B-52 replacement

[kerick]

Some day even the B-52 will have to retire. What are the options for a rugged, flexible platform for doing the dirty work in any corner of the world at any time? It would be a subsonic bomb truck without stealth or cosmic stuff, just drop, reload, and repeat.
I was thinking of something with borrowed airliner wings that would be "overbuilt" but with a stripped down fuselage with sensors and refueling on the outside.

[eatthis]

your looking at what 25-30 years?
il bet its a big rov

[philp]

Megafortress

[PR19_Kit]

A Lancaster.........

[Dizzyfugu]

Tough one. IMHO, from a "modern" point of view, there will hardly be something similar as the strategic bombers of the 50ies and 60ies anymore, as they were a) big because they had to haul a lot of fuel with them, b) they were supposed to fly at height and c) the ordnance size has become much smaller - this results in constructive needs, e. g. a large bomb bay for the early A bombs.
On the tactical side, flying at low altitude or at supersonic speed changed the bomber design and its task. Hard to tell what a respective B-52 (or Tu-95) update would be.

I'd also vote for four bigger turbofans, and maybe stick with shoulder-mounted wings, for a massive bomb bay (you never know...). Using airliner stock material could even make sense - maybe take an airliner's fuselage without king size diameter, e .g. drom a DC 8 or Boeing 757, and stick late DC 8 or even 747 wings on the shoulders? Calls for a tandem or B-52 landing gear, though, but it could be a way to go?

[deathjester]

If its just got to be a bomb truck, how about C141's, or C17's converted with a bomb bay attached to the load bearing structures, with a set of doors built in under the fuselage?

[PR19_Kit]

In the case of the C141 I think the floor WAS the load bearing structure. Cutting holes in it might not be a good idea..... 

But the concept of using transports sounds workable, the USAF used Herks to drop those 15000 lb BLU-82 'Daisy Cutter' bombs (and the current 22000 lbs MOABs) by sliding them out of the rear door. Why not do the same thing on a larger scale?

[Gondor]

Mmmmmmmm B-52 replacement....... Another B-52 

Gondor

[rickshaw]

For a "bomb truck":

A-400 "trash hauler" like aircraft with palletised bomb system.  You open the doors, enter a slight climb, the pallets fall out the back, they separate and the GPS guided bombs fall on the intended target(s).   No need for massive alterations to the airframe, all the aircraft needs to do is deliver them to the area as if they were cargo.

For a penetration bomber:

New build, high speed advanced design.  Designed to deliver small "instant sunshine" and conventional payloads against heavy defences at high speed, at all altitudes on high value targets.  Heavy use of ECM and small self-defence payload.  Design utilises stealth to help with penetration.

[wuzak]

I thought the F-35 replaced everything? 

[kerick]

I recall an F-22 version stretched with a bomb bay holding a bunch of small diameter bombs.
But I also agree that the best replacement for a BUFF is a new BUFF.
Just like the best replacement for an A-10 is a new A-10.
I heard a rumor back in the 90s that when the Air Force wanted to get rid of the A-10 the South Korean government was begging to buy them up. I wonder who would be in line for retired BUFFs.

[McColm]

Something along the lines of a A380,congress has been trying to retire the B-1B.

[scooter]

I heard a rumor back in the 90s that when the Air Force wanted to get rid of the A-10 the South Korean government was begging to buy them up.

I think that rumor also had the Army wanting to to buy them up as well

[kerick]

Why is it that the guys on the ground can see that the Army and Air Force need to work together on air support but the people at the top don't seem to see it. Some folks need to get out of their office chairs and out into the field. Might lose some weight too.

[Captain Canada]

I guess it would be one of those blended wing things that Boeing was/ is looking at.

But I like the Lancaster idea !