B-21 Raider: Next step, First flight!

a reply to: Barnalby

Even in the hangar shot, where it’s lit up, the only screws you can see are the windscreen screws. You can’t see any panel lines.

theaviationist.com...

I'm still not sure I see the hawk's beak everyone had/has been talking about.

a reply to: Zaphod58

It's amazing what a tanker truck's worth of toxic Bondo can do

a reply to: anzha

Yeah it looks perfectly straight and totally unlike the B-2's nose. I guess we can have 40 years worth of fly by wire sophistication to thank for that.

a reply to: intelgurl

The bird doesn’t need a flight crew according to Tom Jones, president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics System.

It eventually will be able to carry nuclear or conventional bombs and fly with or without pilots.


www.defenseone.com...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Barnalby

Even in the hangar shot, where it’s lit up, the only screws you can see are the windscreen screws. You can’t see any panel lines.

I have a feeling they remove the “decoy windscreen screws” after the public presentation… 😎

a reply to: CyberBuddha

……”The plane has been designed with a new generation of stealth technology to evade radar detection. It eventually will be able to carry nuclear or conventional bombs and fly with or without pilots.”…..

Northrop has a low end …. with or without Pilot aircraft they’ve had for years.

The Firebird ….”The Northrop Grumman Firebird is an intelligence gathering aircraft designed by Northrop Grumman's subsidiary Scaled Composites which can be flown remotely or by a pilot. At Scaled, it is known as the Model 355. It was unveiled on May 9, 2011.”…..

Perhaps some of the lessons learned concepts from the Firebird program was developed further for the B-21.

👽

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

If you read between the lines, and were paying attention during the award process, there are a few things in those remarks that tell you some interesting things.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Am I crazy to assume that if we show the Raider to the public we have some other toys in black projects that would make the B-21 look like a cargo liner???

a reply to: CyberBuddha


the same was thinking, where are the black bombers?

a reply to: CyberBuddha

Contrary to popular belief, they don’t release something when something better is already flying. The black world hides various aircraft, but in this case they almost had to reveal the Raider. Many of the test missions will require daylight operations, so it was going to be seen anyway. So the decision was made to do a big reveal.

There are other aircraft in the black world that do other missions, that are more advanced in their own right, but in different ways. For example, if we have a high speed strike platform, it would have more advanced skin, and some systems for getting around the speed issues, but a much smaller payload. It’s all a trade off. If they can get away with NOT revealing something they will, until it reaches the point that they don’t have a choice. That’s what happened with the F-117. They finally don’t have a choice but to show it.

a reply to: drwire

Yeah……when’s the Skunk Works unveiling!

👽

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Barnalby

Even in the hangar shot, where it’s lit up, the only screws you can see are the windscreen screws. You can’t see any panel lines.

I did a fair bit of cleaning up of all of the B21 photos I could find via Photoshop.

I cannot find a seam on it. It’s perfectly smooth as though it has a true skin - aside from the gear doors and small seams around the windows. Amazing.

a reply to: VulcanWerks

I can’t wait to get pictures of first flight and get more details. The aft fuselage is going to be very interesting.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: CyberBuddha

Not exactly. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t release something when something better is already flying. The black world hides various aircraft, but in this case they almost had to reveal the Raider. Many of the test missions will require daylight operations, so it was going to be seen anyway. So the decision was made to do a big reveal.

There are other aircraft in the black world that do other missions, that are more advanced in their own right, but in different ways. For example, if we have a high speed strike platform, it would have more advanced skin, and some systems for getting around the speed issues, but a much smaller payload. It’s all a trade off. If they can get away with NOT revealing something they will, until it reaches the point that they don’t have a choice. That’s what happened with the F-117. They finally don’t have a choice but to show it.

I’ve followed your posts for 5 years, Zaphod. Always look forward to your contributions.

One thing I’ll add to the above though…

If you look at the “night shot” of the plane when they drug it out of the hanger, or the “reveal” shots, or other photos - the aircraft is always a little different color.

That got me looking at shadows around the plane.

I suspect the point of the night vision shot is to show that, at speed or in proper contrast conditions, the plane is very low visibility to the human eye.

Look at the “release party” shots - all of the lights behind the B21 are pointed at the roof of the hanger. Yet, the “shadow” of the plane begins at the edge of the hanger - you get no sense of what the back end of the plane is shaped like.

Picture 1 vs 2 in this link show what I’m talking about.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

The plane changes color based on light.

I suspect that seamless coating isn’t for radar… it’s visually very hard to track. In a no contrast or high contrast environment it would be very hard to spot.

I can’t find the link, but, one official statement said effectively “it’s very, very hard to see - you’ll hear it, but you won’t see it”.

And I don’t think he’s talking about radar when the entire surface of the craft is smooth.

Look at how light reacts around the plane. Curious what you think.

Personally, I think we just took a huge step forward here, and now I want to know what powers that thing. From my non-aerospace research on how light reacts in different environments, we just changed the game on warfare.

Now I want to know what powers both the skin and the plane.

I’ve always been an F14 and F22 guy, but, the B21 might unseat all-else for most badass airframe ever put into service - and that isn’t just the manufacturers hype.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I appreciate your reply!

a reply to: Zaphod58

Just curious: What’s the AF selection process for the crew, especially the pilots? Who gets to fly this thing?

Another aspect for the reveal is the air force will be asking congress for quite a bit more money for this program in the coming years. And it's much much much much easier to get approval for projects that actually exist. There's only so much the govt will funnel into black.

Additionally, since this air craft will eventually carry nuclear weapons it's silhouette will need to be shared to the public in accordance with the safe arms reduction act and nuclear capable aircraft identification disclosures.

a reply to: CyberBuddha

The first couple years, until they get it figured out, mostly more experienced pilots. Once they get all the fiddly bits sorted, it will be open to pretty much any pilot on the bomber track.

These first 6 are test aircraft and quite liable to change. A lot of first runs use off the shelf landing gear, which these probably are to some extent. Likely Navy gear. I'd wager the landing gear arrangement will change dramatically once the line really opens up.

Also the all so controversial windows can also change. Windows are necessary for the initial flight testing for obvious reasons. We see seams there because it was cut into what could be a smooth form. And I don't think those sideburns are windows at all actually.....