Jacques van Oene
December 8th 04, 08:42 PM
Dec. 7, 2004
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566
<table>
Gray Creech
NASA Dryden Public Affairs
661/276-2662
John Haire/Capt. Kelly George
U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB
661/277-4127/277-6083
RELEASE: 04-64
NASA'S FAMED B-52B "MOTHERSHIP" AIRCRAFT TO RETIRE
Having dropped advanced flight research vehicles rather than bombs over an
illustrious career
spanning nearly a half century, NASA's B-52B "mothership" air-launch
aircraft is being retired.
The Air Force Flight Test Center and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
will jointly host a formal
retirement ceremony for the revered aircraft at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2004 at
NASA Dryden, located on
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The ceremony will include a formal transfer
of the B-52B by NASA
Dryden center director Kevin Petersen to Brig. Gen. Curtis M. Bedke,
commander of the Air Force
Flight Test Center, for its final disposition. Tentative plans call for
placing the aircraft on
permanent display at Edwards AFB.
Operated by NASA Dryden for most of its lifetime, NASA's venerable B-52B
has participated in some
of the most significant projects in aerospace history. At retirement, the
air launch and research
aircraft holds the distinction of being NASA's oldest aircraft, as well as
being the oldest B-52
still flyable. At the same time, it has the lowest number of flying hours of
any B-52 in operation,
having been used exclusively in the role it has continued to perform so
reliably for nearly 50
years.
Bearing NASA tail number 008, the B-52B first flew in June 1955 and was
flown by the Air Force in
the B-52 test program for several years before it was modified to support
the X-15 research
aircraft program at NASA Dryden in 1959. It flew its last research mission
Nov. 16, 2004, launching
the scramjet-powered X-43A on its record Mach 9.6 flight over the Pacific
Ocean.
Media representatives planning to attend should contact NASA Dryden's
Public Affairs office for
accreditation no later than Dec. 14 by calling (661) 276-3449, by e-mailing
requests to
, or by faxing a request on company letterhead at
(661) 276-3566.
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566
<table>
Gray Creech
NASA Dryden Public Affairs
661/276-2662
John Haire/Capt. Kelly George
U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB
661/277-4127/277-6083
RELEASE: 04-64
NASA'S FAMED B-52B "MOTHERSHIP" AIRCRAFT TO RETIRE
Having dropped advanced flight research vehicles rather than bombs over an
illustrious career
spanning nearly a half century, NASA's B-52B "mothership" air-launch
aircraft is being retired.
The Air Force Flight Test Center and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
will jointly host a formal
retirement ceremony for the revered aircraft at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2004 at
NASA Dryden, located on
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The ceremony will include a formal transfer
of the B-52B by NASA
Dryden center director Kevin Petersen to Brig. Gen. Curtis M. Bedke,
commander of the Air Force
Flight Test Center, for its final disposition. Tentative plans call for
placing the aircraft on
permanent display at Edwards AFB.
Operated by NASA Dryden for most of its lifetime, NASA's venerable B-52B
has participated in some
of the most significant projects in aerospace history. At retirement, the
air launch and research
aircraft holds the distinction of being NASA's oldest aircraft, as well as
being the oldest B-52
still flyable. At the same time, it has the lowest number of flying hours of
any B-52 in operation,
having been used exclusively in the role it has continued to perform so
reliably for nearly 50
years.
Bearing NASA tail number 008, the B-52B first flew in June 1955 and was
flown by the Air Force in
the B-52 test program for several years before it was modified to support
the X-15 research
aircraft program at NASA Dryden in 1959. It flew its last research mission
Nov. 16, 2004, launching
the scramjet-powered X-43A on its record Mach 9.6 flight over the Pacific
Ocean.
Media representatives planning to attend should contact NASA Dryden's
Public Affairs office for
accreditation no later than Dec. 14 by calling (661) 276-3449, by e-mailing
requests to
, or by faxing a request on company letterhead at
(661) 276-3566.
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info