Palmdale, Calif., officials are trying to buy a B-52 bomber that now sits on Oklahoma state fairgrounds for the city’s airpark, reports the LA Daily News. The airplane will serve as a tribute to that area’s contributions to aerospace. Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the city wants the aircraft because B-52 modifications and flight tests were conducted at Plant 42 at nearby Edwards AFB, Calif. The city is looking to sign a $248,000 contract with a company to disassemble, transport and reassemble the airplane.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.