<p>Built in 1955 as the eighth Boeing B-52, with the c/n 16498 and US military serial 52-0008, ‘008’ became famous as the main carrier aircraft for the X-15 program at Edwards AFB. She was later the ‘mother ship’ for various other test programs including Lifting Body aircraft, HiMAT and the Pegasus rocket system.
Her many carrier missions are marked down the Starboard side of the fuselage and this is the first section, including totals for X-15, M2F2, HL-10 and X-24A, followed by detailed markings for the M2/F3.
By the time she was retired on 17th December 2004, she had become the only non’H’ model B-52 flying and a bit of a celebrity. She immediately became part of the AFFTC (Air Force Flight Test Center) Museum and has now been placed on display at the North Gate to Edwards AFB, CA, USA.
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29-6-2016.
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/65001151@N03">Alan Wilson</a> from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
CC BY-SA 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/28011092466/">NB-52B 'Balls 8'  Mission markings #1</a>