Posted on 09/27/2016 6:51:25 PM PDT by blam
Amanda Macias
September 27, 2016
An artist rendering shows the first image of a new Northrop Grumman Corp long-range B-21 bomber in this image released on February 26, 2016.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Little is known about America's newest stealth bomber, the B-21, which will replace the Air Force's aging B-52 and B-1Bs.
Shrouded in secrecy, here's all we know (so far) about the B-21:
•It will be developed by Northrop Grumman, the same manufacturer of the iconic B-2 Spirit
•Northrop Grumman won the contract in October
•The Air Force is slated to buy 100 of these new bombers
•The program is estimated to cost $80 billion
•The Air Force estimates it will pay $511 million per aircraft (in 2010 dollars)
•The new bomber is not expected to enter combat before 2025
•The "21" in B-21 means it's the bomber of the 21st century
•There are no existing prototypes of the bomber aircraft; however, based on the artist rendering, the B-21 shares some resemblance to the B-2 Spirit
•The final design of the B-21 remains unknown
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(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
That’s the HO-229 they’re restoring at the Smithsonian near Dulles airport in DC. Pretty bird.
https://airandspace.si.edu/collections/horten-ho-229-v3/
Where would this weapon be if it had seen large production?
Sad that such are necessary, but it is a fallen world.
Maximum speed: Mach 3.1 (2,056 mph, 3,309 km/h) Cruise speed: Mach 3.0 (2,000 mph, 3,200 km/h) Range: 3,725 nmi (4,288 mi, 6,900 km) on combat mission
Northrup had the YB-35, YB-49, and the N-9M flying wings which were all able to fly without fly by wire systems.
>Northrup had the YB-35, YB-49, and the N-9M flying wings which were all able to fly without fly by wire systems.
They where unable to fly safly, which is why the planes where never put into production. It was only with the advent of fly by wire in the 70s-80s that a flying wing like the b2 became safe enough to fly.
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