| Balls 8 | |
|---|---|
 A NASA TF-104G (below) flies chase on the NB-52B Balls 8 (above) on 14 September 1979. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Aircraft Company |
| Status | Retired |
| Owners | United States Air Force NASA |
| Serial | 52-008 |
| History | |
| First flight | 11 June 1955 |
| Preserved at | Edwards Air Force Base, California |
Balls 8 is a NASA Boeing NB-52B mothership which was retired in 2004 after almost 50 years of flying service with NASA.[1][2] The aircraft is famous for dropping the X-15 aerospace research vehicle on 106 of the 199 X-15 program flights.[3]
- ^ Creech, Gray (December 15, 2004). "End of an Era: NASA's Famous B-52B Retires". NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Archived from the original on 2004-12-28.
- ^ Gibbs, Yvonne, ed. (February 28, 2014). "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: B-52B "Mothership" Launch Aircraft". NASA. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18.
- ^ Engel, Hans-Peter (February 24, 2000). "X-15 - Hypersonic Research at the Edge of Space". NASA History.