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NB-52B

NB-52B Illustration
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft, operated by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, participated in some of the most significant projects in aerospace history. At retirement, the air launch and research aircraft held the distinction of being NASA's oldest aircraft, as well as being the oldest B-52 on flying status.

EG-0066-01

NASA’s B-52B launch aircraft, operated by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, participated in some of the most significant projects in aerospace history. At retirement, the air launch and research aircraft held the distinction of being NASA’s oldest aircraft, as well as being the oldest B-52 on flying status. At the same time, it had the lowest number of flying hours (2443.8) of any B-52 in operation, having been used exclusively in the role it continued to perform so reliably for nearly 50 years.

The B-52B, registration number 52-0008 (NASA tail number 008), rolled out of Boeing’s Seattle plant as an RB-52B, and first flew on June 11, 1955. The aircraft was the 10th B-52 to come off the Boeing assembly line and was a U.S. Air Force test aircraft before it was assigned to support the X-15 research aircraft program at Dryden…Learn more


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