By A Mystery Man Writer
As a product of the evolutionary process, the B-52C design did not take shape until December 1953 and less than 30 months elapsed between design and first flight in March 1956. There was little difference externally from the B-variant apart from the addition of two large 3,000-gallon wing tanks. The B-52C entered service in June of 1956 and had an increased fuel load and range. All B-52Cs went to the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring AFB, Maine and the 99th Bombardment Wing at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. The B-52C was retired in 1971. The gross weight increased to 450,000 pounds. The new MD-9 fire control system for the tail turret was introduced, and the belly of the aircraft was painted with anti-flash gloss white paint, which was intended to reflect thermal radiation away after a nuclear detonation. The bombing-navigation system continued to be a problem for bombers in the atomic age, which called for greater instrument accuracy, increased automatic operation to reduce human error, and immunity from more sophisticated defences. Initially, the Sperry K-3A (which relied on radar and optics) and IBM MA-6A (used a combination of an optical bombsight, a radar presentation of the target, and an automatic computer) from the B-52B were tested but neither could function reliably. Therefore, the AN/ASB-15 was fitted to the B-52C but later retrofitted with the AN/ASQ-48 bombing system. In this image, a B-52C from the 69th Bombardment Squadron of the 42nd Bombardment Wing flies patrol armed with two AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missiles. Note the massive 3000-gallon external fuel tanks mounted near the wingtips. SAC’s Operation Chrome Dome had B-52 bombers armed with live thermonuclear weapons remaining on continuous airborne alert and flying routes to points on the Soviet Union border where, if ordered, they could perform first strike or retaliatory capability in the event of nuclear war. Many of the significant B-52 accidents involving live nuclear weapons occurred during Chrome Dome missions.
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