Air-Force Breaking: B-21 Raider unveiled

[Soldier30]

The US Air Force has unveiled the new B-21 Raider bomber. The manufacturer positions the bomber as the world's only sixth-generation aircraft. According to Northrop Grumman, the aircraft is capable of reaching anywhere in the world, carrying nuclear and conventional weapons, and overcoming the most advanced air defense systems thanks to improved stealth technology. Since the introduction of the B-2 Spirit aircraft, the B-21 Raider has become the first new US Air Force bomber in 34 years. It is reported that using cloud technologies, you can create a "digital twin" of the aircraft, which will help track the performance of combat missions. The B-21 Raider bomber has evolved from the B-2 bomber and should incorporate all the best. As previously reported, the B-21 should become cheaper in terms of purchase and operation costs than its predecessor, the B-2. This should be achieved by reducing the size of the new bomber and its carrying capacity, as well as partial unification with other US Air Force aircraft. The B-21 has been given a more durable surface material for stealth, requiring less maintenance effort and minimizing operating costs and downtime. The price of the aircraft is $750 million. The first flight of the B-21 Raider bomber should take place in 2023. Detailed specifications of the B-21 are classified.

 

[Anastasius]

I gotta hand it to the Nazis, their Horten H.IX design was so decades ahead of its time that even the US MIC eventually settled for just copying it wholesale.

 

[blackjack]

make it a reality first

like this?

at least the Su-70 flew.

 

[Umigami]

like this?

at least the Su-70 flew.

It's not pak da

 

[Umigami]

I gotta hand it to the Nazis, their Horten H.IX design was so decades ahead of its time that even the US MIC eventually settled for just copying it wholesale.

We have to debunk this already.
US was never copying Nazi's Horton.
Northrop just copying Northrop.

 

[Combat-Master]

From the front, head on - B21 looks like a straight up flying saucer

 

[Gary]

Flying wing design is nothing new and Northrop which designs and build the B-21 is familiar with this design. S

N-9M (1942)

 

[Gary]

And oh more thing, the Ho-229M is no stealth. at least its not intended to be stealth. This is what a design compromise between the law of low observability VS flight science looks like early in the stealth fighter development. The Nazis in the 1940s which lacks any advance computing at the time will not achieve such feat.

 

[Umigami]

Flying wing design is nothing new and Northrop which designs and build the B-21 is familiar with this design. S

N-9M (1942)

Northrop YB-35 (1946)

 

[Ryder]

Founder of Northrop actually saw the B2 before he passed away.

It is said he had tears when they showed him.

 

[Gary]

This Is The B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber (Updated)​

The B-21 isn’t just America’s next stealth bomber, it’s the most advanced aircraft ever built and we’re finally allowed to see it.


We will be updating this post very quickly with an analysis of what we are seeing and firsthand reporting from on the ground in Palmdale. We've also provided a section to help readers catch up on the state of the program before today's event and to better understand what we know about the B-21 and what we don't.
Preliminary Analysis:

• The B-21 is an imposing, futuristic-looking machine as expected. While its roots emanate directly from the B-2, it is hugely apparent, this aircraft takes low observables (LO; stealth technology) to another level. There is also a lot of past Northrop LO design influence seen here, including Tacit Blue, YF-23, and X-47B.
• The aircraft appears notably smaller than the B-2 when viewed as a whole head-on. This is not surprising, we knew it would be a smaller flying wing design and one that would sacrifice some weapons payload.
• A great indicator of this is its landing gear. It is a single truck design instead of the tandem dual truck design (two tires on each main gear instead of four) on the larger, heavier B-2.
• The aircraft’s nose wheel door is different from B-2’s in that it doesn’t feature a central, forward door, instead all associated doors open the side. Nor do they have serrated edges like the B-2’s.
• The windscreen that looked so puzzling in renderings is a bit more normal looking in reality. In fact, it is remarkably small with visibility very much optimized for viewing upward and forward. This makes sense for aerial refueling procedures. Beyond that, the visibility looks very poor out of the aircraft. The side small windows, which are curved as in the rendering, look as we originally posited, to likely be a low-observable compromise, with their shape minimizing the aspects that they can be seen by radar, especially from below. It will be interesting to learn more about how this feature came to be and just how far having no windows at all was pushed during the B-21’s design. There were serious discussions of the B-2 having no windows to maximize LO even back in the 1980s when issues with the windscreen and its inner tintable (for sudden nuclear blasts) removable pane were prevalent.
• The aircraft is indeed a very light gray color! This is critical. As we noted many times before, the B-21’s very low observable capabilities and its far broader, more eclectic mission set, would likely see it be put to use during the day. These colors point exactly to that. This may change as the aircraft matures, but at this time, it looks as if the era of locking stealth bomber operation into the dark of night will soon be over. You can see a thread I did on this just earlier today below.

• Broadband, very low observable design cues are abundantly visible. The entire aircraft, as much as we can see of it, is incredibly smoothly blended. Individual features and elevation changes are minimized totally. The inlets, which were a major challenge during the aircraft’s development process, are remarkable. They appear blended seamlessly deep into the flying-wing design, minimizing line-of-sight to them and the disruption to the aircraft’s flowing, almost shell-like very low-observable airframe. In close-ups, an internal duct support pillar or air splitter can be barely seen. Compared to the B-2, this is a revelation.
• No apertures for missionized sensors, air data sensors, or communications arrays can be seen anywhere. In fact, no heavy panel seams are seen at all. Some taped seams are seen around the cockpit windows and in a few other areas in close-up photos, but these are minimal really. New material sciences, construction, and design capabilities mean that very large composite components can be built and assembled, minimizing the number of airframe components and thus the need for many joints and seams. This is paired with major advances in LO coating and structures to drastically reduce the high maintenance costs and long downtimes associated with low observable aircraft. Fewer seams and panels to deal with would be part of this solution. Load bearing sensors, which are part of the airframe themselves, could (and likely area) part of the B-21’s revelatory design.
• There is no sharp ‘beak’ like on the B-2. Instead, this aircraft appears to have, as we have posited before, more of a ‘duckbill’ straight shelf along its leading edge to maximize LO qualities.
• We are only getting the frontal aspect here. There is so much more of the story to tell. We still don’t know exactly what the B-21’s planform really looks like, although it is very likely to resemble what we already know and it harkens back to the early B-2/ATB designs (read more about that and the B-21’s potential ability to fly higher here). The exhausts, arguably the most sensitive part of an LO design, are also a total mystery. Also, this is just the first airframe and we are likely to see additional changes, although minor in nature, to its features as it progresses towards its first flight. But Northrop Grumman has stressed heavily that this aircraft is groundbreakingly production representative, so just how much things could change is unknown. And we have no idea what systems, especially missionized ones, are even installed on this aircraft.
• The aircraft is clearly an extremely efficient design, which will lend itself to the great ranges it will have to fly. We also see here just how generous the internal volume of this design is, which will also lend itself to very long-range, as well. It also has to be able to carry at least one GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), or about half the payload of the B-2. Clearly, there is a lot of room in there to make that happen while also having a high fuel fraction. While we just see it in two dimensions, without depth, the two saucers welded together-like cross-section of the aircraft is very apparent in head-on viewing. While even significantly smaller than the B-2, it still looks imposing head-on. Side-on, I would imagine it would look very different, although without the B-2's serrated tail, the length of the B-21 may be a bit more substantial proportionately speaking. It will still look bizarrely small side on, like its older sibling.
• This is just the beginning. We know so little about the science and creativity woven into this design. It will take years for an overall conceptual idea of much of it to emerge. Even today, many elements of the B-2 remain in the dark. Regardless, this is a very exciting first step.

This analysis is very preliminary, things will change, please consider it as such.
Update:

At the rollout, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, offered additional insights and other comments about the B-21.
Secretary of Defense Austin:

• Touted the B-21’s range and fuel efficiency, stating that the bomber would not “need to be based in-theater” or need specific “logistical support to hold any target at risk.” He did not say whether this necessarily factored in mid-air refueling or additional range gained from employing stand-off weapons like the future Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) cruise missile. Still, it seems clear that the Raider has significant range capabilities with appreciable payloads, which could potentially point to advanced engine technology, a very efficient airframe, and a massive fuel load.
• Said that even the most advanced air defenses in service around the world would struggle to detect the B-21.
• Highlighted the B-21’s high degree of adaptability and said that it would “defend our country with new weapons that haven't even been invented yet.”
• Specifically made mention of the Raider being “multi-functional” aircraft with significant intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and battle management capabilities.
• Highlighted the B-21’s built-in abilities to integrate with allies and partners.

This Is The B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber (Updated)

The B-21 isn't just America's next stealth bomber, it's the most advanced aircraft ever built and we're finally allowed to see it.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Gary]

 

[dBSPL]

For a $100 billion-plus program, it's a good marketing strategy. The first 6th generation combatant jet. I wish instead of making a generation distinction, they would have revealed what percentage of their skill sets are specific to this platform. Whether and how much of the B-21's extra innovations can be integrated into the B-2 is, I think, still a matter of debate.

It will have some special engine optimizations and possibly communications technology for interoperability with next-generation jets. Apart from that, the B-21 is much smaller than the B-2, carries half the payload and costs much more. And this is basically a manned penetrator-bomber aircraft. A good day for the US aerospace industry. I don't think the same for taxpayers.

 

[Azeri441]

why would i be?

View attachment 51034

I like how you are trying to flex your drone, meanwhile in reality Russia uses Iranian UCAVs LOL

 

[Baryshx]

For a $100 billion-plus program, it's a good marketing strategy. The first 6th generation combatant jet. I wish instead of making a generation distinction, they would have revealed what percentage of their skill sets are specific to this platform. Whether and how much of the B-21's extra innovations can be integrated into the B-2 is, I think, still a matter of debate.

It will have some special engine optimizations and possibly communications technology for interoperability with next-generation jets. Apart from that, the B-21 is much smaller than the B-2, carries half the payload and costs much more. And this is basically a manned penetrator-bomber aircraft. A good day for the US aerospace industry. I don't think the same for taxpayers.

If we make a manned version of Tisu, will it be 6th generation too?

 

[Kartal1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1599142132542947328

 

[blackjack]

It's not pak da

bombers are still bombers, here is some latest info if you're interested in the PAK-DA because its demo will be ready in 2023.

Источник: демонстрационный образец ПАК ДА будет готов к 2023 году - ТАСС

В настоящее время идет изготовление опытного экземпляра

tass.ru

В РФ начались испытания катапультного кресла для перспективного бомбардировщика ПАК ДА

Гендиректор Научно-производственного предприятия "Звезда" Сергей Поздняков пояснил, что это, в том числе, проверки на механическое воздействие

tass.ru

В Самаре прошли стендовые испытания двигателя для ПАК ДА » Авиация России

Опытные образцы двигателя «изделие РФ» для перспективного авиационного комплекса дальней авиации (ПАК ДА) прошли стендовые испытания. Об этом сообщает ТАСС со

aviation21.ru

 

[blackjack]

I like how you are trying to flex your drone, meanwhile in reality Russia uses Iranian UCAVs LOL

oh no how can I ever recover from that diss. They also use lancet and orlan drones as well.

 

[Gary]

bombers are still bombers,

Technically yes, but not nearly the same class.

here is some latest info if you're interested in the PAK-DA because its demo will be ready in 2023.

Ya looking forward to this. The latest design seems much more realistic than the original one. From the look of it, the exhaust lack any IR reduction measure

 

[Pilatino]

Northrop YB-35 (1946)

Late 1940s Turkish flying wing