strategic bombers, escorts, and stealth

[gf0012-aust]

I've actually heard several people say that the 20mm tail guns were replaced with Stinger missile launchers. I looked it up and it's hard to find a whole lot in the way but it seems there are several online sources that also state that the 20mm guns were replaced with light AAM's. Can anyone shed some more light on this? It would definitely be more effective, but then again, if your B-52 is engaging enemy fighters with Stingers, things are already not going well.

I think there's a few urban myths floating about. The last tail guns on american bombers were the B-52 that scored the Mig kill - and that was mainly due to the Mig pilot assuming that they had no sting in their tail

no B-52's were fitted with stingers - unless dale brown did it

 

[Volkodav]

I think there's a few urban myths floating about. The last tail guns on american bombers were the B-52 that scored the Mig kill - and that was mainly due to the Mig pilot assuming that they had no sting in their tail

no B-52's were fitted with stingers - unless dale brown did it

Weren't the tail guns nick named "Stingers" which may be where the confusion comes from?

 

[John Fedup]

Weren't the tail guns nick named "Stingers" which may be where the confusion comes from?

Yes, I have heard that description for tailgunners. Also, no references are apparent that B-52s ever had these missiles so your explanation is as good as any.

 

[kato]

The other confusion are the pylons that used to hold the chaff pods on B-52H, which look like Sidewinder rail launchers. That one's been around since the 90s too.

The Stinger thing - as opposed to that - is sort of real. General Dynamics had a design study back around 1990 that would have replaced the tail gun turret with a launcher firing modified ATAS missiles supposedly nicknamed Scorpion. The Air Force didn't buy it into it, especially since it was an unsolicited study that came on the tail end (sic) of the Cold War. No prototype or anything like that was ever developed.

See Flight International, March 1991 issue, page 16.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Weren't the tail guns nick named "Stingers" which may be where the confusion comes from?

thats true, hadn't considered that angle as contributing to the myth

 

[StobieWan]

I've actually heard several people say that the 20mm tail guns were replaced with Stinger missile launchers. I looked it up and it's hard to find a whole lot in the way but it seems there are several online sources that also state that the 20mm guns were replaced with light AAM's. Can anyone shed some more light on this? It would definitely be more effective, but then again, if your B-52 is engaging enemy fighters with Stingers, things are already not going well.

Never happened, as has been said. If you want to go air to air in a Buff, drag in the EODAS kit from F35 and hand some 9x under the wings. That should put the wing up Ivan

 

[barney41]

Never happened, as has been said. If you want to go air to air in a Buff, drag in the EODAS kit from F35 and hand some 9x under the wings. That should put the wing up Ivan

This will change the rules of the game.
Maybe BUFF will get one of these death rays intended for the B-1B. would also be useful on LRSB considering it's intended to penetrate deep into hostile airspace unescorted. It's supposed to defend against AAMs and SAMs but I'm speculating it may be a deterrent also against aircraft attempting to engage WVR.

High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) Programme - Airforce Technology