I know little to nothing about aviation but, how does the B-2 even fly in the first place?!
Posted by CaptnCosmic@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Difficult_Pudding_11@reddit
That is the beautiful machine.but B-2 bombers launched an attack on Iran from their homeland, requiring multiple aerial refuelings, tanker aircraft, and escort planes, totaling dozens of sorties, just to drop a few iron bombs. Iron bombs are indeed inexpensive, but the mobilization of so many air force resources means a single operation costs hundreds of millions of dollars. They used the most expensive and inefficient method to drop the most primitive weapons.Its flight capability comes from complex electronic control of the wing surfaces.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
The whole thing is a wing (almost), so why wont it !!!
Beautiful machine indeed.
CaptnCosmic@reddit (OP)
The part I guess I’m most confused about is how they can control it. I thought planes needed the tail rudders to control the plane
BisquickNinja@reddit
Split rudder and elevon, it also have some other specialized surfaces. Don't forget crap tons of computers and sensors (with lots of redundancy) to make the thing stable.
The hydraulics and actuator(s) are a marvel of engineering even decades later.
ChipEater100@reddit
And that's why it costs 2 billion
BisquickNinja@reddit
Oh yea... it literally is the Cadillac of bombers. So many extreme systems. Which is why the next generation is on its way, part of the cost savings measures.
casual_oblong@reddit
Whoa whoa whoa The Cadillac of bombers is the B-52! This is a goddamn McLaren
Lokitusaborg@reddit
They will be flying B-52s on Mars
cwleveck@reddit
Why? The B-52 is a carpet bomber. Mars doesn't have any carpets yet.....
automatetheuniverse@reddit
But it does have sand we can make glow in the dark.
Yeldarb6785@reddit
It's been a long time, but a comment made me spit my drink out. Take my up vote
boortpooch@reddit
It’s actually a truer plane form for lift and maneuverability than your standard aircraft plane form. You need computer control to stabilize it in flight
CaptnCosmic@reddit (OP)
So it’s basically stabilized solely from computer control? That’s mostly what I was wondering it how they stabilize the thing during flight
rhutanium@reddit
Yes. In 2008 a B-2 crashed in Guam on take-off:
footage
There was moisture in a air data calibration unit which sent wrong data to the flight computer which caused the computers to operate on an incorrect airspeed and negative angle of attack. This caused incorrect input to the flight controls and the jet basically stalled. Crew safely ejected.
CoconutLetto@reddit
Yep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Andersen_Air_Force_Base_B-2_accident
The current/most recent season of Mayday/Air Crash Investigation had a episode about it (Season 22 Episode 3): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mayday_episodes
"On 23 February 2008, a stealth bomber of the United States Air Force named the Spirit of Kansas enters a stall and crashes on the runway just moments after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Both crew members survive after being successfully ejected from the aircraft."
DisciplineNormal296@reddit
Imagine being the person ripping the ejection handle on a 2billion dollar aircraft
Inside_Brain8285@reddit
I don't see anything