Do you remember that scene from the movie Dr. Strangelove, right before Major T. J. “King” Kong hops on the missile carrying a nuclear bomb, riding it like a wild horse into oblivion? If not, here is the clip from YouTube:
If you’ve ever wondered what the cockpit of a B-52 bomber looks like, and had no plans to actually join the Air Force, you might be interested in today’s remarkable find, this B-52 G STRATOFORTRESS COCKPIT THAT FLEW IN OPERATION DESERT STORM TAIL # 59-2579:
This is no movie prop – this is the real thing. Although we’d consider buying it as the ultimate lawn ornament, or to re-enact a favorite movie (see above), you might wonder what else you could do with something like this. The listing gives some ideas:
“Whether you are interested in an amazing aircraft cockpit for display, or purchasing it to place in a museum for a tax deduction, this aircraft cockpit will only become more valuable and collectable with age!
This is one of the only B-52 cockpits accessible to the public, and it is now for sale.”
While it is true that this piece of history belongs in a museum, we wonder what else people do with such items. As it turns out, there is one other B-52 cockpit out there in the world and open to the public to use. That cockpit was converted into a B-52 flight simulator, as you can see from this video:
No matter what, this cockpit has captured the imagination of many eBay shoppers, and it has been one of the most-shared items, earning it a prized spot on the eBay Top Shared page.
The listing page has numerous photos, including a picture of the B-52 when it was intact. This plane was #2579, a “G” model that entered service in 1959 and flew its last mission in the early ’90s during the first Gulf War (Desert Storm). According to our research, the G model was one of the first to be outfitted with air-to-surface nuclear missiles. The camouflage paint from Desert Storm has been replaced with the original “nuclear” white. Strange to think how common the threat of nuclear war was during the height of the Cold War, and how often these flying monstrosities carried their nuclear payloads back and forth as the ultimate deterrent.
In any case, this is certainly an incredible piece, worthy of an exhibit at the Smithsonian. We hope the cockpit finds a good home, and that the seller gets a good price.
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It’s certainly an interesting find; but I don’t have 85k sitting in my pocket waiting to be dished out on an artifact.
Ah, youth…the thought of all that Cold War drama is a lot less strange to those of us who were born during that era! Granted, I came in on the tail end of it…but the USSR and other Communist regimes were considered (and no doubt were, at least to some extent) very real threats during those years; the Iron Curtain was in place; and the cold war was a simple fact of life. It may seem strange to those too young to remember it firsthand, but perspective from this point so early in the 21st century is comparatively limited. To many of us, it’s just history…and fairly recent history at that, having been part of our lifetime!
Great article and story…and makes me want to go listen to my B-52s records (yes, on vinyl)! LOL
I spent 13 years on a B52
I bought an entire B-52 for $10,000.00.
Thanks for the great article..
I would like to make a correction to the info blurb. The G series were not the only series to carry a AGM, the E and F series also carried the AGM 77 which had a range of 7/800 mi. at a speeds over mach one. SAC Will Be Back!
@Kirby: Thanks for the clarification.
Just to set the record straight, the Bomber in Dr. Stranglove was not the B52. He was sitting on a the bomb loaded in the fuselage of a B58 Hustler.
@Jack: Thanks for the information. I had always assumed it was a B-52, and it is often referred to as a B-52 (even in Wikipedia). I assume all responsibility for the oversight.
Mr. Schwartz is dead wrong! The B-58 Hustler carried all it’s payload externally in a bullet shapped container under the fuselage. (not inside the aircraft and not accessable from inside the B-58) If I remember right they show numereous pics of a B-52 in Dr. Strangelove. Don’t know where you got your info, but I do know it’s wrong, wrong, wrong.