Just out of curiosity - Airplane Guys

[Jim]

So the rollout of the B-21 didn't reveal much about it... no dimensions, expected performance.... nothing. Kinda expected I guess. And with just a head on shot, there's not much to go on beyond what we already knew... which was nothing.
There is one big takeaway though, it's not near as big as the B-1 or B-2 it's (supposedly) replacing. The main landing gear consists of two, 2 wheel bogies. We can assume a fair bit from that. Both the bombers it replaces use 4 wheel bogies. The 8 tires are required to spread the weight of the aircraft on the tarmac and runway without unduly damaging to surface.
Both the B-1 and B-2 weigh in somewhere around a half million pounds loaded. The B-21 won't come anywhere close to approaching that.
I think the nearest approximation we could compare to would be the Boeing 737. It uses 4 mains in a similar 2 wheel bogie setup. Depending on version , it loads out to about 175,000lbs.
Given that load distribution on the ground is a prime factor in design, I'd expect the B-21 to be somewhere around the 175-200,00lb mark fully loaded.... less than half the older bombers.

If we were to apply the old WWII standard of light, medium and heavy bomber, this one would likely be classified as a medium bomber.

 

[Raymond]

I suppose the design brief was high survivability and a modest payload of nuclear weapons?

 

[Mailman]

I suppose the design brief was high survivability and a modest payload of nuclear weapons?

That’s what I was thinking, given that the bombs are carried internally, it would limit the kind and amount of bombs it can carry. Pretty cool technology though. I’ll bet the radar signature is minuscule.

 

[gggGary]

Pilot or drone operation is mentioned.
Roll out a signal, sabre rattle? China increasing their nuclear stockpile dramatically.

 

[Jim]

Pilot or drone operation is mentioned.

I recall reading that it'll be capable of being a "drone mothership." Directing a small army of drones.
That makes sense in that size and load ability doesn't matter.
Want to drop more bombs or fire more missiles? Just add more drones to your strike squadron.

 

[Grimly]

I recall reading that it'll be capable of being a "drone mothership." Directing a small army of drones.
That makes sense in that size and load ability doesn't matter.
Want to drop more bombs or fire more missiles? Just add more drones to your strike squadron.

True'nuff. In the Battle of Britain the most expensive part of a fighter was the pilot. Spits and Hurries were rolling off the lines in adequate numbers, but a lot of skilled men had been lost in France and during the BoB.
Mind you, auld Adolf tried the unmanned approach later and it would have worked much more better for him if a lot of the targeting information wasn't bogus. Even so, the V-weapons did a lot of damage for such crude devices.

 

[Paleomechanic]

Ok…well, I used to be a pilot , so I’ll put my fav ones I flew in the list first …yes I know , lots of DH airframes but I’m sorry..I’m Canadian!

1) beech 18 ( flew a stripped out one hauling sky divers …fun times lol)
2) DH chipmunk
3) DH beaver
4) DH otter ( regular …and extra spicy “turbo” floats and hydro wheel / ski .
5) super cub ( learned to fly in one )
6) Grumman TBM

Ok stuff I haven’t flown but lust after !

7) Grumman Tigershark
8) OV-10 Bronco
9) FW-190
10) beechcraft stagger wing


Many more but I’ll keep it simple !

 

[Boog]

Here is the inititial report on the Money that hit wires near me.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/n...sedgntp&cvid=4de45e1ceefb4dab900f4c26920b07a5

 

[Grimly]

Here is the inititial report on the Money that hit wires near me.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/n...sedgntp&cvid=4de45e1ceefb4dab900f4c26920b07a5

What a dingbat. Ignores controller instructions and even said he didn't trust his altimeter.
I'm sure the controller could have given him a verbal guide in, if necessary.
Quite apart from diverting, of course; there was no mention of fuel remaining, and given another aircraft diverted, I wonder if the pilot here was having a dose of get-there-itis.

 

[Grimly]

https://martin-baker.com/ejection-tie-club/

 

[Kevin Werner]

 

[Grimly]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/world/europe/johnny-johnson-dead.html

 

[Kevin Werner]

I post this only because it probably the most important engine ever built. And, it seems to be a one-off and hand built built.

https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/the-power-to-fly-the-wright-brothers-1903-engine/

 

[azman857]

Saturday afternoon, I was parking my truck at home when I heard multi radial engines overhead nearby. I exit my truck quickly to scan the sky to find the source. No luck. I deduced the source landed nearby at DMAFB. I go inside my house and sit in my tv room. The sound returns in even louder levels! I rush out the back door ( a sight my wife has witnessed a time or 20)to see 4 ,T-6 Texans in formation, come over the house. They did 2 orbits and disappeared. I do love the sound of radial and V-12 cylinder aircraft engines.

 

[Grimly]

The only photo ever taken of Concorde flying at Mach 2 (2172km/h), taken from an RAF Tornado. The shot was taken by Adrian Meredith, who managed to maintain Concorde's speed for just 4 minutes over the Irish Sea in April 1985

I think there's more to this than a simple jolly. Probably using Concorde for practice interception.

 

[Paleomechanic]

Wow!
That’s an awesome pic ( and intercept , knowing how difficult that was to coordinate!)

 

[Adamc]

No idea what this sea-plane is but I like it.

 

[Raymond]

Looks like a Catalina flying boat. I think the Americans called them PBYs. Maritime patrol. I've always thought that is a lovely looking plane.

 

[The farmer]

Spitfire, b17, Curtis and Stuka me 109 ....

 

[The farmer]

B17!!!!! The last of spitfire, me 109 and Stuka.... Curtis...