Does anyone have any idea what this is on the tail of this B-52? This is a D model or earlier
Recon cameras?
Laser designator? (too old for that, I think)
???






This is a normal tail on a B-52 D

What marking are on it? Where is it parked?
Looks like a test model used by NASA or some other AF test unit.
[&:]

I have several photos of this plane (got them as documentation for a B-52 I am building) and it is painted silver and white. Typical for the late 50's early 60's, white on the bottom surfaces, natural aluminum everywhere else. In this case, the plane has the natural aluminum painted silver[:'(]. This plane has SAC and 28th bomb wing logos and it is obviously in a museum, but I don't know which one. It does not match the B-52D on display at South Dakota Air & Space Museum, home of the 28th bomb wing. The B-52 there is done in Vietnam era black bottom camouflage top scheme.

I am pretty sure this is not one of the Edwards AFB "motherships". . The Edwards mothership would be historically significant in it's role as mothership, not repainted as a run-of-the-mill SAC bomber. Also, the mothership would have a notch in the trailing edge of the right wing. I am pretty sure that B-52 is still at Edwards. Too bad they shut down the museum there due to security concerns after 9-11.

It's not the Mothership at NASA as I have benn all over that plane when I worked there, and yes it's still there being used.

I was going to say that the old one had been retired, as I remembered seeing a picture of an "new" H model they were using, but as I rummaged around to find the picture, I saw current pictures of the old B model doing it's thing. So I guess both are active.



Here is a shot of both of them:

I think I found it. Kinda hard to be sure from this photo, but it looks like it is an RB-52B, a reconnaissance variant of the B-52.






You can read about it here:
USAF Museum Archives Gallery

Good find!!!. They had been out of service by the time I started working on them. Most if not all B models had been retired long before 1974 when I started my AF career. I did work on "D's", "F,s","G,s" and "H,s" during my 20 year stint. As well as KC-135's and a year on A-10's.
[&:]

dcairns,
It appears to be a high altitude recon camera probably used to take photos of all the surprised faces on the receiving end wondering where the "Steel Rain" came from...
"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak