16 November 2004: Balls 8, the Boeing NB-52B “mothership” at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (located at Edwards Air Force Base, California) performs a farewell flyover during its final flight. 52-008 was both the oldest airplane in the U.S. Air Force inventory and the lowest time B-52 Stratofortress still operational.
Boeing RB-52B-10-BO Stratofortress 52-008 was built at Seattle, Washington and made its first flight 11 June 1955. It was turned over to NASA 8 June 1959 for use as a air launch vehicle for the X-15 rocketplane. North American Aviation modified the bomber for its new role at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California. It was redesignated NB-52B.
52-008 carried an X-15 for the first time 23 January 1960. Sharing the mothership responsibilities with the earlier NB-52A 52-003, Balls 8 carried the X-15s aloft on 159 flights, dropping them 106 times.
© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes
From: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html
008 converted to NB-52B carrier aircraft for X-15 and Lifting Body research programs. To NASA as 008. Scheduled to be retired from active service with NASA Dec 17, 2004. To be retired to permanent display at west gate of Edwards AFB. In Dec 2012 was still seen at North Edwards, which means that it may not be going to the West gate.
Thankfully they didn’t scrap her.
Was still at North Edward’s gate last year, 2021, looking pretty ragged.
This historic aircraft can be seen on the google maps satellite view of the Edwards north gate:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boeing+NB-52B+Mothership+008/@34.992841,-117.8836603,114m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1
Thanks for the link. It looks pretty rough. So sad. It looks like Msgt. Allen could use some help with the upkeep of the historic bird.