April 15, 1952: B-52 first flight Two prototypes were constructed. The YB-52, the second prototype, first flew April 15, 1952. The XB-52 was damaged during a full-pressure test of its pneumatic system and did not make its first flight until Oct. 2, 1952. Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War deterrence, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36. . In all, 744 B-52s were produced by Boeing at the Seattle, Wash., and Wichita, Kan., plants between 1952 and 1963. 76 are still flying today and are expected to fly until the 2050s. In many cases the pilot and crew are younger than the planes that they are flying.
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