Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.
How big is it, really?
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length | 48.50 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 56.40 m |
| Height | 12.40 m |
| MTOW | 219,600 kg |
| Range (unrefuelled) | ≈14,080 km |
| Weapons load | ≈31,750 kg |
| Engines | 8 × PW TF33 (RR F130 coming) |
| First flight | 15 April 1952 |
| Built | 744 (last in 1962) |
Put the Boeing B-52 next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
The B-52 first flew in 1952, and the US Air Force currently plans to fly it into the 2050s — a service life of a full century, unmatched by any combat aircraft in history. Crews today fly the same airframes their grandfathers flew; the last one was built in 1962.
Eight engines hang in four twin pods under a drooping 56.4-metre wing so flexible the outriggers at its tips keep it off the tarmac. Across seven decades it has been continually re-equipped and re-tasked — few airframes in history have been reinvented so many times.
76 B-52Hs remain, and rather than retire them the USAF is fitting new Rolls-Royce F130 engines and new radars to create the B-52J. The joke in Air Force circles is that the last B-52 pilot has not been born yet — and it may not be a joke.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress — the short answers
How fast is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress?
How far can the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fly?
Is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress still in production?
How big is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress?
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress line
B-52A–G
B-52H
B-52J
Who flies the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
All 1 current operators, verified 2026-07-14. Fleet counts are approximate where marked ≈.
Put it next to something
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