(South Dakota Air and Space Museum collection, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA)

The B-52D Stratofortress is a large, multi-seater, eight-engine, United States Air Force bomber plane. This model has been in service from the 1950s to today.

From exhibit signage:

B-52D Stratofortress

Top Speed - 650 miles per hour Crew - 5 (6 before 1991) Range - Intercontinental Payload - 60,000+ pounds of conventional or nuclear weapons; four .50-caliber machine guns

Navigating in the Dark

A B-52's crew includes two navigators. They take stations on the darkened lower deck, constantly sharing information with the aircraft commander, co-pilot, and electronic warfare officer on the upper deck. The navigator calculates the route and precise timing of the mission. The radar navigator handles the actual weapon targeting.

The navigators' station is often called "The Black Hole". It's cramped and uncomfortable, but essential to mission success.

Updating the electronic systems - like the radar in the nose - has kept the B-52 effective for many decades.

See info. at: