[Jeff Higgins]

The B 52 that is parked at Paine Field in Everett has actually been there for years. It's kind of a bit of a SNAFU on the part of the Museum of Flight. I'm kind of fuzzy on the details, but essentially it was donated to the museum with the intention of restoring it for display. Unfortunately, however, it's a G model, and exists as somewhat of a Cold War era hangover...

G models are cruise missile capable, where the H models are not. As such, per SALT II, they have to be identifiable from satellites as having this capability. To satisfy this requirement, they were fitted with rather large wing root fairings - large enough to be recognizable from the rather low resolution cameras fitted to Russian spy satellites of the era.

On top of that, they have to be parked outside at all times so their whereabouts can be monitored. Even if they are decommissioned and can no longer fly. The museum has been bogged down awaiting some form of resolution to negotiations that will allow them to begin work on their unit. If they are now finally working on it, something must have changed about its status. It's about time - they've hard the darn thing for a decade at least, if not more, parked outside where the Russians can keep an eye on it.