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Just curious what this apparent hardpoint between the two engine nacelles is, and what it's used for, since the main underwing stores are next to the fuselage...

<img src="http://www.military.com/pics/FL_bomber_120202.jpg" border=0>

A sucking chest wound is life's way of telling you to slow down...

So far as i know, that hardpoint is for the external carriage of 12x Mk117 iron bombs(per wing).

Bet Poke...er USAFA....er Roots knows for sure though

Trample the wounded- hurdle the dead.

the bomb pylon is between the inboard engines and the fusalage.

the pylon in the pic is originally for a pod that fired chaff dispensing rockets out in front of attacking B-52s. I think now it's just used for ACMI pods, the pods that track an aircraft over training and combat ranges.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Thanks, Boomer! Other ideas I had were towed-decoy, along with the chaff and other countermeasures potentials. The pod was a new one for me, but makes sense.

A sucking chest wound is life's way of telling you to slow down...

Yup. I looked up a few pix of the big belly BUFFs and realized that the bomb racks pylons were further inboard.

Thx Boomer.

Trample the wounded- hurdle the dead.

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the pylon in the pic is originally for a pod that fired chaff dispensing rockets out in front of attacking B-52s. I think now it's just used for ACMI pods, the pods that track an aircraft over training and combat ranges.

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So THAT'S where they put those! I've heard of them before, but never knew where they were at (or even that they had actually provided a place to mount them). I didn't realize that they had them on the B-52H's either (that is an H, right?).

Ted

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
<img src="http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/dark2.gif" border=0>

yeah that's an H. the rocket pylons were on everything from 1961 on, should have the pylons, the regular chaff cutters are under the wing just ahead of the flaps(just 4 slots where the chaff comes out VERY hard to see in a pic) IIRC the flares eject from underneath the Hor Stab.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

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yeah that's an H. the rocket pylons were on everything from 1961 on, should have the pylons, the regular chaff cutters are under the wing just ahead of the flaps(just 4 slots where the chaff comes out VERY hard to see in a pic) IIRC the flares eject from underneath the Hor Stab.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>
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H is all we've got left. Too bad the old Ds aren't around anymore. 108 total Mk82s, or a smaller number of M117s 750s (minor sidenote: M117s came well before the Mk series, so it's technically incorrect to reference them as Mk 117s).

Sad to see the BUFF carcasses being hauled from the boneyard to the off base smelters.

Type 7

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Too bad the old Ds aren't around anymore. 108 total Mk82s, or a smaller number of M117s 750s

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Does anyone know just what the "Big Belly" mod was to the D's to make it so they could carry so many bombs?

Ted

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
<img src="http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/dark2.gif" border=0>

Yeah, the inderwing pylons, and i believe the rotary launcher assemblies were removed.

PS- Thx for the correction on the M-117's, but i thought the D could carry 108 of those, no?

Trample the wounded- hurdle the dead.

"Even as the B-52 was losing support for its traditional strategic nuclear strike role, a brush-fire insurgency in South Vietnam was beginning to test the flexible response capability of the conventional forces. By 1965, SAC's B-52's were being called upon for bombing support for friendly forces in South Vietnam. Initially, raids were conducted by B-52F's carrying 51 750-pound general purpose bombs, but rapid plans were made to increase the conventional capability of the B-52D force for a sustained SAC operational presence. This program, dubbed Big Belly, upped the internal weapons load of the D model from 27 to 84 of the 500-pound bombs and added a 24-weapon carriage externally. With the completion of Big Belly, the B-52D would carry nearly 60,000 pounds of ordnance. Although other models of the B-52 were also used in Southeast Asia, only the B-52D was modified for the high density conventional capacity, a capability that no existing aircraft can rival. This rapid change in missions for the B-52 was made possible only because of the volumetric capacity, enormous lifting abilities of the aircraft, and structural integrity of the basic design. The net result was a geometric increase in conventional firepower."
the only thing I found about specifics was that the bay was moded for more racks and that more intervalometers were installed.



"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

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Yeah, the inderwing pylons, and i believe the rotary launcher assemblies were removed.

PS- Thx for the correction on the M-117's, but i thought the D could carry 108 of those, no?

Trample the wounded- hurdle the dead.
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M21,

I remember the 108 bombs, but I'm honestly not certain if it was the 108 500 pounders, or 750 pounders. But I'll see what I can find out.

Type 7

Thanx Type 7, i appreciate it bro.

Trample the wounded- hurdle the dead.

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the only thing I found about specifics was that the bay was moded for more racks and that more intervalometers were installed.

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Thanks Boomer. I wasn't sure if it was a structural mod that was done, or if they just added more racks. I just remembered that the B-52 at the Air Force Museum is a D, and the last time I was there they had the bomb bay open and lit. I'll have to see if I took any pictures of it.

Ted

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
<img src="http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/dark2.gif" border=0>

My folks have digital cable here at home, which includes the Discovery Wings channel. They show aviation shows 24/7, and I caught part of a show about airpower in Vietnam. They mentioned that the B-52 was used in the war, and did mention a 108 bomb payload, but didn't quote a size or model, just "conventional iron bombs." They also didn't mention any difference between the series' of BUFFs.

For any of you out there who can get the Discovery Wings Channel, go for it. They usually cycle three or four shows throughout the day, so you can catch one you missed later in the day. I am waiting to see something about the Hog now...I'll keep you all posted..

--Raven

"Work Hard, Party Hard, Hardly Sleep"

Corgi makes a 144 scale B-52D 'Big Belly' complete with external stores. It's the "Diamond Lil", one of two BUFF's that had confirmed 'Nam MiG kills. It's a beautiful model- 15 1/2" wingspan and must weigh close to 3lbs.

King George II on Gen. James Wolfe: "Mad, is he? Then I wish he'd bite more of my other generals!"

_________________
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- Thomas Jefferson

I have DRAWINGs of the bomb racks themselves if anyone would like to see them I could probly get a decent scan.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Yeah, post them. I'd love to see them.

Ted

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
<img src="http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/dark2.gif" border=0>

K maybee tomorrow

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

you need to "save" this pic so you can zoom in and read it:
<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/kaptor369/images/buffracks04.jpg" border=0>
and this is a cap from a WAY too often dubbed episode of Wings, they are all MK-82s
<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/kaptor369/images/buffrackcap02.jpg" border=0>

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Resurrection time!

I'm counting 26 bombs on that unit. If I recall my CDCs correctly, they can put 3 cluster bomb racks in the bay. This makes 78 bombs with that configuration. This sound right? Which config was used for the 108 bomb load?

I figured they'd use rotary launchers for 2000 Lbers. Guess not always.

"Some pup"
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28 MK82s on that rack in the pick below the chart. the chart shows three of these racks loaded in the bay: 28x3=84

The external pylons carried two MERs on each HSAB so 12 MK82s under each wing:
84+12+12=108

A 9mm MAY expand, but a 45 will NEVER shrink!

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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Got it. And the 2000s on the cluster racks?

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

_________________
Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Well I dont know whats "possible" but the only things I have seen on rotory racks in the BUFF are Nukes, SRAMs, and ALCMs. The custer racks I think are limited to 1000lbs as I have seen thin case mines loaded on them but nothing larger. The MK84 2000lb'ers that I HAVE seen are loaded in the same "clip in" racks as the Nukes used to use before the rotories. There would be 2 MK84s side by side with another pair below them. The lower pair fall away then the lower rack falls down then the next 2 fall away. Probly room for two of these racks in the bay. B-2s seem to use rotory racks for all weapons.

A 9mm MAY expand, but a 45 will NEVER shrink!

<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/boomer0400/images/wooplate.jpg" border=0><img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/boomer0400/images/fal_avatar02.jpg" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

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Just curious what this apparent hardpoint between the two engine nacelles is, and what it's used for, since the main underwing stores are next to the fuselage...

<img src="http://www.military.com/pics/FL_bomber_120202.jpg" border=0>

A sucking chest wound is life's way of telling you to slow down...
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

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