B-2 Stealth Bomber – Full Program
www.janson.com Take a never-before-seen look inside the world’s most powerful and most deadly aircraft – The B-2 Stealth Bomber. Produced in cooperation with the United States Air Force, this documentary provides unprecedented, full-clearance access to this amazing aircraft.
Background
The first B-2 was publicly displayed on Nov. 22, 1988, when it was rolled out of its hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, Calif. The same factory used for sr-71.
Its first flight was July 17, 1989. The B-2 Combined Test Force, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is responsible for flight testing the engineering, manufacturing and development aircraft on the B-2.
Whiteman AFB, Mo., is the only operational base for the B-2. The first aircraft, Spirit of Missouri, was delivered Dec. 17, 1993. Depot maintenance responsibility for the B-2 is performed by Air Force contractor support and is managed at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla.
The combat effectiveness of the B-2 was proved in Operation Allied Force, where it was responsible for destroying 33 percent of all Serbian targets in the first eight weeks, by flying nonstop to Kosovo from its home base in Missouri and back. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the B-2 flew one of its longest missions to date from Whiteman to Afghanistan and back. The B-2 completed its first-ever combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying 22 sorties from a forward operating location as well as 27 sorties from Whiteman AFB and releasing more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions. The aircraft received full operational capability status in December 2003. On Feb. 1, 2009, the Air Force’s newest command, Air Force Global Strike Command, assumed responsibility for the B-2 from Air Combat Command.
General Characteristics
Primary function: Multi-role heavy bomber
Contractor: Northrop Grumman Corp. and Contractor Team: Boeing Military Airplanes Co., Hughes Radar Systems Group, General Electric Aircraft Engine Group and Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
Power Plant: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines
Thrust: 17,300 pounds each engine
Wingspan: 172 feet (52.12 meters)
Length: 69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height: 17 feet (5.1 meters
Weight: 160,000 pounds (72,575 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 336,500 pounds (152,634 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 167,000 pounds (75750 kilograms)
Payload: 40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms)
Speed: High subsonic
Range: Intercontinental
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)
Armament: Conventional or nuclear weapons
Crew: Two pilots
Unit cost: Approximately $1.157 billion (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Initial operating capability: April 1997
Inventory: Active force: 20 (1 test); ANG: 0; Reserve: 0
- Maximum speed: Mach 0.95 (550 knots, 630 mph, 1,010 km/h) at 40,000 ft altitude / Mach 0.95 at sea level
- Cruise speed: Mach 0.85 (487 knots, 560 mph, 900 km/h) at 40,000 ft altitude
- Range: 6,000 nmi (11,100 km (6,900 mi))
- Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
- Wing loading: 67.3 lb/ft² (329 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.205
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Air Vehicle No.
Block No.[119]
USAF s/n
Formal name
Status
AV-1 Test/30
82-1066 Spirit of America 14 July 2000 – Active AV-2 Test/30
82-1067 Spirit of Arizona 4 December 1997 – Active AV-3 Test/30
82-1068 Spirit of New York 10 October 1997 – Active, Flight Test AV-4 Test/30
82-1069 Spirit of Indiana 22 May 1999 – Active AV-5 Test/20
82-1070 Spirit of Ohio 18 July 1997 – Active AV-6 Test/30
82-1071 Spirit of Mississippi 23 May 1997 – Active AV-7 10
88-0328 Spirit of Texas 21 August 1994 – Active AV-8 10
88-0329 Spirit of Missouri 31 March 1994 – Active AV-9 10
88-0330 Spirit of California 17 August 1994 – Active AV-10 10
88-0331 Spirit of South Carolina 30 December 1994 – Active AV-11 10
88-0332 Spirit of Washington 29 October 1994 – Severely damaged by fire[110] AV-12 10
89-0127 Spirit of Kansas 17 February 1995 – 23 February 2008, Crashed[105] AV-13 10
89-0128 Spirit of Nebraska 28 June 1995 – Active AV-14 10
89-0129 Spirit of Georgia 14 November 1995 – Active AV-15 10
90-0040 Spirit of Alaska 24 January 1996 – Active AV-16 10
90-0041 Spirit of Hawaii 10 January 1996 – Active AV-17 20
92-0700 Spirit of Florida 3 July 1996 – Active AV-18 20
93-1085 Spirit of Oklahoma 15 May 1996 – Active AV-19 20
93-1086 Spirit of Kitty Hawk 30 August 1996 – Active AV-20 30
93-1087 Spirit of Pennsylvania 5 August 1997 – Active AV-21 30
93-1088 Spirit of Louisiana 10 November 1997 – Active AV-22 through AV-165 Cancelled
