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Welcome to the saga of the BUFF! In this chapter, we’ll discover the evolution of the RB-52; the reconnaissance version of the iconic bomber and how it was developed. If you followed along with the previous chapter (see Feelin’ BUFF 03 Design: Early XB-52 design evolution), you saw the radical change the bomber made from its first concept to constructed prototype. The story of the RB-52 begins on 3 March 1948. The Air Force (AF) revised its military characteristics (performance parameters) required for the XB-52. Among the range and radius increases required, “provisions for reconnaissance equipment” appeared on the requirements list for the first time. On 28 April 1948, Air Materiel Command (AMC) provided Boeing the list of equipment it proposed for the reconnaissance version of the XB-52 (hereafter RB-52). The RB-52 would be crewed by a pilot and copilot, two photo/radar navigators, two photographers, and four radar countermeasures (RCM) operators. The equipment was seven K-40 cameras, which could be removed for night bombing missions.
On 14 October 1948, military characteristics for a dedicated strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the XR-16 were issued. The aircraft was envisioned to be photographic, electronic and weather reconnaissance workhorse, and in late 1947/early 1948, the urgency of need for such a capability eclipsed that of even the heavy bombardment aircraft. The Republic F-12 and Northrup RB-49 were competing for this requirement, but various factors prevented the concept from advancing to contract issuance, and the idea was shelved in 1949. The bombers could be dual-hatted as reconnaissance aircraft as well, and so they would be!
On the 5th of April 1949, the AF began to pursue a reconnaissance version of the B-52; practically no work had been completed to incorporate the reconnaissance mission into the XB-52 design since its requirements were introduced 13 months earlier. No funding was applied to the XR-16 program for design studies, and now that the XB-52 (finally) had turbojets, it could fly fast enough to be considered a reconnaissance aircraft. Thus, the XR-16 program was canceled, the XB-52 program gained direction to modify production aircraft into a convertible RB-52 reconnaissance/bomber aircraft, using reconnaissance equipment pods. On 25-26 April 1949, the reconnaissance pod mockups inspection was held at Boeing.
On 21 June 1949, AMC held a conference to ascertain the reconnaissance equipment requirements. Strategic Air Command (SAC), Headquarters USAF, and the Air Weather Service attended, where they learned the reconnaissance capsules were too heavy, and it would affect the bomber’s range. In fact, the bomb load was 10,000 lbs, but the capsules weighed 13,500 lbs. Either equipment had to be tailored from the package down to 7,500 lbs to maintain range, or the mission for the aircraft (photographic or electronic) needed to be determined. In typical fashion, nobody agreed, and a “firm definition of mission” was required before they could move forward. It took until 7 February 1950 to receive the determination, and the equipment list required. Pods would be used, with crew positions for electronic intercept (2) and a weather observer; 13 cameras of various types and 24 T-86 photoflash bombs in the bomb bay. On 3 August 1950, the June 1949 conference was revisited to review the Model 464-108 (RB-52), where they agreed to develop the multipurpose pod, and committed to study photo and ferret (special electronic reconnaissance) pods.
Initial studies and mockup contract for the RB-52/Model 464-108 was issued to Boeing on 19 March 1951, and a September 1951 mockup inspection was scheduled. Headquarters USAF/HAF intent was to modify a production bomber (B-52A) into RB-52 configuration by 1954. At the end of August 1951, another conference with the major RB-52 stakeholders worked the requirements for the pods; documentation now required all B-52A aircraft would become general-purpose reconnaissance aircraft. Both the photo and multipurpose pods would be fielded in 1953. New high-tech reconnaissance equipment was in development, and would be integrated into a pod when the equipment was available, but that didn’t occur until 1955. In October 1951, HAF directed all B-52 aircraft be configured as RB-52, as there was “no requirement for a B-52” per SAC direction. SAC B-52s were primarily solo reconnaissance gatherers, but must be easily convertible as bombers, so pod development continued. Since betting the B-52s built was such a high priority, the first half dozen production aircraft were built as bombers; aircraft 7-25 were convertible with post-production refits, and 26 and up were built as RB-52s with installed capsules.
In February 1952, AMC issued a production request for a multi-purpose pod, its full design, construction, aircraft retrofit and installation into one aircraft, with delivery in November 1954. 25 March 1952 resulted in a contract for production of 3 B-52As, 10 RB-52Bs, 10 RB-52B bomber conversion kits, and 10 multipurpose pods. On 13 May, HAF increased the March contract quantities by seven additional aircraft/pods, now for a total of 20, $375 million, and would deliver the aircraft by December 1954. August 4th amended this number again, with additional RB-52Bs with capsules/bomber kits totaling 68 bombers and $427 million, and delivered by December 1955. The first B-52 production model that became operational with SAC was an RB-52B on 29 June 1955.
To find this cache, calculate the coordinates from the information in this listing.
N 48° 20.ABC W 101° 17.DEF
A= RB-52 crew photographer count, N photographers A=(N+2)
B= Amount of pounds to be tailored from pod driven by 21 June 1949 AMC conference, N,XXX lbs, B=(N)
C= Quantity of 7 February 1950 listing with T-86 photoflash bombs in the bomb bay, NN, C=(NN/4)
D= Designation of RB-52 issued to Boeing on 19 March 1951, Model 464-NXX, D=(N/1)
E= Quantity of 25 March 1952 contract for production of RB-52Bs, NN aircraft, E=(NN/10)
F= Day in June 1955 first B-52 production model became operational with SAC, XN June, F=(N)
Tagg, L. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story. History Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, AFMC: Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.