The 70-year-old Boeing B-52 Stratoforress made its maiden flight in 1952, though it didn’t actually enter official operational service with the US Air Force until 1955. Known as the “BUFF” (“Big Ugly Fat Fellow” in polite company and “Big Ugly Fat F*cker” to others), it is more than just the most successful strategic bomber of all time (and more than just one of my Top Two favorite warplanes of all time). The B-52 is not just an icon of American military history. It’s also an American cultural icon.