The DC-3 was designed in the late thirties, and is still in commercial service to this day. They're even getting rebuilt and converted to turboprop power.
this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2026
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It is always impressive how long airframes and engines last with proper maintenance!
I doubt the engines are original, if so it would only be the block that's still original.
The airplane of Theseus.
It helps that DC 3 has an unpressurized cabin. In modern airliners, fatigue puts an upper limit on the total number of up and down cycles the airframe can ensure.
It's just a flying dump truck that dumps loads of bombs onto enemies. What more could you want? You want one that's fast, that's what the B-1 is for. You want one that's stealthy, that's what the B-2 is for. You want one that's small and agile, you just strap some bombs to a fighter jet.
But if you want a cost-effective way to deliver bulk munitions to someone whose day is about to be ruined, the B-52 is your plane.
The only reason I could think that it would be replaced anytime soon is to perhaps replace it with a fully autonomous mega-drone of a bomber ... and even then, the best, most cost-effective option is probably just to replace the B-52's cockpit with sensors and a computer.
If we do ever build a fleet of spaceships for war, You know the B-52 will be there. They'll design a whole space plane, build like 3, then decide, "eh, the B-52 can handle this"
With M2 guns onboard.
the sky crab.
I was shocked during the 2nd Irak war to learn that the "surgical strike" the media were talking about was made by B52. This plane was made when carpet bombing was a need to hit a target; now it's a weapon of terror