B-2 spirit

[mib]

Si ma questi (C-130, B-52, B36) sono aerei grandi, in cui è possibile slacciarsi le cinture, alzarsi in piedi e camminare verso un'altra zona dell'aereo, magari con cuccette e toilette. Il B-2 è come star seduti in macchina per tre giorni di fila. Vorrei proprio veder come dormivano o facevano i bisogni......spero che nel retro ci sia una brandina e un wc chimico almeno

[fabio-22raptor]

B-2 e Reaper sono entrati in azione sulla Libia contro lo Stato Islamico.

 

https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/air-force-b-2-bombers-strike-isis-camps-in-libya

[Flaggy]

Perchè usare dei B-2 contro dei terroristi?

Andare nel dettaglio della risposta può portare a delle sorprese, anche guardando il famigerato costo per ora di volo...

 

http://aviationweek.com/defense/why-did-pentagon-use-b-2-against-terrorists

[TT-1 Pinto]

Hanno fatto il bis in Siria ... utilizzando però, in questo caso, una Stratofortezza ... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/world/middleeast/us-airstrike-al-qaeda-syria.html?_r=0 ...

 

Qui, invece, un paio di comunicati del Global Strike Command dell'USAF relativi all'operazione dei B-2 sulla Libia ...

 

... http://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/2612/Article/1055477/b-2-spirits-destroy-daesh-camps-in-libya.aspx...

 

... http://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/2612/Article/1055323/air-force-refuelers-enable-b-2-strike-against-daesh-in-libya.aspx...

 

 

[Bruno58]

Perchè usare dei B-2 contro dei terroristi?

Andare nel dettaglio della risposta può portare a delle sorprese, anche guardando il famigerato costo per ora di volo...

 

http://aviationweek.com/defense/why-did-pentagon-use-b-2-against-terrorists

 

Interessante questo commento sotto l'articolo:

withany@sympatico.ca

on Jan 20, 2017

Maybe some of the readers missed the critical factor: payload. You can argue whether or not GBU-38's were needed, but assuming they were, a B-2 can haul and deliver 80 of them. A B-52? It can deliver 12 of them. A B-1? 15 of them. The USAF levelled the camp with 108 GBU-38's in their back pockets just in case, you know.

So do the math. Instead of Z2 B-2's, it would have meant 10 B-52s or 7 B-1's (OK, I skimped and only had the B-1's hypothetically launch 105 GBU-38's) to deliver the same ordinance. So we have 2 B-2's costing $257,610 per combined flight hour versus $670,050 for 10 B-52s's per combined flight hour and $409,416 per combined flight hour for the B-1's. For simplicity's sake, let's assume that they all trundle along at the same pace. We haven't counted in (I think) the need/cost for in-air refuelling, so the wear and tear on the KC-135's (or whatever they used) isn't factored in. As to the cost of launching an armada of carrier-based craft, it clearly wasn't the delivery choice for who knows how many reasons. Simply put, this was a cost-effective, if costly, decision. Encouraging to know that the USAF is. Ring cost-effective.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Decollo notturno ... per una missione molto lunga ...

 

 

A B-2 Spirit prepares to take off from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Oct. 28, 2017, to conduct a long-range mission to the Pacific Command area of responsibility.

Long-range missions familiarize aircrew with air bases and operations in different geographic combatant commands, enabling them to maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency.

These missions validate our always-ready global strike capability and are a visible demonstration of commitment to our allies and enhancing regional security.

 

La fonte: airforcemag.com ... B-2 Flies 37-Hour Deterrence Mission to the Pacific ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Presenti nell'area ... a scanso di sorprese ...

B-2s Deploy to Pacific for Bomber Deterrence Mission ...

Three B-2 stealth bombers and about 200 airmen deployed to Guam this week to continue the Air Force’s continuous bomber presence mission in the region.

The aircraft from Whiteman AFB, Mo., will fly training and deterrence missions out of Andersen Air Force Base during a time of heightened tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program.

While the bombers deployed to Pacific Air Forces have repeatedly flown training missions with South Korean and Japanese aircraft, the Pentagon and South Korean officials announced last week that the countries are delaying joint military exercises during the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Six B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., have been deployed at the base since July.

Brian Everstine

Fonte: il Daily Report dell'AFA del 12-01-2018 ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

A Gathering of Eagles ... tanto per parafrasare il titolo di un film dei primi anni Sessanta ...

 

 

Strange reports of up to 10 B-2 stealth bombers flying above Minneapolis started circulating on social media Thursday evening.

Tail spotters posted numerous photos on Facebook, not only of B-2s but of KC-10 tankers in the area.

Meanwhile, aviation geeks on Twitter began debating what could have prompted perhaps half the inventory of the U.S. Air Force’s most advanced bomber to begin coalescing around a major U.S. city.

Fonte: defensenews.com ... Half the B-2 fleet was flying above Minneapolis, and here’s why ...

Anche qui ... thedrive.com/the-war-zone ... Huge Strategic Exercise Is Underway With Half The B-2 Fleet Airborne Over The U.S. (Updated) ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un B-2 compie un atterraggio di emergenza ...

... thedrive.com ... B-2 That Made Emergency Landing In Colorado Had Engine Out, Couldn't Talk To Tower: Audio ...

[Flaggy]

Quote

Engine failures do happen, but with certain airframes, flying on just three of four engines can involve elevated risk. Flying wings in particular, due to their lack of vertical tails and large rudders to counter-act asymmetric thrust, can be uniquely vulnerable to the impacts engine loss. This is especially true when two engines are lost on the same side at the same time. Aircraft handling characteristics and safe operating envelope margins can narrow dramatically under these types of conditions and we really don't know what the B-2's limits are in regards to them.

Mi piacerebbe sapere per quale passaggio logico si arrivi a mettere in dubbio le capacità del bombardiere di far fronte efficacemente alla piantata di due motori sullo stesso lato.

A parte il fatto che se non fosse stato capace di farlo sarebbero stati stupidi a metterne quattro e non solo perché accoppiati a due a due non è che sia poi così impossibile perderne due per un singolo colpo a segno, ma anche perché un quadrimotore incapace di volare con due motori guasti sullo stesso lato sarebbe meno sicuro di un bimotore,  spero che si siano accorti che il velivolo, proprio perchè ala volante, delle derive se ne fa una pippa.

La deriva serve prima di tutto a stabilizzare il velivolo, ma non c’è nessuna fusoliera da far star dritta, anzi c’è un’ala di discreta freccia che di suo è naturalmente stabile intorno all’asse di imbardata, perché la semiala che avanza in imbardata offre più resistenza di quella che arretra e la coppia che nasce tende ad opporsi all’imbardata stessa.

E’ vero che alle derive sarebbero incernierati i timoni che potrebbero contrastare una spinta asimmetrica, ma servirebbero superfici eccessive considerando che sarebbero vicine al baricentro, non essendoci alcuna fusoliera che consenta di piazzarle ben dietro.

I progettisti invece non si sono dimenticati che il velivolo ha 52 metri di apertura alare che possono essere sfruttati per mettere degli aerofreni a spacco alle estremità alari, che dovrebbero generare sufficiente momento imbardante pur lasciando i margini richiesti per manovrare entro i limiti di sicurezza.

Le difficoltà poi sono comunque attutite dal fly by wire.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Dal 'Daily Report' dell'AFA ...

Quote

 

Maintenance Team Assessing B-2 Following Emergency Landing ...

A maintenance recovery team from Whiteman AFB, Mo., is in Colorado Springs, Colo., assessing the B-2 that made an emergency landing. 
The B-2, which is known as the Spirit of Nebraska, landed on the runway shared by the Colorado Springs airport and Peterson Air Force Base early Tuesday because of what the base and Global Strike Command called a “minor problem.” 
A recording of radio traffic before the landing, released Tuesday by the Colorado Springs Crime Watch Facebook page (*), indicates a problem with one of the Spirit’s engines prompted the crew to decide to land. 
The maintenance recovery team is inspecting the aircraft and determining what repairs it would need to return to flight and go back to Whiteman for further evaluation, AFGSC said Thursday. 
There is no timeline for the return as of Thursday, and the rest of the fleet is not impacted by the incident. 

- Brian Everstine

 

(*) ... 

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

AW&ST rievoca il rollout del B-2 avvenuto proprio il 22 Novembre di trenta anni fa e racconta l'impresa di un suo giornalista che riuscì a carpire, dall'alto, la configurazione degli scarichi del velivolo che dovevano rimanere, nelle intenzioni dell'USAF, segreti .....

... Capturing Stealth: How Aviation Week Covered B-2 Bomber Rollout ...

Questo, invece, lo aggiungo io ... 

[TT-1 Pinto]

E il giornalista Steve Trimble ci ricorda che oggi ricorre il 30° anniversario del primo volo ...

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

B-2 ... sono passati 30 anni dal primo volo ...

Un commento del generale David A. Deptula (*) ...

... forbes.com ... The Invisible Anniversary Of The B-2 Bomber ...

(*) ... https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/104634/lieutenant-general-david-a-deptula/ ...

[Flaggy]

In altri tempi sarebbe stata ora di sostituirlo e invece fanno il restauro della mummia a un bombardiere di 2 generazioni antecedente...

[TT-1 Pinto]

E c'è chi dice che con l'età ... migliora ... 

... airforcemag.com ... http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2019/July 2019/The-B-2-at-30-Improving-with-Age.aspx?platform=hootsuite ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Norman “Ken” Dyson ... pilota collaudatore che aveva partecipato allo sviluppo dei velivoli “Have Blue” e “Tacit Blue”, precursori di F-117 e B-2, è scomparso il 15 Agosto ...

... airforcemag.com ... Norman “Ken” Dyson, 1938-2019 ...

R.I.P. ... 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Northrop Grumman e USAF celebrano il 30° anniversario del primo volo del B-2 ...  ... con un occhio rivolto al suo futuro ... 

Quote

The Air Force and Northrop Grumman officially marked the 30th birthday of the B-2 on Aug. 20, celebrating a bomber that has revolutionized US nuclear deterrence at a time when they are overhauling the aircraft’s defensive systems and laying the groundwork for its successor.
The B-2 will hold the line as the Air Force’s low-observable bomber until Northrop’s B-21 bomber becomes available.
“We have deterred our adversaries,” Janis Pamiljans, the president of Northrop’s aerospace systems sector, said during a ceremony here. 
“We know this business, we know how to bring stealth and (low observable technology).”

... airforcemag.com ... Northrop Grumman, Air Force Plan Future of B-2 Fleet as Spirit Turns 30 ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... The B-21 Raider looms large over the celebration of B-2′s first flight ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Brandin Evans ... una dirigente di Northrop Grumman ... racconta ...

... linkedin.com ... https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandin-evans-113901115 ...

 

[nik978]

L'incidente aereo più costoso della storia

canale YouTube che vi consiglio.  Se volate spesso soprattutto ,

[TT-1 Pinto]

L' USAF ha deciso di apportare considerevoli riduzioni al programma di ammodernamento del B-2 ...

Quote

After years of delays and technical issues, the Air Force is restructuring a key B-2 modernization program, transforming it from a suite of technologies meant to help the bomber evade Russia and China into a less ambitious cockpit display upgrade.
In the Air Force’s fiscal year 2021 budget request, the service zeroes out the Defensive Management System Modernization program, or DMS-M, over the next five years. 
Instead, it intends to put about $155 million toward a cockpit upgrade that will include a more advanced graphics processor and modernized displays.

... defensenews.com ... The Air Force is massively scaling back a major upgrade for the B-2 stealth bomber ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Tre in formazione ... una cosa che non si vede tutti i giorni ... 

 

[Flaggy]

L'incidente risale al settembre scorso, ma se ne parla oggi.

Weak Landing Gear Springs Caused The B-2 Spirit To Skid Off Runway At Whiteman AFB In September

[TT-1 Pinto]

JASSM-ER ... lanciato con successo, nello scorso Dicembre, da un B-2 ...

Cita

A B-2 bomber successfully released a long-range cruise missile during a weapons test in December 2021, contractor Northrop Grumman revealed Aug. 25, potentially giving the stealth bomber the ability to strike even deeper into contested areas.
The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER, has a range of more than 500 miles and has been integrated onto the B-1B and B-52 bombers and F-15E and F-16 fighters, according to Pentagon budget documents.
The December test on the B-2, however, marks the first publicly known instance of the Air Force testing the JASSM-ER on a stealth aircraft - there are plans to integrate the missile onto the F-35A as well.
The B-2 has already completed testing with the missile’s shorter-range variant, the JASSM.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/b-2-crew-successfully-tested-long-range-cruise-missile-northrop-gumman-says/ ...

[engine]

Beauty farm per maquillage di mezza vita :

https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/usaf-software-b2-spirit/