B-2 Spirit Bomber Stealth Aircraft | Northrop's Heavy Strategic Bomber

The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses. Designed during the Cold War, it is a flying wing design with a crew of two. The bomber is subsonic and can deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as up to eighty 500-pound class (230 kg) Mk 82 JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400-pound (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration.
Development started under the "Advanced Technology Bomber" (ATB) project during the Carter administration; its expected performance was one of the President's reasons for the cancellation of the Mach 2 capable B-1A bomber. The ATB project continued during the Reagan administration, but worries about delays in its introduction led to the reinstatement of the B-1 program. Program costs rose throughout development. Designed and manufactured by Northrop, later Northrop Grumman, the cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million (in 1997 dollars). Total procurement costs averaged $929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which included development, engineering and testing, averaged $2.13 billion per aircraft in 1997.
Because of its considerable capital and operating costs, the project was controversial in the U.S. Congress. The winding-down of the Cold War in the latter portion of the 1980s dramatically reduced the need for the aircraft, which was designed with the intention of penetrating Soviet airspace and attacking high-value targets. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Congress slashed plans to purchase 132 bombers to 21. In 2008, a B-2 was destroyed in a crash shortly after takeoff, though the crew ejected safely. As of 2018, twenty B-2s are in service with the United States Air Force, which plans to operate them until 2032, when the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is to replace them.
The B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet (15,000 m), with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) with one midair refueling. It entered service in 1997 as the second aircraft designed to have advanced stealth technology after the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk attack aircraft. Though designed originally as primarily a nuclear bomber, the B-2 was first used in combat dropping conventional, non-nuclear ordnance in the Kosovo War in 1999. It later served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
On 23 February 2008, B-2 "AV-12" Spirit of Kansas crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.[149] Spirit of Kansas had been operated by the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and had logged 5,176 flight hours. The two-person crew ejected safely from the aircraft. The aircraft was destroyed, a hull loss valued at US$1.4 billion.[150][151] After the accident, the USAF took the B-2 fleet off operational status for 53 days, returning on 15 April 2008.[152] The cause of the crash was later determined to be moisture in the aircraft's Port Transducer Units during air data calibration, which distorted the information being sent to the bomber's air data system.
General characteristics
Crew: 2: pilot (left seat) and mission commander (right seat)
Length: 69 ft 0 in (21.0 m)
Wingspan: 172 ft 0 in (52.4 m)
Height: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m)
Wing area: 5,140 sq ft (478 m2)
Empty weight: 158,000 lb (71,700 kg)
Gross weight: 336,500 lb (152,200 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 376,000 lb (170,600 kg)
Fuel capacity: 167,000 pounds (75,750 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F118-GE-100 non-afterburning turbofans, 17,300 lbf (77 kN) thrust each
Performance
Maximum speed: 630 mph (1,010 km/h, 550 kn) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude / Mach 0.95 at sea level
Cruise speed: 560 mph (900 km/h, 487 kn) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude
Range: 6,900 mi (11,000 km, 6,000 nmi)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
Wing loading: 67.3 lb/sq ft (329 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.205
Armament
2 internal bays for ordnance and payload with an official limit of 40,000 lb (18,000 kg); maximum estimated limit is 50,000 lb (23,000 kg)
80× 500 lb (230 kg) class bombs (Mk-82, GBU-38) mounted on Bomb Rack Assembly (BRA)
36× 750 lb (340 kg) CBU class bombs on BRA
16× 2,000 lb (910 kg) class bombs (Mk-84, GBU-31) mounted on Rotary Launcher Assembly (RLA)
16× B61 or B83 nuclear bombs on RLA (strategic mission)
Standoff weapon: AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) and AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)
2× GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator
#b2 #b2spirit #b2bomber

[@Dronescapes]

Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: kzbin.info/aero/PLBI4gRjPKfnNx3Mp4xzYTtVARDWEr6nrT

[@grimmertwin2148]

Hey man are you doing Artemis live stream or are you booked on the flight lol? Great channel - thanks What's your take on the Tic Tacs?

[@Dronescapes]

@@grimmertwin2148 I think I will cover it. I actually have mixed feeling about the tic tacs.

[@grimmertwin2148]

@@Dronescapes Yeah Neil Degrasse Tyson does too - makes me immediately think the opposite lol Cheers Rad

[@scottcampbell2585]

To all of the manufacturer’s who spend sleepless nights and to the air crews 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 thank you for standing on the wall to protect this nation form those who choose to attack us. God bless the republic 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@johnc2363]

they attack only when attacked... take a history course my love. I hope you're a true patriot when your own countrymen drop ordinance on your hometown from the same plane. I love the US, but does she love me?

[@mike7652]

​@@johnc2363Yes, the US is the only aggressive country in history. History isn't that black and white though, is it my love? Maybe take your own advice 🤷

[@johnc2363]

@mike7652 first, this was a year ago, u been living under a rock?☠️ second, I never said anything about that; maybe read the comment before your red white and blue blood boils over next time🤡

[@sethmaki1333]

I remember watching this be unveiled in 1993. It was like looking at a starship. Nobody had ever seen such a futuristic looking aircraft.

[@mike7652]

Except it was unveiled Nov. 22, 1988.

[@johnhart2861]

After working at Northrop then Northrop Grumman for 32 yrs I am very happy to be a retiree of this incredible company. Funny that most people still look puzzled when I mention the company’s name.

[@Dronescapes]

Wow John, 32 years! I bet you have a lot of stories

[@full_ArmourOfGod]

Lmao yanks are funny. Keep it a secret. Probably sold out to china already.

[@turninwrenches8127]

The first and only time I saw the B2 was when I lived in Atlanta very close to Dobbins AFB. I had just got home from work and I could hear a plane coming but could not see it. But then it flew right over me at my apartment on take-off. I was absolutely in awe. I had never seen the B2 in person, let alone flying right over me at a low attitude. It was so cool to see for the first time like that

[@DriveLaken]

What did it sound like? I've always wondered, if you'd never seen it before and it was before the futuristic looking F-22 & F-35, would you understand why someone would think it was a UFO? Think you would have thought it was a alien UFO?

[@DriveLaken]

@TurninWrenches81

[@mer2705]

I live about 45 min from Whiteman AFB. I see these pretty often. Still awes me

[@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter]

Aren't they invisible?

[@DOOM_Nukem]

@@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter only to you.

[@danielmorris6523]

I would LOVE to see one here in the UK.... what a beauty. God bless America!

[@patgorham4796]

I've seen this flying over the Columbia River, I was about 6 years old with my mom and brother, they called it a flying saucer, now I know what it really was. This was right after WWII and we lived close to and airforce base, in a remote area of Washington State. Believe me or not, I don't care, it really left an impression on me and now I am 79 years old, and you don't forget something like that.

[@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter]

Nope, it was a flying saucer.

[@aryagamis]

It's probably a YB-49

[@chrisguerra2848]

​@@aryagamis Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking he saw. A YB-49, since Northrop started testing those shortly after WWII.

[@manuelsalas6465]

It prevented a larger war that’s priceless 🇺🇸👍🏽

[@IgoByaGo]

I was a kid in Dallas, TX and I don't remember the year, but it was the early 90's and they were showing these at an air show (But no one knew). We saw it flying overhead by Texas Instruments where my parents worked, I thought it was a UFO and showed them. Apparently local police stations/911 call centers were being overloaded with UFO sightings that same night. No one knew what they were. I have been in love with this plane since. Also, we had free tickets to that air show. It was rad.

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@jayyoutube8790]

I would love to see one in low flight. I guarantee, if I were the enemy on the ground, and seeing this for the 1st time would make you wonder if the enemy is even human. What a sight it would be to see..

[@jezjukes]

Definitely, but just having heard a rumour that they were in my area would scare the shit out of me.

[@saintsinner6195]

It would actually be flying high and silent basically invisible to radar or eyes and the enemy would have no idea it was there until their base/building/vehicle/whatever blew up. That's kinda even worse if you ask me. Flying low and visible would make it an easy MANPAD target though yes, it would definately be a sight to behold and frightening for the enemy to see. Especially years ago when it was still secret.

[@KingJCJ]

This aircraft is a sight to see & something to hear.

[@randyrobertson4686]

At 26:34……the vantage point of this unbelievable and gorgeous piece of engineering has an uncanny resemblance to a bird of prey. Be it an Eagle or Hawk, the view of it is just about spot on with a snapshot of either one of those birds of prey, and others too I’m sure, like a falcon and I could name others but I’m not a real expert in the arena of birds. However I have always been fascinated with these specific birds of prey, especially the American Bald Eagle. It’s truly fascinating.

[@chrisbarry2000]

This is absolutely beautiful combination of function and form.

[@johnye2210]

Saw one of these in person. So damn huge and scary

[@jp-um2fr]

Some years ago a B-2 came to the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. It was picked up by their radar 30 miles away. It was later stated that the special coating on the aircraft had been damaged. There was no visable sign of damage. The radar was very good - but quite old.

[@Hoons24]

At airshows the stealth bombers do not fly at radar avoiding altitudes it's not always the skin.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

B2 was introduced in 1997... hard to believe it's already 25 years old. Gotta wonder what it being tested right now at Groom Lake. All top secret testing is done there.

[@anydaynow01]

Agreed, I can't even fathom the Raider's capabilities. Then there is what comes after that, pretty sure it will be a drone, the age of meat sacks in a cockpit is going to end sooner than folks realize, just from a G-force stand point if anything else. Macross Drone is definitely a harbinger of things to come.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@anydaynow01 Thank You. Former Boeing here... remember movie 'Stealth' with drone fully controlled by advanced AI ? Today, kids with gaming skills 'fly' drones equipped with missiles in places thousands of miles away in war. Nothing fancy, just large monitors and joy stick. Imagine real pilots flying advanced drones in 3 axis simulators, the kinds used for training. Wrap around monitor, moving platform to simulate G's and motion. Might have an 'AI co-pilot' to help initially. AI can 'learn' and in time will fly drones with humans being backup co-pilots. AI doesn't need bathroom breaks, food, air, never falls asleep when tired. Drones and AI can loiter overhead for days if needed. Just aerial re-fueling once a day. Drone can fight, or just provide real time intel.

[@rollyhorton4803]

Just think of what they have in the air right now it's great to be an American

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@rollyhorton4803 thanks... can't wait to see the new aircraft

[@gavinrichardson3918]

The next generation will be unmanned! Either ai, preprogrammed, or remote/drone

[@dupepe1]

Nice documentary, I love that music in the background.

[@Dronescapes]

Thanks 🙏

[@andersonramirez4142]

La mejor B Spirit

[@emersonevans1326]

we just had two fly out of Luke AFB here in arizona. such a beautiful craft.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@Hamza45192]

Awesome .

[@Dronescapes]

Thanks 🤗

[@percybryan8033]

POWER !!!!

[@Dronescapes]

👍🇺🇸

[@user-sr6fb3oj2p]

ما شاء الله طائره جميله ورائعه جداً 💛💐

[@lgbfjb7160]

This is one if the rare instances where a photo of this has as great impact as one of the sr-71.

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@truescalefpv4089]

It looks like an eagle 🦅 ♥️

[@neronine8679]

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@ericlakota1847]

Thought they discounted the b2 but I hear every thing planes like this all we need is 22 ever built

[@sawahdowahdow9599]

I Vrey ,Like B,2

[@b1lleman]

Thanks for the video but the background music is very annoying.

[@Dronescapes]

Noted

[@b1lleman]

@@Dronescapes Thank you ;-)

[@carbon_no6]

The single most beautiful and elegantly designed aircraft of all time! Has taken the top place of my favorite aircraft.

[@henningerflats]

GTFO with you superlatives.

[@botalley1595]

This jet makes me so incredibly proud to be American.

[@Dronescapes]

It is a wonderful aircraft. Northrop did a fine job. You might also enjoy one of Northrop planes the B-2 comes from. It's a pretty crazy one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp_Yi4yXi5eSpsU

[@daniva3972]

Melody that begins at 22:38 someone? Thank you

[@JamesBletsch]

We really don’t understand what we are capable of doing. We are so smart then are left alone. The stuff we have it makes everyone happy to see me that we’re not at their door step

[@matejbradule1250]

Ok for those who are searching for the song in the background it's called game over man by Carlos Estella

[@Dronescapes]

👍👌

[@andrewbevan4662]

Needs more background music, I can still hear parts of the narration

[@frankmitchell2081]

I would like to see that warplane equipped with shorad laser weapon

[@redbone7040]

👌💯🇺🇸

[@mohammadk3nt-horizon975]

It's look like etc ready four the battallion during wars against Russian and kadem!

[@sarge420]

Pheonominal air frame. I had the honor of working at Area51 on the F-117A (85-89).

[@ziadajam5433]

never heard of anyone working at area 51 admit they've worked at area 51

[@JakeArey]

Anddddd you’re dead

[@Skiesaremine]

@@ziadajam5433 I had, but he can’t tell me the program he was in.

[@ziadajam5433]

@@Skiesaremine ya that’s understandable

[@sydxn]

The fact that the guy who designed the flying wing for the bombing service got to see the B2 Stealth bomber 1 year before he died. The us built this plane out of his original designs and that’s wholesome…

[@Dronescapes]

Brilliant people!

[@sarahmichelle07]

They are literal weapons that were designed specifically to kill people, nothing about this is wholesome. Cool plane though.

[@ArturoGarzaID]

We need a Batman one.

[@marvinlowe1850]

what is the song playing in the background

[@marcoanzalone2808]

Carlos Estella - Game Over, Man!

[@user-sr6fb3oj2p]

طائره رعب ومخيفه جداً جداً

[@margiewhitehead2453]

The volume going up and down is driving me nuts

[@pirate7646]

I TELL YOU , YOU DONT WANT TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF THIS.

[@manuelteixeira2496]

Only pilots to whom alcohol zero tolerance is affordable. Three new trainee pilots for each one of these punisher planes, just in case of unthinkable reasons.

[@dashawnsmith6010]

Then emerged the B-21

[@ericlakota1847]

For 1 hour flight it takes 100 hours of maintanece but if you factor the hours it will fly say a 10hour flight it should only need 100 hours of maintainence

[@johnshields6852]

You definitely don't wanna see that thing flying over your head, unless it's in the USA.

[@QuallaTheBTSArmy]

Facts hand the its hard to track scary

[@billkilbourne6409]

I just dont see them retiring tis plane any time soon

[@tonysu8860]

The airframes are nearing EOL. Over the next 5 years or so, the B-21 which is an improved version of the B-2 is scheduled to enter service.

[@davecooke7868]

Look a UFO

[@Hoons24]

Love the content, but is this an ai vooce or something? Always throws me off

[@JamesBletsch]

Do any of you have any idea what we know. We as a nation let the world know they can’t defend themselves from what is known

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

I'm not saying that alien tech captured at Roswell was used to make this plane...but the truth is our there. Jk lol

[@FSF87]

This video is unwatchable with the audio levels all over the place.

[@joepusic4238]

But 1 billion

[@conniehooks4647]

USA military is bad ass 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷

[@desert_rose7171]

we need this in Ukraine.

[@tonysu8860]

This is why like in Serbia the B-2 is a difference maker. Although traditional theory is that air power alone can't win a war, the B-2 is as close to disproving that theory as it gets when you can drop an enormous load of ordinance with impunity. And I suppose with precision bombs (not missiles), I'd guess that from any drop point that precision munitions might be able to target anything within 30-40 miles in any direction giving you up to an 80 mile wide path of destruction with every pass. If the B-2 was used, the Ukraine war would be over within a day with hundreds or thousands of destroyed armor, vehicles, logistics choke points and command centers destroyed.

[@randybehenna3763]

70 trillion to build arms but less then 100 million for homeless

[@Dronescapes]

What are you doing to make a difference?

[@ER-uy7ct]

Oooooooohhhhhhh burn.....

[@glezgaboy9390]

Defo valid point 💯 there times up China are coming check at wee rat Tony Blair chatting shit scary part is millions of idiots believe him

[@user-ob1lu2yk9s]

❤️🌹🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🌹❤️

[@MVO884]

Great machine. But those two German brothers who came up with the idea. If that aircraft was 5 year sooner ready, the whole world would be in trouble.

[@peterson7082]

John Northrop had been working on flying wings since the Horten brothers were teenagers. As had Soviet pioneer Boris Cheranovsky

[@user-ts6vu4ej1j]

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[@donnieb.6356]

It's 2022...FIX YOUR AUDIO!!!

[@Dronescapes]

Sorry for that, we are trying our best. Eventually we will get much better

[@donnieb.6356]

@@Dronescapes A simple compressor/limiter would solve most of the issues. Not sure what software you are using to produce your videos, but most have compressor built in. You would prob have to LEARN how to properly use it though, as an improperly used compressor will make things even worse.

[@aandc2005]

Russian scientist Petr Ufimtsev is the father of stealth

[@rohin1432]

Waste of taxpayer money, deterrence to nuclear war sure but this money is better spent on solving hunger and fixing the broken education system 🤔😒

[@scotttild]

Let's spend trillions on things that can blow each other up 10 times over. Entire military is absurdly overkill.

[@thomasgodfrey758]

Because our enemies are sitting on their hands right? 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@glezgaboy9390]

@@thomasgodfrey758 name five

[@thomasgodfrey758]

@@glezgaboy9390 lord….really?

[@traviswalker4126]

Designed off reverse engineering

[@Dronescapes]

Please elaborate

[@IS-L]

Invisible until the RAF Regiment tracked and radar shot one down, twice. It was at the range in Benbeculare so there…..

[@Excal500]

Got any proof?

[@darren5376]

Willing to bet they knew it was gonna be there?....and wth is a radar shoot down?British guy going pew pew to the screen 🤣👋

[@williamwchuang]

No one said it's invisible.

[@anydaynow01]

Agreed, that is why they are developing the Raider, the B-1 and B-2 are old tech, the new stealth is in development.

[@tonysu8860]

Wherever you got this from, it's highly improbable. First, I assume you mean the Royal Airforce of Great Britain which wouldn't actually shoot at a B-2. Second, the RCS is so tiny that although a B-2 might be detected and tracked, it couldn't be actually targeted. Additionally, detection and tracking might occur only in the most optimum conditions for the ground based radar. If a B-2 was actually flying a mission, plenty could be done to confuse the airspace to further make it difficult or impossible to even detect the B-2 in the first place. Maybe you could shoot down a B-2 in a virtual simulation and game, but that's about it.

[@juanmiron2321]

so we bombed serbia because of maybe ethnic cleansing. The chinese do real ethnic cleansing and we're like "meh, we need to buy your cheap plastic shit" How far we've fallen.

[@ericlakota1847]

Dumbest thing is telling the world about it

[@mikeylite13]

I have a ton of respect for the men and women in the military, but it always kills me when you hear these people talking about how designing, developing and building these killing machines is like some great human accomplishment. It's not.

[@Dronescapes]

I don’t think you can stop a researcher from pushing the limits

[@paul9478]

Dudes do 40 plus hrs missions so one pilot is sleeping i assume and other one is awake then they switch cuz u cant stay awake for 40 hrs . Worst thing about it is dat hmm there is no restroom so they use diapers for 40hrs. Hmmm one diaper for 40 hrs so dos dudes just like medievil knights they go inside their armor.

[@paul9478]

Quick update they do have microwave , bed and toilet. Americans tot of everything .

[@user-ts6vu4ej1j]

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