‘Well, then how do you fly a plane the size of an airliner without ailerons?’ Damien Leimbach, former USAF avionics technician
Following its entry into service in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress served as the primary long-range heavy bomber for the US Air Force throughout the Cold War, and it remains a significant component of the USAF bomber fleet today. Close to 750 units were produced before manufacturing ceased in the autumn of 1962.
The B-52 has established multiple records throughout its lengthy service. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs accomplished the inaugural non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by a jet aircraft, which took 45 hours and 19 minutes and needed just three aerial refuelings. Additionally, it was a B-52 that conducted the first airborne drop of a hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956.
A fun trivia fact about the mighty BUFF is that her ailerons are bolted down, as Damien Leimbach, former USAF avionics technician, explains on Quora.
‘The ailerons are bolted down.
‘Yes, you read that right.
‘The ailerons cannot be used.
‘What? Why? Well, they did build the jets with ailerons of course, that aid in turning the craft. And they work just like you would expect them to.
‘However, due to the excessively long service life of the plane, it was noticed after a few decades of use that the ailerons were imparting far more force on the frame and wing spars than was really necessary. Use of the ailerons was imparting so much roll force and the wings were so long that the torque generated was literally ripping the wings off. So, the decision was made to disable them in order to prolong the life of the plane.
‘Well, then how do you fly a plane the size of an airliner without ailerons?
‘Stall panels. (many people have pointed out they are technically called spoilerons.)
‘Look closely at the right wing of this plane.
‘Those flat panels pop up into the airstream and disrupt the airflow over the wing, making it produce less lift. The right wing then falls, gently banking the plane.
‘To get out of the bank and fly level again, the left wing is then stalled, which dips, gently leveling the aircraft.’
Leimbach concludes;
‘Of course, it was not intended to be flown this way, so during the conversion, the wing spoilers were enlarged slightly and the ailerons disabled.’
Nonetheless, Jason Edwards, an aviation expert, notes that earlier B-52 models included ailerons. These were eliminated from the design during the development of the G and H models. The ailerons are not fixed; the planes were constructed without them. For roll control, they depend solely on the spoilers.
