B-52 engine replacement clears critical design review, first modifications to begin this year

B-52 engine replacement clears critical design review, first modifications to begin this year

The Air Force’s program to replace the B-52H Stratofortress’s 1960s-era engines cleared its critical design review, the service announced May 4, setting the stage for Boeing to begin modifying the first two aircraft into the B-52J configuration later this year.The Commercial Engine Replacement Program will swap the bomber’s eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofans for Rolls-Royce F130 engines on each of the 76 B-52Hs in the active fleet. As the orig…

‘Fire the Hypersonic Missiles’: The U.S. Air Force’s B-52J Is Really a ‘New’ Bomber on the Inside

The idea of a massive, Vietnam-era bomber surging 100 years into the future, retaining sustained relevance and effectiveness, might bewilder the masses in the world of combat aviation, yet the possibility is actually realistic. Yes, indeed, the classic B-52 bomber has been upgraded so many times throughout its service life that today’s B-52J bomber is an entirely different aircraft. The B-52J Bomber Is Coming Soon  A B-52H Stratofortress assigne…

The U.S. Air Force’s B-52J Is a ‘Radical Idea’: Take a 1950s Designed Bomber and Allow It To Wage War Possibly Until 2050s

The U.S. Air Force just cleared a Critical Design Review for the new B-52J Stratofortress—the most powerful B-52 ever built. With new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, digital cockpits, modern radar, and hypersonic weapon capability, the B-52J will keep flying into the 2050s. Nearly a century after the original B-52.