isn't a B52 also capable of flying non stop from
US to anywhere in world and return courtesy of midair refuelling

Sure. So could a Piper Cub. (There was a sport in the 1930s whereby a
Cub driver would stay aloft for a week or two, picking up 5-gallon
fuel cans from a car below. In calm winds, a Cub could fly around the
world at the equator in two weeks. The major problem would be spotting
the cars

What's really remarkable is the Burt Rutan aircraft that can fly
nonstop around the world without refueling. The latest iteration is
the one he's building for Richard Branson, which will have only the
one pilot.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com