Still in front line service as a major component of our strategic bomber forces, the Boeing B-52 was built before most of its crew members were even born. The first flight of the YB-52 prototype was April 15, 1952 and the production that followed reflected a continued development of the massive bomber. Boeing's B-52 Stratofortress was the core around which the modern Strategic Air Command was developed. The final version was the B-52H, to many "BUFF" pilots a real cadillac when compared to the earlier models.