ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque is planning a makeover for the first plane to drop a hydrogen bomb.
Time and weather have taken a toll on the B-52B Stratofortress. In its Cold War heyday, the plane test-dropped more than a dozen nuclear weapons.
Museum restoration coordinator Jerry Hanks says the aircraft needs a complete restoration on the outside, body work and a total paint job. That adds up -- the authorized paint runs $460 a gallon and the primer is $300 a gallon.
The paint is expected to last for at least 20 years.