The invisible threat: Northrop-Grumman B-2 "Spirit"
Also as part of the series of posts on supersonic flight, an aircraft that we present today, however, is not a supersonic (as is already done in the post on the Lockheed F-117 "Nighthawk"), but that deserves its own particularities right of the space of a post (which is then simply "subtitled" with the name of the series "Flight supersonic interests between military cockpit design and civilian - from the 80s to modern times - Part 4."
As already discussed on the occasion of the post on the "Nighthawk", the American Defense was studying under the program called XST (eXperimental Survival Testbed), in collaboration with leading U.S. aerospace companies, the ability to define the minimum detectable trace from radar and assess if it was possible to develop an aircraft characterized by a radar track below this threshold.
This program saw only two companies reaching the final stage, which is the Lockheed (not initially involved) and Northrop, Lockheed and just saw win the competition that led to the production of the famous stealth aircraft, the Northrop but, given the quality of the project presented , was involved from the U.S. Defense in another project called HAPB (High Altitude Penetrating cockpit design Bomber) for the construction cockpit design of a very special stealth aircraft, the Northrop B-2 "Spirit" (now Northrop-Grumman in recent times following the merger of the two companies).
The B-2 is a two-seater airplane configuration tiled, and was originally developed for high-altitude bombing operations, although cockpit design it was subsequently cockpit design modified in order to be able to operate even at low altitude, and was presented November 22, 1988.
The first flight was made July 17, 1989, but the 'entry into operational service dates back only to 1997, although deliveries of various specimens (each of which adopts as a "middle name" to an American state, thus becoming the "Spirit cockpit design of ... ") began in 1993.
If the most conspicuous characteristics (ie appearance) Nighthawk had been rather unusual for its time (and still are), the B-2 does not deviate much from these singularities, although the differences with the "cousin "Lockheed are actually numerous, from the size and weight: Length: 20.9 m (B-2) - 20:09 (F-117) Wing Span: 52.12 m (B-2) - 13.21 m (F-117) Surface Wing Span: 478 m 2 (B-2) - 73 m 2 (F-117) Empty weight: 71,700 kg (B-2) - 13,380 kg (F-117) loaded weight: 152,200 kg (B-2) - 23,800 kg (F-117)
Apart from the length, substantially identical for the two aircraft, cockpit design the remaining dimensions show that the "size" of the B-2 is significantly higher than the F-117, and appears to be particularly relevant the weight change between the two aircraft have conditions vacuum conditions and at full load, which for the B-2 result in a war load embarked relevant cockpit design (and in fact this is a strategic bomber heavy), in addition cockpit design to the increased size of the fuel tanks, thus making the B-2 capable a 'high degree of autonomy, equal to 11.1 thousand kilometers.
Among the special features of this aircraft is immediately detectable undoubtedly form the "flying cockpit design wing", cockpit design already tested by Northrop cockpit design and resumed cockpit design several times over the years by experimental aircraft and projects of the same company, and the absence of any vertical tail plane, but in spite of the special structure cockpit design of the aircraft is secured by careful planning through cockpit design the use of the best technology available at that time for the computer-aided design and the most advanced automatic control systems of control surfaces.
For the propulsion system were adopted four engines TurboFan General Electric F-118-GE-100, housed in special compartments partly placed on the back of the aircraft, as well as discharges, so as to minimize the visibility.
Although the plan velocistico this aircraft does not present cockpit design large numbers (Mach 0.8), its advanced stealth capability allow it to represent cockpit design a big threat for the opponents, including the adoption of a sophisticated tracking system that can provide cockpit design high precision of multiple objectives.
The B-2 "Spirit" has been one of the most important projects and secrets of Defense, as well as expensive, as for the project (although it is not clear how much it cost effectively) has been indicated spending more than 44 billion cockpit design dollars , a figure cockpit design certainly exorbitant especially when compared to the number of units produced, namely
Also as part of the series of posts on supersonic flight, an aircraft that we present today, however, is not a supersonic (as is already done in the post on the Lockheed F-117 "Nighthawk"), but that deserves its own particularities right of the space of a post (which is then simply "subtitled" with the name of the series "Flight supersonic interests between military cockpit design and civilian - from the 80s to modern times - Part 4."
As already discussed on the occasion of the post on the "Nighthawk", the American Defense was studying under the program called XST (eXperimental Survival Testbed), in collaboration with leading U.S. aerospace companies, the ability to define the minimum detectable trace from radar and assess if it was possible to develop an aircraft characterized by a radar track below this threshold.
This program saw only two companies reaching the final stage, which is the Lockheed (not initially involved) and Northrop, Lockheed and just saw win the competition that led to the production of the famous stealth aircraft, the Northrop but, given the quality of the project presented , was involved from the U.S. Defense in another project called HAPB (High Altitude Penetrating cockpit design Bomber) for the construction cockpit design of a very special stealth aircraft, the Northrop B-2 "Spirit" (now Northrop-Grumman in recent times following the merger of the two companies).
The B-2 is a two-seater airplane configuration tiled, and was originally developed for high-altitude bombing operations, although cockpit design it was subsequently cockpit design modified in order to be able to operate even at low altitude, and was presented November 22, 1988.
The first flight was made July 17, 1989, but the 'entry into operational service dates back only to 1997, although deliveries of various specimens (each of which adopts as a "middle name" to an American state, thus becoming the "Spirit cockpit design of ... ") began in 1993.
If the most conspicuous characteristics (ie appearance) Nighthawk had been rather unusual for its time (and still are), the B-2 does not deviate much from these singularities, although the differences with the "cousin "Lockheed are actually numerous, from the size and weight: Length: 20.9 m (B-2) - 20:09 (F-117) Wing Span: 52.12 m (B-2) - 13.21 m (F-117) Surface Wing Span: 478 m 2 (B-2) - 73 m 2 (F-117) Empty weight: 71,700 kg (B-2) - 13,380 kg (F-117) loaded weight: 152,200 kg (B-2) - 23,800 kg (F-117)
Apart from the length, substantially identical for the two aircraft, cockpit design the remaining dimensions show that the "size" of the B-2 is significantly higher than the F-117, and appears to be particularly relevant the weight change between the two aircraft have conditions vacuum conditions and at full load, which for the B-2 result in a war load embarked relevant cockpit design (and in fact this is a strategic bomber heavy), in addition cockpit design to the increased size of the fuel tanks, thus making the B-2 capable a 'high degree of autonomy, equal to 11.1 thousand kilometers.
Among the special features of this aircraft is immediately detectable undoubtedly form the "flying cockpit design wing", cockpit design already tested by Northrop cockpit design and resumed cockpit design several times over the years by experimental aircraft and projects of the same company, and the absence of any vertical tail plane, but in spite of the special structure cockpit design of the aircraft is secured by careful planning through cockpit design the use of the best technology available at that time for the computer-aided design and the most advanced automatic control systems of control surfaces.
For the propulsion system were adopted four engines TurboFan General Electric F-118-GE-100, housed in special compartments partly placed on the back of the aircraft, as well as discharges, so as to minimize the visibility.
Although the plan velocistico this aircraft does not present cockpit design large numbers (Mach 0.8), its advanced stealth capability allow it to represent cockpit design a big threat for the opponents, including the adoption of a sophisticated tracking system that can provide cockpit design high precision of multiple objectives.
The B-2 "Spirit" has been one of the most important projects and secrets of Defense, as well as expensive, as for the project (although it is not clear how much it cost effectively) has been indicated spending more than 44 billion cockpit design dollars , a figure cockpit design certainly exorbitant especially when compared to the number of units produced, namely
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