this airplane is one of the most significant in modern aviation history on several levels. it was created in 1948 as a strategic nuclear bomber, and first flew in the early 1950s. the b-52 fought its first war, under the code name of "arc light" in vietnam from 1965 through 1973. the b-52 is a direct ancestor of many of the airliners which have made boeing aircraft, one of the most successful privately owned aerospace company in the world. the b-52 will stay in military service until around 2040. it is not clear what will replace it as the united states air force's main strategic bomber.