B-52 Re-Birth from Boneyard Sparks Memories for Former Pratt & Whitney Pilot

Pratt & Whitney once leased a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress from the U.S. Air Force to test the JT9D engine. Only five employees ever flew the magnificent machine. Ken Benson was one of them. Hear - and see - what he recalls from this unique moment in Pratt & Whitney history.

[@chuckbaker8072]

Thanks Ed for sparking the B-52 memories. I was the Customer Support tech rep.at Andrews during this time and had the pleasure of acquiring the flight operation data for this aircraft. Looking back these were great times. Regards, Chuck Baker

[@theartisanhack1720]

my dad ( KP Greene) was one of the flight test engineers in that plane. I remember going to the hanger on some Saturday mornings with dad when there was an issue. Nothing like being an 8 year old looking up at and inside that monster. Good memories.

[@MarinerCayPilot]

Russ Greene Your Dad was one of my favorites..... he left us eat too soon!

[@laurengreenewhyte1925]

@@MarinerCayPilot He was my Daddy, too. He was a blast. Totally into all sorts of planes, engines. Glad you remember him!

[@trespire]

Interesting configuration. My favorite B52 is the one used at Edwards for launching the X-planes, flying body's etc... Pure aviation research.

[@ChuckHydro]

Great video, great post! Thanks for sharing the memory.

[@SWSimpson]

I grew up on bases around B-52's. If they put a different engine on that plane, they won't sound like B-52's anymore. I love the sound of their engine.

[@bobmelusky2641]

I remember this flying low and slow over East Hartford and we all stopped what we were doing and looked up in awe. It was special growing up near "The Aircraft". Sonic booms were not uncommon in the early 60's when the hot dogs came into town and classwork just had to stop when a test fired up at The Klondike.

[@williamsimmons152]

I saw that 52 at Bradley back around 59 or 60 ish. It was usually parked across the field from the Pass terminal.

[@prowner2777]

I was with the museum in the years to either side of the 1979 tornado. I remember the repairs going on to this JB-52E, specifically the silver epoxy paint being rolled on the top of the wing just like painting the garage floor. I guess that was fine for the next 18 months flying until the plane went to MASDC. There is a photo online somewhere showing the plane in storage.Before the B-52, P&W used (going backward) an F-111, B-45, and B-17. General Electric has a similar -52 and Curtiss Wright had a similar B-17. The crashed/burned B-17 warbird "Liberty Belle" used the center section of the old P&W B-17 which was damaged in the same tornado as the B-52.

[@Scratchmodeler]

I know there were two B52Es used as flying testbed project for PW and GE back then. One of SN 57-0119 and other was SN 56-0636. Can you tell me which was used by PW and VS by GE. I'm currently building a 72nd scale model of B52D by converting it to "E" model and by mounting JT9D-3A on right inboard engine pylon. It's a historically significant model that otherwise I don't anyone else has replicated before. I would appreciate your help. Thx

[@aj-2savage896]

@@Scratchmodeler It was 636.

[@mcdonnell220]

Excellent, thanks!

[@064462]

I saw this at Bradley while in the ANG . Even got pictures after the tornado .

[@nathd1748]

Great machine. I hope they re-engine the remaining Buffs and give them a performance boost.

[@jnichols3]

I did not realized that aircraft continued to fly into the 1980s. I thought that after the 747 had gone into production the B-52 was converted back to stock configuration sometime around late 60s or very early 70s. I guess I actually learned something.

[@Scratchmodeler]

From my research SN 57-0119 was used by PW until 1980-1981 before is was retired and stored in desert until it was purposely exploded on the outskirts of Edward's AF base in late 90s due SALT or START treaty. She is still lying dead at the very spot to date. I'm not sure what happened with SN 56-0636 after its retirement.

[@jasonlieu5379]

I wish I could bring them all back

[@cmscms123456]

I read, when "Ghost Rider" was first recommissioned there was no modern navigation systems on the aircraft, so the pilot just followed the freeways east to Barksdale AFB Louisiana were it under went several upgrades to bring it up to current standards. The second interesting fact, since it had sat in the boneyard so long, turns out that Ghost Rider is now the 'youngest', and least hour airframe in active status.

[@ernesthendrickson7379]

one of America's best....

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

That's awesome to see. I'm kinda surprised that they didn't have one on the other wing though.

[@uncledeadlythefirst]

Hopefully you can get that footage restored

[@jasonlieu5379]

I wish I find museum for all of them

[@adrianspeeder]

I only ever knew that the TF39 was tested on a B52 chassis. Interesting.

[@rudedog302]

They must have been running that JT-9 de-rated, considering it could put out over 40,000 pounds of thrust, and the previous pair of J57's might be able to get just over 26,000 in water.

[@incargeek]

Forgive me. Im lost. Is the test bed still in the bone yard? What has film of the test bed got to do with the resurrection of Ghost Rider? Is Ghost Rider the test bed?

[@nonovyerbusiness9517]

I think they may have used that B-52 to test the engine for the C-5A as well.

[@semco72057]

One of those engines would replace two of the older engines and they probably should do that on all the H models still flying because they are overdue for engine replacement and I hope they will get it. That engine didn't pollute like the older engines on that test plane and probably was more powerful too.

[@tedsmith6137]

Looks rather like a Rolls Royce RB211's in a couple of those clips at 0.30, 1.20 & 3.40. Interesting that it has P&W stickers on the nose cowl.

[@mitchellmaerz8429]

Yeah just because they're in the boneyard doesn't mean they're dead they can bring them back. There's even a rock band that sings Ghost Rider song

[@dalebolen2362]

They show a VCR tape and then they show a projector get it right people

[@bruce3243]

I would be interested in how the B-52 flew with the JT9D engine.

[@MarinerCayPilot]

It flew perfectly well, for takeoff, we set power on the JT9D to equal 2 J-47’s, so it felt like any other B-52. In flight we had to do some strange maneuvers to hold airspeed required for the test point being run. Reversing on landing took some careful planning as the wing flexibility would allow the engine to drag on the ground. I developed a curved pattern to keep the engine off the ground; after dragging it once and damaging the cowling.....

[@Scratchmodeler]

@@MarinerCayPilot Hi Gordon, Sir I like to connect with you to help rather information about this project and how B52E performed. I read somewhere single JT9D-3A engine had equal power compared to 4 J85s! Now how far it's true or not, it's people like yourself who we're part of the project could only tell. Sir I'm building a 72nd scale replica of this combination and your help can only put me on right track to make authentic model.

[@davidoverholt251]

Would not want to be on the crew on this one!

[@ramairgto72]

My AF buddy told me a story about him being stationed in Germany, his CO called him in and told him his father had a heart attack and might not live, and that a B-52 was going to leave that day for the US and was granted leave. He said that airport they landed at was too narrow so they have to "Crab" it in. His mother had talked to his CO, turns out his dad "possibly" had a minor Heart Attack and she just was so scared she over reacted on the phone with his CO. I was a Soldier, but man, loved to go for a ride in one, always loved aircraft.

[@G4Disco]

1:30 NEWMAN!!

[@rontroy3843]

I'm quite confused. First, the flying test bed B52 - does it still exist? Boneyard or in service, and what engines? 2nd - with all the talk of modernizing engines on the B52 to 4 far more efficient engines, sounds like P&W did a lot of the engineering work to make it possible - though today's firm pushing it is Rolls Royce. 3rd - the plane that was resurrected - what is its status today? I would note that SOME planes put in the boneyard are meant to stay flyable, though I don't know how much maintenance they get, or what it takes to get them flying again. But I'd like to see a lot more BUFFs flying - modernized.

[@russg1801]

Obvious Q is: Why not replace all eight of the old engines in the twin pods with four of these modern monsters? I believe the AF has been lobbying Congress to do that for quite some time.

[@omarthetentmaker386]

B52. the plane that powered the winning of the cold war. Stalwart warriors contained within....

[@davidschofield8916]

To bad tyhey never put the JT9D on all four pylons.

[@norellpolk1626]

The green hornet

[@user-zg6yd9yx5y]

It caused a high number of dead people in Viet Nam war

[@donaldgrant9067]

I am ashamed that this 70 year old bomber is still in our air fleet. It was a good plane. But that "WAS". I feel sorry for the airmen that will be lost because the US wants to save money.

[@G4Disco]

First, the current aircraft are 57 and 56 years old. Second, there's a reason why we still use it, she' deadly and put fear into people on the receiving end. Our other bombers aren't as successful, reliable or as diverse in payload.

[@frednicholson]

Its just a bomb truck. You don't need something super fancy to fly bombs over a target. The simplicity of its mission has allowed for the long service life. Moreover, I wouldn't characterize the US government as particularly prudent when it comes to saving money - thus, there must be a darn good reason why they didn't spend more already!

[@ronhoffstein8142]

It's reliable, sturdy, and it's like a truck there to use. Only question I have about it is why are the really old engines still powering it when so many have since been developed that are as reliable and more efficient. No shame in flying this old bird, but proud it still has what it takes. Different missions will take different birds - yep.

[@markhepworth4804]

Donald Grant You have no reason to be "ashamed" it's a perfectly good aircraft,and will fly perfectly well for many more years,there is nothing like it in your airforce or indeed in any other. If this these aircraft are re engined,they will go from unrivalled in their capability to utterly exceptional.

[@mariahuerta2745]

Ron Hoffstein if u change the engine u change the plane forever man it wont sound like a b52 if u change them. More like a normal plane.