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First, 12000 miles isn't a bad approximation for halfway around the world, I think it's 12,450, so is that extra 450 miles what you refer to when you say it's more than 12,000 miles?
Originally posted by Catalytic
Ben Rich writes
New advanced-technology airplanes are budget breakers. The B-2 bomber, at more than $2 billion a copy proves that point. but we need stealthy long-range bombers like B-2's, which can fly anywhere in the world in twelve hours and drop a payload of forty conventional bombs.
"Fly anywhere in the world in twelve hours".... To go anywhere in the world means to be able to fly halfway around the world.To fly half way around the world is greater than 12,000 miles.....
12,000 miles in 12 hours?... (not hard to turn this into a miles per hour figure)
In the 2001 war, B-1, B-2, and B-52 bomber flights originating on Diego Garcia dropped more ordnance on Afghanistan than any other units.
In this case, I think being open-minded enough to believe the garbage all over the internet can also be called being "gullible".
Originally posted by Astyanax
Originally posted by Theyarelying
You're a closed minded fool. Completely discluding and insulting to a new idea or thing because you think you know what you're talking about.
He knows what he's talking about. And he doesn't go around insulting people--unlike you.
Originally posted by Catalytic
Trial of man accused of selling B2 stealth secrets to China
If Gowadia's quotes contained in the link attached are free from hyperbole then he has said some interesting things here...
(1) He said the B-2 was the second-most secret project in United States history after the atom bomb
Hmmm, that is not my recollection of events! That an Advanced Technology Bomber was under development was a matter of public record long before the aircraft was first displayed (which in turn was 8 months before it had even took to the air). I suppose it's possible that aspects of the B-2's technology pallet are "the second-most secret project in United States history", however IIRC the ATB project itself was more grey (e.g. ATF) than super black (e.g. QUARTZ) maybe things were different back in 1981?
This statement is at best disingenious, He did not design the B-2's General Electric F118 engines! Maybe this is just somantics but to me a propulsion system is primarily the engines, however Gowadia seems to interchange propulsion system with geometry and leading / trailing edges.
[edit on 4-9-2010 by Catalytic]
Originally posted by Arbitrageur
First, 12000 miles isn't a bad approximation for halfway around the world, I think it's 12,450, so is that extra 450 miles what you refer to when you say it's more than 12,000 miles?
SNIP!
Second, I don't agree with your comment that "12,000 miles in 12 hours?... (not hard to turn this into a miles per hour figure)" Sure the math is easy, but Ben Rich didn't say the B-2 could go that fast. As far as I know the top speed of the B-2 is just under the speed of sound.
SNIP!
The electrostatic technology may reduce drag as you suggest (unless it's purpose is to reduce the radar return), but the cruising speed of the B-2 is supposed to be Mach 0.95 and I've never seen any evidence to cast doubt on this claim, including the statement by Ben Rich you just posted.
SNIP!
Actually I am curious about what the electrostatic charging is for since its purpose is still classified, but I suspect it's either for drag reduction or radar signature reduction.
Originally posted by Catalytic
reply to post by hawk123
It's an interesting question as to why the B2 shares engines with extremely high altitude aircraft when the published ceiling of the B2 is a fairly modest 50,000 ft?
I think we have speculated before (in this thread?) that the max altitude of the B2 might be higher than is disclosed.
Certainly prior to the airforces insistance on a low level capability (LIDAR guided terrain following?), earlier design incarnations had very high altitude capabilities. However these designs had longer, more graceful & slender wings and as a result the aircraft would have flapped like a bird when flown down low among the weeds.
[edit on 7-9-2010 by Catalytic]
originally posted by: JIMC5499
Uhhh, I helped build the leading edges of the wing for the first six aircraft. There's none of that crap in there and there is no way to put it in there.
Just to keep the fun going. What would power this anti-grav system that isn't there?