On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:
try 60+

The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.

Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that
went into service 50 years ago.

jhhaynes at earthlink dot net

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:
On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:

try 60+



The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.



Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that

went into service 50 years ago.



jhhaynes at earthlink dot net

Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?

wrote:

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:
On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:

try 60+



The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.



Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that

went into service 50 years ago.



jhhaynes at earthlink dot net

Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?

Probably pretty darn safe since like some helicopters we had only the air
frame itself is really that old (and even some of that may have been replaced)
the rest having been replaced piece by piece over the decades.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:40:56 PM UTC-5, dxAce wrote:
wrote:



On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:

On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:



try 60+







The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.







Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that



went into service 50 years ago.







jhhaynes at earthlink dot net



Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?



Probably pretty darn safe since like some helicopters we had only the air

frame itself is really that old (and even some of that may have been replaced)

the rest having been replaced piece by piece over the decades.



dxAce

Michigan

USA

The old Bell Huey Helicopters had a lot of vibration in them. That is what caused a lot of them to crash in Vietnam. My brother was a Helicopter Mechanic at Vung Tau, Vietnam. I would feel much safer in a B 52, or an old Gooneybird.

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 2:00:15 PM UTC-4, DhiaDuit wrote:
On Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:40:56 PM UTC-5, dxAce wrote:

wrote:







On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:



On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:







try 60+















The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.















Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that







went into service 50 years ago.















jhhaynes at earthlink dot net







Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?







Probably pretty darn safe since like some helicopters we had only the air



frame itself is really that old (and even some of that may have been replaced)



the rest having been replaced piece by piece over the decades.







dxAce



Michigan



USA



The old Bell Huey Helicopters had a lot of vibration in them. That is what caused a lot of them to crash in Vietnam. My brother was a Helicopter Mechanic at Vung Tau, Vietnam. I would feel much safer in a B 52, or an old Gooneybird.

C-47(actually a DC-3) must be the most reliable plane in existence. They are still being used today in several countries . It is an amazing piece of machinery.

On 8/18/13 14:10 , wrote:
C-47(actually a DC-3) must be the most reliable plane in existence. They are still being used today in several countries . It is an amazing piece of machinery.


Many of the radial engines used for C-47's are no longer serviceable
for civilian use, and are limited to public use, which does not require
the stringent standards of civilian service maintenance schedules.

A good number of the C-47's still flying have been converted to turbo
prop engines. They are eerily quiet when flying overhead.


My experience with that aircraft came in the late 60's when Northwest
was flying DC-3's and I was a passenger from Minneapolis to Huron
South Dakota. Those twin 9 cylinder Wright Cyclones were astonishingly
loud in the cabin, and the aircraft was very rough flying. I didn't stop
hurling until two hours after we landed. Like early V-tail Bonanza's,
the DC-3 would fishtail in straight and level flight. It was like riding
in the back of a 63 Galaxy on the interstate.

Finger lickin' unpleasant.

But still, one of the most historically significant aircraft ever built.

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 2:00:15 PM UTC-4, DhiaDuit wrote:
On Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:40:56 PM UTC-5, dxAce wrote:

wrote:







On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:



On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:







try 60+















The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.















Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that







went into service 50 years ago.















jhhaynes at earthlink dot net







Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?







Probably pretty darn safe since like some helicopters we had only the air



frame itself is really that old (and even some of that may have been replaced)



the rest having been replaced piece by piece over the decades.







dxAce



Michigan



USA



The old Bell Huey Helicopters had a lot of vibration in them. That is what caused a lot of them to crash in Vietnam. My brother was a Helicopter Mechanic at Vung Tau, Vietnam. I would feel much safer in a B 52, or an old Gooneybird.

A B-1B just crashed someplace out West . Cost nearly 300M back when they where making them in the 80's.

On Tuesday, August 20, 2013 10:08:20 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sunday, August 18, 2013 2:00:15 PM UTC-4, DhiaDuit wrote:

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:40:56 PM UTC-5, dxAce wrote:



wrote:















On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:







On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:















try 60+































The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.































Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that















went into service 50 years ago.































jhhaynes at earthlink dot net















Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?















Probably pretty darn safe since like some helicopters we had only the air







frame itself is really that old (and even some of that may have been replaced)







the rest having been replaced piece by piece over the decades.















dxAce







Michigan







USA







The old Bell Huey Helicopters had a lot of vibration in them. That is what caused a lot of them to crash in Vietnam. My brother was a Helicopter Mechanic at Vung Tau, Vietnam. I would feel much safer in a B 52, or an old Gooneybird.



A B-1B just crashed someplace out West . Cost nearly 300M back when they where making them in the 80's.

Google,,, B 1B crash In Montana.

On 8/18/13 12:34 , wrote:
On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:
On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:

try 60+



The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.



Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that

went into service 50 years ago.



jhhaynes at earthlink dot net

Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?



You'd be surprised.

Unlike automobiles, often underbuilt and subjected to a variety of
environmental and chemical abuses, and human inflicted abuses, including
ignored maintenance, harsh treatment by operators, poorly maintained
roads, and spotty repairs, aircraft are operated in a much less harsh
and/or hostile environment.

While mechanical stresses in aircraft are significantly more intense
than in automotive applications, aircraft systems are more robustly
built at points of stress, regularly more aggressively maintained, and
are not subjected to the horrors of salt, and environmental abuse.

Cars are usually run hard and put up wet. Aircraft are operated in
more circumspect manners. All major subsystems, and points of stress are
inspected prior to every flight. Shock cooling doesn't happen with
aircraft operated by competent pilots. Engines are cool-down run to
prevent cracking. Maintenance is much more aggressive. Inspections are
frequent and regular. Repairs are more carefully monitored, recorded and
logged.

In the event of spar rust, as on civilan Beechcraft Bonanzas,
recently revealed, military aircraft are either grounded, or the parts
replaced. And for the record the rust on the wing spars of Bonanzas,
many of which date to the 40's, was revealed by annual and 100 hour
inspections.

So, a 50 year old military aircraft, while not maintained to the
obscene and often punitive levels of civilian aircraft, are better
maintained better than any civilian automobile, inspected at regular
intervals for mechanical and structural insufficiencies, and are
accompanied by records that go back to the first stringers being laid in
the airframe.

Myself, I drive a 60 year old car.

I've gone up in much older aircraft many times with complete confidence.

On Friday, August 23, 2013 11:48:19 AM UTC-5, D. Peter Maus wrote:
On 8/18/13 12:34 , wrote:

On Sunday, August 18, 2013 10:42:04 AM UTC-4, Jim Haynes wrote:

On 2013-08-17, extra class wrote:



try 60+







The B-52 took its maiden flight in April 1952.







Yes, but the ones currently still flying are the B-52H models that



went into service 50 years ago.







jhhaynes at earthlink dot net



Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?







You'd be surprised.



Unlike automobiles, often underbuilt and subjected to a variety of

environmental and chemical abuses, and human inflicted abuses, including

ignored maintenance, harsh treatment by operators, poorly maintained

roads, and spotty repairs, aircraft are operated in a much less harsh

and/or hostile environment.



While mechanical stresses in aircraft are significantly more intense

than in automotive applications, aircraft systems are more robustly

built at points of stress, regularly more aggressively maintained, and

are not subjected to the horrors of salt, and environmental abuse.



Cars are usually run hard and put up wet. Aircraft are operated in

more circumspect manners. All major subsystems, and points of stress are

inspected prior to every flight. Shock cooling doesn't happen with

aircraft operated by competent pilots. Engines are cool-down run to

prevent cracking. Maintenance is much more aggressive. Inspections are

frequent and regular. Repairs are more carefully monitored, recorded and

logged.



In the event of spar rust, as on civilan Beechcraft Bonanzas,

recently revealed, military aircraft are either grounded, or the parts

replaced. And for the record the rust on the wing spars of Bonanzas,

many of which date to the 40's, was revealed by annual and 100 hour

inspections.



So, a 50 year old military aircraft, while not maintained to the

obscene and often punitive levels of civilian aircraft, are better

maintained better than any civilian automobile, inspected at regular

intervals for mechanical and structural insufficiencies, and are

accompanied by records that go back to the first stringers being laid in

the airframe.



Myself, I drive a 60 year old car.



I've gone up in much older aircraft many times with complete confidence.

Some Countries have what they call MOT, or versions of MOT thereof. If that MOT was around here, Buku, Buku cars would be grounded.