Stratofortress

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Bf109_g

Bf109_g

Senior Airman
634
1
Aug 11, 2006
New Zealand
Hi guys. :D

I was reading "Vietnam Air Warfare" by Robert F. Dorr Chris Bishop just the other day... Is it true that the B-52 "Stratofortress" is the last bomber in the world with a manned rear gun turret??

Thanks.

James.
 
Bf109_g said:
Hi guys. :D

I was reading "Vietnam Air Warfare" by Robert F. Dorr Chris Bishop just the other day... Is it true that the B-52 "Stratofortress" is the last bomber in the world with a manned rear gun turret??

Thanks.

James.
Click to expand...

No - the TU-16 and TU-95 I believe was the last bombers to have a manned tail turret, they flew after the B-52.

Eventually the B-52 gunner was moved up front with the rest of the crew and then eliminated entirely.

A number of Soviet transports also had a tail turret station as well.
 
I remember reading about some B52 crews being angry that the gunner was moved forward. They liked having a set of eyes looking backards for any SAM's launched at them from the tail position.
 
the lancaster kicks *** said:
in today's missile dominated world though you can see why they got rid.......
Click to expand...

Yeah but the key to survival a lot of the times is seeing the missile. Only radar guided missles will show up on your missle defense system. IR missiles like the SA-7, SA-14, SA-16, and SA-18 will not. In order to detect an IR missile you have to see it. The sooner you see the missile the better chances you have of survival.

That is what the B-52 crews were complaining about. They enjoyed having the extra set of eyes back there to look for missiles.

Just as an example when we were in Iraq I spent most of my time looking out the back of my helicopter to the 6 oclock position looking for those damn SA-7/SA-14/SA-16/SA-18s.
 
They should be rearward FLIR on planes to see the heat signatures on any missiles before they get too close.
 
If you dont see it normally seconds within the launch it is too late.

By the pD when are you going to pm me your address so that I can mail you your jacket back? Or are you just leaving it here so that you have it for Rock im Park next year? :lol:

By the way it is looking good for Rock im Park next year. Rumors on the official website are hinting at Metallica again as well as Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Smashing Pumpkins, Lincoln Park, Evenecense as well as Korn again.

You and Sarah are coming again right?
 
As it stands, yes, we are. Just leave my jacket, I'll pick it up when I come back.
 
The only thing I cared about with that jacket was the fact I had like seven quid in change in the inner pocket, if you look. That's why it weighs so much.

On the missile thing, I'm just throwing this out here. But I think some kind of heat sensing equipment would be quite useful, it would be able to detect it when it's launched because obviously they give off a lot of heat to launch. I don't know how it'd work, but it's an idea.
 
True, it'd be no good against shots fired close to your aircraft, but in the long distance it could be of some use.
 
A little bit off topic, but the AC130's (and maybe the AC-119's) that were used for interdiction along the Ho Chi Minh trail, had a crewman trailing in back attached to the aircraft by a tether. His job was to watch for IR guided SAM's being fired and then shoot flares at it to throw off the aim.

Now of course, I might have heard a BS story about this, so if someone has a difinitive "No It Didnt Happen", please correct me.
 
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