This B-52 Cart Start Is Jaw-Dropping!

Watching a B-52 Stratofortress roar to life with a “cartridge start” is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Normally, starting one of these colossal bombers is a methodical process that takes over an hour, but when the military needs to scramble this Cold War giant in a hurry, they turn to the “cart-start” method—and it’s as intense as it sounds.

In the video, you see crew members load small starter cartridges—filled with around 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of gunpowder—into the engines.

Then, with a burst of controlled explosions, each engine erupts into life, belching out thick clouds of white and black smoke. The spectacle is part Hollywood action scene, part engineering marvel, as one by one, the engines power up in under 10 minutes.

This method is more than just cool; it’s practical. The “cart-start” was designed for scenarios where speed is crucial—like in combat or nuclear alert situations during the Cold War. Time was a luxury they couldn’t afford, and this dramatic shortcut ensured the B-52 could be airborne in minutes, ready to deliver its payload or respond to threats.

Few aircraft combine this level of raw power and ingenuity, making the cart-started B-52 an unforgettable testament to American engineering and military readiness.