The Gun Counter

Whoops! https://www.aerotime.aero/clement.charp ... uring-test

A B-52 strategic bomber lost a hypersonic missile being developed as part of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept joint program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force, Aviation Week reported. The incident happened during a captive-carry flight test, according to sources familiar with the matter.

It looks like someone fat fingered the release.

That's not gonna buff-out.

I see what you did there.

Netpackrat wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:19 pmI see what you did there.

Yeah...nice play

Of course that's why there's a test program for these things prior to deployment. Could have also been a software glitch or equipment malfunction. Shit happens. Better now than out in the force.

I love how they emphasized "strategic bomber" to up the drama Llama factor. I'd bet that was one of the Buffs permanently assigned to Edwards for testing, which have been so modified for testing that they couldn't be supported at a line squadron.

D5CAV wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:52 pmThat's not gonna buff-out.

You know, the 52 crews really hate that term..

HTRN wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:46 pm

D5CAV wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:52 pmThat's not gonna buff-out.

You know, the 52 crews really hate that term..

Depends on the crew. Or that's a new thing. I knew several back in the day that embraced it and used it regularly. Of course that was when Men were Men and SAC was SAC...

Ive always heard they preferred the name "the gray lady"...

HTRN wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:05 pm Ive always heard they preferred the name "the gray lady"...

Never heard that one. Of course they had just started to transition to the overall medium gray paint scheme when I got out in the early 90's. While I was in they had the green/brown light gray underside scheme (except for the D models that still had the gloss black undersides).

My A&P school buddies who came from B-52s referred to them as Buffs. That was circa 1980 so who knows how the attitude has changed in 40 years.

I remember hearing the folks on Guam calling the B52s at Anderson AFB, "Big Ugly Fat Fellows".

Just saw a documentary on bombers on the AHC channel where an active duty B-52 pilot introduced it as the BUFF. Produced in 2012.