
Rows upon rows of once-majestic aircraft are lined up in the baking heat of Arizona's Tucson desert, left abandoned in piles of metal.

This is where planes go to die - a 2,600-acre patch of U.S. desert where several generations of military aircraft are stored in what has been dubbed 'The Boneyard'.

Now, Microsoft's Bing has created a stunning 'megapixel' view of this eerie sight using satellite imagery that allows anyone to explore the area in unprecedented, three dimensional detail.

Zoom in on the interactive map below to explore the plane graveyard and scroll down for video

WHAT HAPPENS TO ABANDONED PLANES AT 'THE BONEYARD'? Some planes are merely stored at the base between deployments, but for more than 80 per cent of the 4,200 aircraft that call it home, it is a cemetery of steel - 350,000 items to be called on when needed. The desert is a perfect place to store the mass of steel, because low humidity and rainfall means very little rust occurs. The hard soil also means they can be parked up without the need for building concrete ramps. Engines, munitions, wiring and electronics are all recycled to help lower the cost of maintaining the current-day fleet. In 2005, staff at the facility recycled more than 19,000 parts worth $568million (£366million). Advertisement

The Boneyard contains everything from enormous cargo lifters to bombers, A10 Thunderbolts, Hercules freighters and the F-14 Tomcat fighters.

The planes go on and on, in rows with some appearing newly parked, while others are hidden in protective coverings to keep out the elements.

The base, home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), carries out repairs to the craft and even gets some of them flying again.

The site has been a curiosity for eagle-eyed Google Earth users since the satellite imagery software was launched in 2005, but now for the first time it is available to view in high resolution.

The $35billion (£22billion) worth of outdated planes is kept as spare parts for current models at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

Some planes are merely stored at the base between deployments, but for more than 80 per cent of the 4,200 aircraft that call it home, it is a cemetery of steel - 350,000 items to be called on when needed.

Engines, munitions, wiring and electronics are all recycled to help lower the cost of maintaining the current-day fleet. In 2005, staff at the facility recycled more than 19,000 parts worth $568million (£366million).

The U.S. government even allows the military in other countries to buy parts and even planes from the site.

The facility is the size of 1,300 football pitches.

'As long as there are aircraft flying, military and commercial aircraft boneyards will always be necessary to keep other planes in the air,' aviation author Nick Veronico, who has visited Davis-Monthan told the BBC.

'Each of the storage yards typically performs a variety of functions from storing aircraft that are temporarily out of service but expected to return to the fleet, to reclaiming useable parts which are inspected, overhauled, and then held until needed by active aircraft, to dismantling of the aircraft carcasses.'

The Boneyard contains everything from cargo lifters to bombers, A10 Thunderbolts, Hercules freighters and the F-14 Tomcat fighters

The planes go on and on, in rows with some appearing newly parked such as the left images of the B52 StratoFortress, while others are hidden in protective coverings to keep out the elements, or lay in scrap heaps

One of the reasons aircraft are kept here is because in the desert there is low humidity and rainfall which means very little rust occurs

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AIRCRAFT GRAVEYARD Immediately after World War II, the Army's San Antonio Air Technical Service Command established a storage facility for B-29 and C-47 aircraft at Davis-Monthan AFB. Today, this facility is the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), which has grown to include more than 4,400 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles from the Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard. The planes are kept in various states of restoration, with some coming back to life long being abandoned at the Boneyard. Earlier this month, for instance, an enormous Cold War-era bomber which first flew in 1962 was resurrected from the Air Force's scrap heap to serve the nation once more. Advertisement

The desert is a perfect place to store the mass of steel, because low humidity and rainfall means very little rust occurs.

The hard soil also means they can be parked up without the need for building concrete ramps.

The military has used Davis-Monthan as a plane storage facility for 60 years, and in recent years its unique landscape has been called on by Hollywood for such films as Transformers.

While it isn't the only aircraft boneyard in the world, it is the largest, containing around 4,400 aircraft.

Planes that have served on aircraft carriers have to be washed to get rid of salt. All aircraft have their fuel tanks lines drained and any explosive devices are removed.

Ducts are covered with tape and the aircraft are painted over in white to help deflect the sun's rays.

The planes are kept in various states of restoration, with some coming back to life long being abandoned at the Boneyard.

Earlier this month, for instance, an enormous Cold War-era bomber which first flew in 1962 was resurrected from the Air Force's scrap heap to serve the nation once more.

The B-52, nicknamed Ghost Rider, was mothballed seven years ago at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

It took to the skies once more on February 13 after months of painstaking restoration, which saw damaged parts such as the fuel lines and hydraulic steering systems replaced to make her airworthy once more.

When fully functional, Ghost Rider will be capable of unleashing 70,000lbs of weapons, conventional or nuclear, almost anywhere on the planet.

The plane, which will be one of 76 kept flying the the Air Force, has a range of 8,000 miles on one fuel tank, and can travel 650mph at altitudes as high as 50,000ft.

In a published report on the restoration, Colonel Keith Schultz, who piloted Ghost Rider, said: 'I've been flying the B-52s since the 80s and it surprised me that after almost seven years...she cranked up just fine and we had no issues with the flight control systems.

'It took a little under three hours for the flight and we were fortunate to have had good weather the entire trip as the inertial and navigational equipment had not been installed.'

While it isn't the only aircraft boneyard in the world, it is the largest, containing around 4,400 aircraft. Planes that have served on aircraft carriers have to be washed to get rid of salt. All aircraft have their fuel tanks lines drained and any explosive devices are removed

On the right are B-52 bombers, which were built to carry nuclear weapons. They have been cut up for scrap. On the left are F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers which were used extensively in the Vietnam War

Rows upon rows of once-majestic aircraft are lined up in the baking heat of Arizona's Tucson desert, left abandoned to the elements in piles of rusting metal. Pictured here are B-52s