B-2 HOME - B-2 PICTURES - AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED

In The Beginning man strived to break ground and soar like the eagle. On a December day in 1903 the Wright Brothers succeeded, thrusting man into the flying age.

Interesting enough the first aircraft sold by the Wright Brothers was to the U.S.   War Department starting a, at first weak, love affair with aircraft and U.S. warfare. In those meager beginnings aircraft were used more for observation more than for tactical or strategic effects.

B-2 Bomber Information
Click HERE to see our updated
list of assigned aircraft with posters

As aircraft grew larger, louder, and faster, so did the enemies ability to see, hear, and track through a multitude of ways. From ground observers to electronic radar it has been the enemies task to identify opponents aircraft before their targets have been bombed.

So was born the "stealth" age. It wasn't recently but long ago when the United States started looking for ways to hide their aircraft from enemy radar. Flying at night was one of the first attempt to allude enemy detection. Other ideas from quieter engines to dropping chaff (small strips of metal in bundles that spread through the sky when dropped from the aircraft) decreased the chance of being identified and allude enemy weaponry..

As technology develops so must the U.S. military. Northrop introduced The Vision of a flying wing came long before what has been developed today.  Fifty years ago Northrop introduce the military to the XB-35, one of several original flying wings. Though flown through many test flights and improved  version XB-49 was offered to the Air Force,  neither "first flying" saw acceptance or military service.

The years went by technology of flight continued to increase and so was the need for "stealth" capabilities. The need was there, the vision was there, and The Reality began. So secretly Northrop worked on and produce the first "Stealth Bomber". Advances in technology eliminated the problems that occurred with the first "flying wings".

Today the B-2 "SPIRIT" ,named for keeping the spirit of freedom alive now and into the future, is the premier bomber of the United States Air Force. Precision and Stealth Power make it on of the most efficient aircraft ever built.

The only base with assigned B-2's is Whiteman AFB, MO. Located 60 Miles southeast of Kansas City, MO., Whiteman is one of the premier bases in Air Combat Command. Set close to Knob Noster State Park, the base is a mixture of top of the line facilities and the beautiful rolling hills of central Missouri. The base is spotted with vintage aircraft including B-52D, FB-111, and KC-97.

The best time to catch the B-2 flying is early morning or late afternoon. It is a real sight to see the mysterious and sleek aircraft piercing through low altitude clouds during early spring and late fall. At first glimpse it may seem odd not to see no tail on such a large aircraft but don't be fooled. It may be big but it is fast and powerful, with the precision bombing matched by no bomber aircraft in any nations aircraft inventory.

When traveling through central Missouri on Interstate 70 or Hwy 50 don't be surprised to see the majestic aircraft flying overhead practicing the peace.


Specifications

Primary function: Multi-role heavy bomber.
Prime Contractor: Northrop Grumman Corp.
Contractor Team: Boeing Military Airplanes Co.,
General Electric Aircraft Engine Group
Hughes Training Inc., Link Division
Power Plant/Manufacturer: Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines
Thrust: 17,300 pounds each engine (7,847 kilograms)
Length: 69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height: 17 feet (5.1 meters)
Wingspan: 172 feet (52.12 meters)
Speed: High subsonic
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,152 meters)
Takeoff Weight (Typical): 336,500 pounds (152,635 kilograms)
Range: Intercontinental, unrefueled
Armament:
NUCLEAR
16 B61
16 B83
16 AGM-129 ACM
16 AGM-131 SRAM 2
CONVENTIONAL
80 MK82
16 MK84
36 CBU87
36 CBU89
36 CBU97
PRECISION
8 GBU-28
80 GBU-38 JDAM
16 AGM-154 JSOW
16 AGM-137 TTSAM
16 AGM-158 JASSM
Payload: 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms)
Crew: Two pilots
Unit cost: Approximately $2.1 billion average
Date Deployed: December 1993
Date Operational: December 2003 (declared fully mission ready)
Inventory: Active force: 20 (after Spirit of Kansas crash)


Go to Assigned Aircraft Page

See the list of Assigned aircraft and look at the dedication pins!


Visit the B-2 Photo Gallery

Take a look at our library of B-2 Photos

 

Neither the Department of the Navy Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, nor any other component
of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this site.
The information on our Whiteman AFB, Buckley AFB, F.E. Warren AFB, Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, Hill AFB, Luke AFB, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station,
The Air Force Academy, Ellsworth AFB, Minot AFB, Nellis AFB, and Fort Carson sites was obtained through public sources and the author's personal experience.

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