Here are a couple of pics. It is one biiiig plane.









Excuse crappy pix - no equipment excuses - I'm just lame.

[perdu]

Nice to see you can get up close and personal Matt

If I ever get over to Sebring I must take a look at that

It doesnt look so cramped up out in the open, the Buff displayed inside Duxford's US hall is surrounded by other metalware, just hasnt got space to breathe.

[Eric Mc]

I like the "tall tail" variants.

By modern airliner standards, the B-52 isn't all that big.

[RizzoTheRat]

They always look a bit out of proportion compared to airliners though with a narrow body and long wings.

Impressive payload though

[Eric Mc]

The heaviest payloads were carried by those B-52Ds which were modified under the "Big Belly" programme. They could carry up to 60,000 lbs of "iron" bombs.

[rhinochopig]

Eric Mc said:

The heaviest payloads were carried by those B-52Ds which were modified under the "Big Belly" programme. They could carry up to 60,000 lbs of "iron" bombs.

I too have recently been undergoing the same modification programme.

[Eric Mc]

As long as you don't end up in the scrap yard. All the Ds are long gone now.

[anonymous-user]

you could hear them scream over north bristol when they took off from fairford during gulf one. when i saw scream they werent going fast, but they were heavy.... not a pleasant sound to be honest but thats war.

[Ross1988]

In the first photo, to me, it looks really small.

Whats the reasoning behind the colour scheme? is the first BUFF in an Army Air wing, hence the camo?

And the second in the air force, with a monotone colour scheme?

[Eric Mc]

Ross1988 said:

In the first photo, to me, it looks really small.

Whats the reasoning behind the colour scheme? is the first BUFF in an Army Air wing, hence the camo?

And the second in the air force, with a monotone colour scheme?

B-52s caried a number of different schemes over their 50 year service life.

From 1956 to the mid 1960s, they were essentially unpainted, being left in their natural metal with gloss white anti-nuclear flash reflective undersides.
With growing involvement in the Vietnam War, initially the gloss white undersides were replaced by matt black (for night bombing missions).
By 1968, the all metal scheme was being replaced by the two tone green and tan South East Asia scheme (as in the photo).

This scheme remained on the B-52s into the 1980s when the early B-52Ds and Fs began to be retired from service. The surviving Gs and Hs were repainted in a new scheme showing two tone green upper surfaces and light grey undersurfaces.

The current grey scheme was introduced in the 1990s.

The US Army does not operate any heavy bomber, ground attack or fighter aircraft. They are limited to using helicopters and liaison aircraft.

The "Air Force" was an integral part of teh US Army until 1947, when the United States Air Force was set up as a separate entity.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 1st March 08:06

[PaulHogan]

Matt Harper said:

Commiserations on the hire car. I had one last time I was in Orlando. I see you've parked it next to the only thing in a 200 mile radius with a worse turning circle...

[Deva Link]

PaulHogan said:

Commiserations on the hire car. I had one last time I was in Orlando. I see you've parked it next to the only thing in a 200 mile radius with a worse turning circle...

snigger..

[Ross1988]

Eric Mc said:

Ross1988 said:

In the first photo, to me, it looks really small.

Whats the reasoning behind the colour scheme? is the first BUFF in an Army Air wing, hence the camo?

And the second in the air force, with a monotone colour scheme?

B-52s caried a number of different schemes over their 50 year service life.

From 1956 to the mid 1960s, they were essentially unpainted, being left in their natural metal with gloss white anti-nuclear flash reflective undersides.
With growing involvement in the Vietnam War, initially the gloss white undersides were replaced by matt black (for night bombing missions).
By 1968, the all metal scheme was being replaced by the two tone green and tan South East Asia scheme (as in the photo).

This scheme remained on the B-52s into the 1980s when the early B-52Ds and Fs began to be retired from service. The surviving Gs and Hs were repainted in a new scheme showing two tone green upper surfaces and light grey undersurfaces.

The current grey scheme was introduced in the 1990s.

The US Army does not operate any heavy bomber, ground attack or fighter aircraft. They are limited to using helicopters and liaison aircraft.

The "Air Force" was an integral part of teh US Army until 1947, when the United States Air Force was set up as a separate entity.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 1st March 08:06

Thanks a lot Eric.

[Matt Harper]

PaulHogan said:

Commiserations on the hire car. I had one last time I was in Orlando. I see you've parked it next to the only thing in a 200 mile radius with a worse turning circle...

Ha! Funny........you cheeky sod.

[Andy Zarse]

Matt Harper said:

PaulHogan said:

Commiserations on the hire car. I had one last time I was in Orlando. I see you've parked it next to the only thing in a 200 mile radius with a worse turning circle...

Ha! Funny........you cheeky sod.

haha, that's an SRT Hogan! It'll spin the back wheels up at fifty. I know this as I've been in it when Matt was driving me from MCO to the pub.

Matt, sorry mate but I defo won't be making it to Sebring this year, sadly. Next time though! I only go on odd numbered years


PS Did you know Norm Coury from the Turn 10 crew had died?

[Matt Harper]

Hey Andy - it's a shame you can't make it over for the 12 - though, like you said, they run it every year. I'll do my best to catch-up with you at Le Mans - or before,if I'm traveling your way.
I heard about Norm - very sad, I liked him a lot. Shy, self-depracating and very humorous, once he got to know you. Sebring might end up being a bit of a sombre affair this year.....

Back on the subject, it's strange that folk say that the B-52 isn't all that big. I'm no aircraft expert, but when you're up close it is very impressive. It struck me that it's so long and spindley that it should sag in the middle. Also, the outer skin seems creased like there's some sort of structural failure, but looking at pics of other examples, they all seem like that.

There is also a memorial for the crew of a SAC B-52 (and a civilian on the ground) that crashed just short of the runway in 1972. Apparently they had a major fire onboard, just after take-off and were trying to make it back to the field, but ended up ploughing into a residential area just north of the airport. Most unpleasant.

[ErnestM]

Trivia....

The McCoy Federal Credit Union (co-op bank thingy) is still a going concern here in Central Florida
http://www.mccoyfcu.org/

additional trivia... IATA code is MCO because it used to be McCoy.

Edited by ErnestM on Monday 1st March 17:34

[Eric Mc]

Matt Harper said:

Hey Andy - it's a shame you can't make it over for the 12 - though, like you said, they run it every year. I'll do my best to catch-up with you at Le Mans - or before,if I'm traveling your way.
I heard about Norm - very sad, I liked him a lot. Shy, self-depracating and very humorous, once he got to know you. Sebring might end up being a bit of a sombre affair this year.....

Back on the subject, it's strange that folk say that the B-52 isn't all that big. I'm no aircraft expert, but when you're up close it is very impressive. It struck me that it's so long and spindley that it should sag in the middle. Also, the outer skin seems creased like there's some sort of structural failure, but looking at pics of other examples, they all seem like that.

There is also a memorial for the crew of a SAC B-52 (and a civilian on the ground) that crashed just short of the runway in 1972. Apparently they had a major fire onboard, just after take-off and were trying to make it back to the field, but ended up ploughing into a residential area just north of the airport. Most unpleasant.

I didn't say it wasn't big. I said it wasn't that big in comparison to some modern airliners.

B-52

Length - 159 ft 4 ins
Wingspan - 185 ft
Height - 40 ft
Weight - 488,000 lbs


Boeing 767-400

Length - 200 ft 4 ins
Wingspan - 170 ft
Height - 55 ft 4 ins
Weight - 450,000 lbs


Airbus A330 - 300

Length - 208 ft 8 ins
Wingspan - 197 ft 10 ins
Height - 55 ft 3 ins
Weight - 510,000 lbs

I haven't included the truly heavyweight airlines such as the Boeing 747, 777 and Airbus A380.

[BigS]

Just been looking at this on Google Maps, gutted I drove past it a couple of times when I was over there on holiday in 2002 and had no idea it was there!
Ah well, it's just another reason to go back at some point.

[dr_gn]

Matt Harper said:

Also, the outer skin seems creased like there's some sort of structural failure, but looking at pics of other examples, they all seem like that.

It's called a "Wagner Tension Field". Quite common in thin aircraft skins when the panels are loaded in certain ways.