"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...
Is a tail gun necessary on a B52? Has one ever been used as a defensive
measure in recent times?

Also, refresh my memory, it was a B52 that Slim Pickens was dropped from
in the movie ( as per BUFDRVR's signature )?? It's been a long time
since I saw the flick. And as more of a side note, was BUFDRVR's H
model built before or after the movie came out?

The guns were used in North Vietnam 1972. After gunners were removed from
crew (1991) the guns were gradually removed but only the guns. Remainder of
firecontrol system retained. See my earlier messages, same subject line.

Read the book never saw the movie. Do not know when it came out. As I
remember the book, not a bit of it was like real life as I encounterd in the
SAC Alert Force where I spent years and years.

Tex