- Balls 8
The Balls Eight is a
NASA NB-52BMothership [ [http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-005-DFRC.html NASA's Mothership Factsheet] ] , NASAtail number 52-008 [] . It was retired from active service with NASA on17 December ,2004 after almost 50 years flying service. [ [http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/improvingflight/B-52B_retires.html NASA's B-52B Retires] ] The Balls 8 was famous for dropping aerospace research vehicles for 106 flights of theX-15 [ [http://history.nasa.gov/x15/cover.html NASA's X-15 Website] ] . Like its NB-52A predecessor, a pylon was fitted under the right wing between the fuselage and the inboard engines with a 6 feet x 8 feet (1.8 m x 2.4 m) section removed from the right wing flap to fit the X-15's tail. It flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of the X-15 program from June 1959 to October 1968. It also flew missions supporting the X-24,HiMAT ,Lifting Body vehicles,X-43 , and numerous others.The Balls 8 was the oldest active B-52 at the time, having first flown on
June 11 ,1955 , and entering service with NASA on8 June ,1959 . It was modified atNorth American Aviation 's Palmdale facility to allow it to carry the X-15 beneath its right wing. The modified bomber first was used to launch the X-15 on its fifth flight,23 January ,1960 .The Balls 8 was the last B-52 in service of any type other than the H model. It also had the lowest total air time of any operational B-52.
It derives its nickname "Balls 8" from its tail number; the zeros resembling
testicles , plus the number 8.See also
* Balls 3, NB-52A s/n 52-003, is the other mothership that was used for X-15 flights. It is on display at the
Pima Air & Space Museum inTucson , AZ. (This [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=pima+air+and+space&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=0.064575,0.107575&t=k&hl=en&ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=32.141479,-110.869636&panoid=E7N-fq1VC4Iaa1-7Xk_QHA&cbp=1,218.79072636005753,,1,1.1655948553054658&ll=32.142174,-110.869504&spn=0.001274,0.00203&z=19 Google Maps street view] is zoomed in on the tail.)
* Balls 5, another B-52B, serial number 52-005 can be seen at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum's B-52B "005" [ [http://www.wingsmuseum.org/ Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum] , Denver, CO] ,Denver, Colorado .References
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