B-2 Spirit
| B-2 Spirit | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A USAF B-2 Spirit in flight | |
| Role | Stealth Strategic bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation Northrop Grumman |
| First flight | 17 July 1989 |
| Introduction | April 1997 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 21[1][2] |
| Program cost | US$44.75 billion (through 2004),[3] |
| Unit cost | $737 million (1997 cost for each aircraft)[3] $978 million (current year cost with inflation)[4] |
The B-2 Spirit is a stealth bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is known for its very unusual flat triangle shape, and does not have a tail. This shape helps to make it harder to see on radar, acting as a sort of camouflage. It uses computers to remain stable in the air. It is capable of dropping large amounts of bombs and flying long distances.
The B-2 has a crew of two pilots, a pilot in the left seat and mission commander in the right.
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. Its first flight was July 17, 1989.
Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, is the only base that has the B-2. The first aircraft, named "Spirit of Missouri", was delivered there on December 17th, 1993.
Sources [change]
- ↑ "Northrop B-2A Spirit fact sheet." National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.
- ↑ Mehuron, Tamar A., Assoc. Editor. "2009 USAF Almanac, Fact and Figures." Air Force Magazine, May 2009. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues Letter Report, 14 August 1997, GAO/NSIAD-97-181." United States General Accounting Office (GAO). Retrieved: 13 September 2009.
- ↑ "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. http://www.minneapolisfed.org/community_education/teacher/calc/hist1800.cfm. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
Other websites [change]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: B-2 Spirit |
- B-2 Spirit fact sheet and gallery on U.S. Air Force site
- B-2 Spirit page on Northrop Grumman site
- B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber on airforce-technology.com
- B-2 Stealth Bomber article on How It Works Daily
- B-2 Spirit page at GlobalSecurity.org
