Russian Tries To Buy B-52 Off USAF Crew

Sun, 26 Aug '07 $500 Million Pricetag Reportedly Not An Issue A USAF aircrew displaying a B-52 Stratofortress bomber at the Moscow Air Show last week was shocked, to say the least, when a wealthy Russian offered to buy their aircraft. Reuters reports the unidentified Russian businessman -- flanked by bodyguards -- approached the delegation, and asked to buy the storied aircraft. And he wasn't phased by the price quoted by one astonished member of the US contingent -- at least $500 million. "That is no problem. It is such a cool machine," Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper quoted the man as saying. The paper also helpfully notes the bomber was not sold. Fueled by profits made in commodities trading -- and some less-than-legal enterprises -- following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's nouveau riche frequently display their great fortunes through rather outlandish means. Bentley automobiles are often seen speeding through the streets of Moscow, as their owners satisfy their need for luxury by purchasing Faberge eggs... and British soccer teams. But ya gotta admit... a private B-52 would trump all of that. FMI: www.af.mil