Popular Mechanics: Watch a B-52’s Engines Literally Explode Into Action With a “Cart Start”
The B-52 Stratofortress bomber can use explosive cartridges to jump start its engines.
On a normal day, it takes about an hour to warm up a B-52. But not if you use explosive charges to kick-start its engines.
A new video released by the U.S. Air Force demonstrates the cartridge start, or “Cart Start” method. Airmen use small controlled explosive charges to get a bomber’s turbofan engines moving, allowing it get off the ground faster.
The bombers of the U.S. Strategic Air Command were on constant alert during the Cold War, prepared to retaliate against surprise nuclear attack at a moment's notice. The B-52 Stratofortress was a mainstay of SAC’s bomber force, which was prepared to take off from bases all over the United States and converge on enemy targets. The bombers had to move fast to escape being caught on the ground by enemy bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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WNU Editor: I was not aware that it takes an hour to "warm up" a B-52.
2 comments:
Nearly an hour to warm up and get off the ground. Wow..in the hypersonic missile age - with less than 5-10min reaction time-this might be a big problem for all of APAC/Guam
I didn't know the "explosive" way either...
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