All Things Stealth

[bfng3569]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/f-35c-with-mirror-like-coating-photographed-aboard-carrier

 

[bfng3569]

B-21 apparently is approved and in low rate initial production...

 

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/01/b-21-raider-stealth-bomber-in-production-pentagon-says/

Edited January 24, 2024 by bfng3569

[urbanoid]

2 months after the first flight!

[Josh]

So far, the Rapid Capabilities Office is living up to the name. When was NG down selected as the contractor for the plane, 2015? And there's an LRIP at the beginning of 2024? I think that would be pretty tight for any aircraft program in the west, and more so for an intercontinental stealth bomber...

[Renegade334]

Yes, but apparently it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The B21's unit price seems to currently be under target, but NG really wants to increase it because inflation is gnawing hard on their profit margins for this particular aircraft type. Word through the grapevine is that the first five or ten units will essentially be built at a loss.

#airforceone'd

Edited January 26, 2024 by Renegade334

[bfng3569]

this might sting a bit.....

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/northrop-grumman-loses-a-billion-dollars-on-the-b-21-program

although you cant call it a surprise i guess...

Northrop Grumman's B-21-related financial troubles are not unexpected. The company explicitly warned about the potential for a major loss multiple times last year and said it could be up to $1.2 billion. This has now turned out to be a very accurate prediction.

[Josh]

7 hours ago, Renegade334 said:

Yes, but apparently it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The B21's unit price seems to currently be under target, but NG really wants to increase it because inflation is gnawing hard on their profit margins for this particular aircraft type. Word through the grapevine is that the first five or ten units will essentially be built at a loss.

#airforceone'd

The first five LRIP lots are being sold at a loss. If they up the price on the full rate machines, well it still will be a fairly modest program increase given that so far it has been on budget and almost on time. Given the rarity of any major aircraft purchase being on time and budget, I think it is still an outstanding program for an intercontinental stealth bomber.

[urbanoid]

Maybe not that stealth, but still 'stealthy'.

 

[futon]

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

On 1/26/2024 at 3:10 PM, bfng3569 said:

this might sting a bit.....

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/northrop-grumman-loses-a-billion-dollars-on-the-b-21-program

although you cant call it a surprise i guess...

Northrop Grumman's B-21-related financial troubles are not unexpected. The company explicitly warned about the potential for a major loss multiple times last year and said it could be up to $1.2 billion. This has now turned out to be a very accurate prediction.

Grumman had the same problem with the F14, I gather that the first 100 or more they wre losing money on because of Inflation. The same was true of the the Hughes OH6 IIRC. And just as it was starting to break even, the army went with the OH58.

 

[bfng3569]

 

https://www.twz.com/air/f-22-spotted-with-new-stealth-wing-tanks-irst-pods

 

[futon]

Some official revealing of the H-20 might come soon.

全国期间，香港商报采访了空军副司令员王伟透露，轰20很快就会对外正式公布，并否认有技术瓶颈，称轰20“值得骄傲，也值得兴奋。意义非常大。”王伟还直言：“我们不跟美国比，我们只保卫自己的安全！”

https://news.sina.cn/gn/2024-03-11/detail-inamxhur5764345.d.html?cre=tianyi&mod=wpage&loc=13&r=0&rfunc=6&tj=cxvideo_wpage&tr=214

[bfng3569]

https://www.twz.com/sea/chinas-mysterious-stealthy-warship-has-headed-out-to-sea

 

[bfng3569]

https://www.twz.com/air/first-aerial-view-of-b-21-raider-offers-new-insights

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Cant wait to see these land at Fairford. The B2 itself is beautiful in the approach, this is going to be something else.

[futon]

Italy still banging on about 33-33-33 as opposed to the current 4-4-2. 

Looks like a bad omen. 

[bfng3569]

On 5/23/2024 at 8:45 AM, Stuart Galbraith said:

Cant wait to see these land at Fairford. The B2 itself is beautiful in the approach, this is going to be something else.

[Josh]

As suspected, it seems to cruise with a high angle of attack. The most notable differences are the cockpit and engine intakes (the B-2 is splitting its control surfaces but I think the B-21 retains the same). They reduced visibility a lot, and pushed the intake deep into the forward of the airframe. I suspect we are looking at an incremental step up in RCS reduction, given the similarity of shape but considering the difference in details and likely coatings.

[bfng3569]

12 hours ago, Josh said:

As suspected, it seems to cruise with a high angle of attack. The most notable differences are the cockpit and engine intakes (the B-2 is splitting its control surfaces but I think the B-21 retains the same). They reduced visibility a lot, and pushed the intake deep into the forward of the airframe. I suspect we are looking at an incremental step up in RCS reduction, given the similarity of shape but considering the difference in details and likely coatings.

B-2's 'beak' vs the B-21's nose really changes the profile too.

[TrustMe]

I just hope enough B21's are purchased to replace the B52, B1, and B2 fleets. But I don't hold my breath   

[Stuart Galbraith]

No, the B52 will remain in service. I suspect that will eventually be replaced by a different, non rcs design. Perhaps a Boeing 767.

As for B21, I'm optimistic it's going to be bought in the numbers projected. After all, they aren't exactly short of threats right now..

 

[urbanoid]

47 minutes ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

No, the B52 will remain in service. I suspect that will eventually be replaced by a different, non rcs design. Perhaps a Boeing 767.

Wow, scary!

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

'Yeah, we just I'm this lil' airplane at Russia and bail out'.

[Josh]

3 hours ago, TrustMe said:

I just hope enough B21's are purchased to replace the B52, B1, and B2 fleets. But I don't hold my breath   

The B-52's are slated to keep flying until 2040-2050. The 100 plane goal was to replace the B1/2 fleet.

B-52 is to be re-engined with a RR biz jet engine that will replace its TF-34s one for one, with the engines expected to last for the lest of the life of the aircraft and save roughly 25% fuel.

Edited May 30, 2024 by Josh

[Olof Larsson]

29 minutes ago, Josh said:

The B-52's are slated to keep flying until 2040-2050. The 100 plane goal was to replace the B1/2 fleet.

B-52 is to be re-engined with a RR biz jet engine that will replace its TF-34s one for one, with the engines expected to last for the lest of the life of the aircraft and save roughly 25% fuel.

Well, that should cut down on the need for tanker support, and even make ALCM-strikes against China possible from the US west coast, without tanker support, or for that matter, forward base to pretty much any reasonable place on the globe from CONUS, in one go and without tankers.