Photo: USAF/Master Sgt. Richard Ebensberger
The B-52 Stratofortress is one of the most massive (and impressive) bombers currently flying. It is also a rare sight, given how under 60 of them are around, and very expensive to take out and fly.
Back in mid-February, the Changi Air Base in Singapore was where Asia’s and the Pacific’s largest airshow tool place. Called the Singapore Airshow, it witnessed literally hundreds of aircraft and companies descend upon to the base, to showcase the most potent of gear. The Stratofortress was, of course, on deck for the event.
You can see an instance of it flying over the air base in the main photo of this piece. It shows a bomber deployed with the 96th Bomb Squadron, based at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
The U.S. is not selling any of these monsters, so its presence there was just supposed to demonstrate the American “commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific, promotes interoperability, displays the flexible combat capabilities of the U.S. military, creates lasting relationships with international audiences, and strengthens partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”
The photo shows however one interesting thing about the airplane. The over 70-year old machine is a hell of a gas-guzzler, and makes no secret of spewing out fumes like no other.
The airplane holds on its wings a total of eight Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, each generating 17,000 pounds of thrust. To do that, it burns 3,300 gallons (over 15,000 liters) of fuel per hour, and it does so with little care for the environment, as this image clearly shows.
Work is being conducted to make the B-52 more fuel efficient, though. Back in January, Collins Aerospace announced it will upgrade the fleet with new electric power generation systems, hoping to aid the Air Force in achieving its goal of “a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency for the B-52 along with a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.”
You can see an instance of it flying over the air base in the main photo of this piece. It shows a bomber deployed with the 96th Bomb Squadron, based at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
The U.S. is not selling any of these monsters, so its presence there was just supposed to demonstrate the American “commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific, promotes interoperability, displays the flexible combat capabilities of the U.S. military, creates lasting relationships with international audiences, and strengthens partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”
The photo shows however one interesting thing about the airplane. The over 70-year old machine is a hell of a gas-guzzler, and makes no secret of spewing out fumes like no other.
The airplane holds on its wings a total of eight Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, each generating 17,000 pounds of thrust. To do that, it burns 3,300 gallons (over 15,000 liters) of fuel per hour, and it does so with little care for the environment, as this image clearly shows.
Work is being conducted to make the B-52 more fuel efficient, though. Back in January, Collins Aerospace announced it will upgrade the fleet with new electric power generation systems, hoping to aid the Air Force in achieving its goal of “a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency for the B-52 along with a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.”
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