B-21 (LRS-B) Thread

I'm guessing it will have the sensor suite to operate over mainland China unescorted possibly with stealth drones. F-35 not being as survivable in that space as the B-21.

The issue isn't so much F-35 survivability. It's range/persistence. The B-21 will have the ability to loiter for prolonged periods, which fighters just don't have the gas for.

This feels a little like early Christmas.
I wonder what they consider 6th gen, which is not present in 5th generation? I must admit that I sometimes feel the limits between different generations to be a little bit undefined. Or I guess it is mainly PR.

Do you think it will be subsonic only?
Is it feasible to but ss dash in this type of platform?
And why put an advent engine in a airframe that can't take advantage of high thrust?

I don’t know how to multi quote lol

If you don’t know what a sixth gen platform looks like don’t feel bad, none of us do yet, it hasn’t been made public. That’s why I wish we could learn more about that demonstrator that flew.


No flying wing has ever been super sonic, it’s not necessarily impossible but there are a lot of difficulties with the concept when you add things like cockpits and control surfaces. Maybe with modern flight control systems and thrust vectoring it could be done, an actual Aerospace Engineer could provide more insight. If it where the case I wouldn’t be surprised if NGAD was a fighter version of the B-21.

So only 12 hours left before rollout:

Watching LiveStream of B-21 Rollout now

B-21 being unveiled:














According to secretary Lloyd Austin, the B-21 will have bigger range than any other bomber in existence.

Just got finished the -. US unhealth care hard at work!
I look forward to reading about it in the years to come. Much is unknown about this new bird so lets sprinkle some salt on the comments made at the podium tonight.

I will say this, she does appear smaller than the B-2. I am using the ground guides as a frame of reference for the aircraft.

I found the internal splitter plate visibile in the starboard inlet to be a bit interesting. I was originally thinking only 2 motors, in fact I believe I have beer bet with someone hereabouts regarding number of B21 blowers. But why have a vertical "splitter" (?) inside an inlet... unless you were splitting airflow to different motors? Dunno. Curious.

Salute!

Oh well, what a bunch of hooey. A hollywood production that this old warror did not appreciate.

Thing looks like a smaller and sleeker B-2. and I bet the RCS is about like a sparrow for such a large size.

So now we get to see it fly.

Gums sends...

I will say this, she does appear smaller than the B-2. I am using the ground guides as a frame of reference for the aircraft.

IMO, she looks positively pregnant compared to Fat Amy (/smh)... The underside is contoured quite differently compared to the B-2. Am guessing for both weps bays and fuel. Gonna need lots of gas to go really, really far.

I can see how those sunken / recessed air intakes probably drove some of the aero guys and gals slightly batty.

Geezz I understand not getting a rear aspect view.
But we can't even see her from the side?

Ok what do you think the windows are for?
Are those apertures or really windows?

Would not surprise me one bit if information is released very slowly, if at all, in drips and drabs over a long, long period of time. It would not surprise me if they flight test her out of Dreamland, or Tonopah, or at night. And that additional pictures or photos are really, really hard to come by.

Now, if a full centerfold-style layout appears in AvLeak (Bejing edition)... then maybe that would change things if that cat escapes the proverbial bag.

Image source: https://i.imgur.com/RgXx1A0.jpeg

Image source: https://i.imgur.com/jegHo0U.jpeg