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Event |
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Constructed as a B-52B-35-BO by Boeing at Seattle, Washington, USA. |
Circa 1955 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 53-0394. |
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Transferred to 93rd Bombardment Wing, Castle AFB, CA. |
16 January 1957 |
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Departed Castle AFB with two other B-52s for first round-the-world, non-stop flight for the heavy bomber aircraft. Was named Lucky Lady III. Refueled by KC-97s. |
18 January 1957 |
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Arrived March AFB, CA, completing round the world flight. |
Circa 1960 |
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Markings Applied: City of El Paso, 30394 |
April 1965 |
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Photographer: DU Phillips
Notes: Photo taken at Biggs AFB Open House Apr 1965. I was part of the Detail to clean the aircraft before the Open House and just before it left for Wright Patterson Museum. (Note: The aircraft cavities and crevices were cleaned with a tooth brush by me |
April 1965 |
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Photographer: DU Phillips
Notes: Notice the tail number |
Circa April 1965 |
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Ferry flight. Delivered to Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. |
Circa April 1965 |
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Based at United States Air Force Museum, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
 View the Location Dossier |
4 August 1971 |
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To National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
View the Location Dossier |
29 February 1972 |
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Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: Instamatic 126 photo cropped to 4X6 format. |
21 May 1973 |
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Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: B-53B Stratofortress named City of El Paso as seen at the USAF Museum in May 1973. |
1978 |
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Removed from display, replaced by combat vet B-52D. |
1984 |
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Scrapped by the museum. |
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Left in open display for 90 days so removal from inventory IAW nuclear weapons treaty could be verified by satellite. |
1984 |
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Portions of airframe transported to Dugway Proving Ground in Utah for use as targets. Nose section to Walter Soplata collection. |
From Circa 1984 to 2020 |
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To Walter Soplata Aviation Collection, Newbury, Cleveland, OH.
Only the nose section survives here.
View the Location Dossier |
9 August 1986 |
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Photographer: Leon Cleaver
Notes: Section of B-52 against garage |
9 August 1986 |
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Photographer: Leon Cleaver |
9 August 1986 |
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Photographer: Leon Cleaver |
25 October 1993 |
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Photographer: Leon Cleaver |
18 October 1995 |
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Photographer: Leon Cleaver
Notes: Aft section of B-52 at left |
2019 |
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Transported by ground.
Transported to MotoArt Studios in Torrance, CA. |
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 | | This airframe dossier is based on
unreviewed imported data.
If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor. |
