The B-52B was the first version to enter service with the USAF on 29 June 1955 with the 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB, California. The NB-52A, named 'The High and Mighty One' carried the X-15 on 93 of the program's 199 flights. Its first flight with the X-15 was on 19 March 1959, with the first launch on 8 June 1959. Liquid oxygen and hydrogen peroxide tanks were installed in the bomb bays to fuel the X-15 before launch.

A pylon was fitted under the right wing between the fuselage and the inboard engines with a 6 feet x 8 feet (1.8 m x 2.4 m) section removed from the right wing flap to fit the X-15 tail. The last B-52A (serial 52-0003) was modified and redesignated NB-52A in 1959 to carry the North American X-15. The tanks damped wing flutter and also kept wingtips close to the ground for ease of maintenance. The aircraft also carried a 1,000 US gallon (3,785 L) external fuel tank under each wing. In the rear fuselage, a tail turret with four 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns with a fire-control system, and a water injection system to augment engine power with a 360 US gallon (1,363 L) water tank were added. The bubble canopy and tandem seating was replaced by a side-by-side arrangement and a 21 in (53 cm) nose extension accommodated more avionics and a new sixth crew member. The first production B-52A differed from prototypes in having a redesigned forward fuselage. Only three of the first production version, the B-52A, were built, all loaned to Boeing for flight testing. One XB-52 modified with some operational equipment and re-designated Two prototype aircraft with limited operational equipment, used for aerodynamic and handling tests The B-52 went through several design changes and variants over its 10 years of production. USAF KC135R LAGR973, USAF E8C Joint STARS REDEYE6, USAF KC10 NACHO134, NATO A330NRTT MMF18, USAF C130H HKY152, USAF KC10NACHO134, USAF B52 NOBLE42, USAF KC10 NCHO223 United States Air Force (USAF), Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

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