Posted on 03/13/2008 5:37:53 PM PDT by Renfield
March 10, 2008: Stung by rumors that they were not serious about developing a new heavy bomber, the U.S. Air Force announced that it was developing such an aircraft, that it would be in service by 2018, and would be able to operate with, or without, a crew. The implication was that the design of the new bomber was already quite advanced, and that it was, like the B-2, being handled as a "black project" (all work done in secrecy, until ready for production.)
The new bomber would be similar to the current B-2 in many ways. That is, it would be stealthy, have a crew of only two, and be capable of staying in the air for over 24 hours at a time. The "B-3" would probably also be capable of super-cruise (travelling long distances at very high speeds), and would definitely have a full array of the latest sensors and communications capabilities. The biggest potential problem is cost. The B-2 bombers were so expensive that only 21 were built. One recently crashed. Adding in the development expenses, each B-2 cost about two billion dollars. If the B-3 costs a lot more, the air force will have a hard time selling it to Congress. This would be the case even if the air force came up with a design that amounted to a "semi-space" ship, that travelled at hypersonic speeds (enabling it to reach any point on the planet in a few hours). Price has definitely become a factor, and that may be why the air force has been reluctant to release any details on the next generation heavy bomber.
Thanks for prompting me to do a little hunting for XB-70 info.
Even if it’s from Wikipedia, I do like the first photo they have of
the XB-70 flying over rocky mountains...looks like a futuristic
spaceship cruising some desolate, rocky moon.
Here’s a link to the full resolution version of the photo
(WARNING: pretty big image for dial-up users!)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/North_American_XB-70_in_Flight_EC68-2131.jpg
Bush flew the F 104. The one in the picture looks like a bigger plane to me, maybe the F106 delta dart.
Yep—not just tooling. All of the design and development costs, infrastructure, training, etc. Congress and DOD need a basic lesson in economic ordering quantity. Building 20 of just about anything is bound to be expensive. IIRC, the cost of the B-2, had they built the initial quantity they planned (120?) was twice the cost of a 747 (that had a much higher production rate).
How about we just nuke the camel jockeys and the chicoms and then we wouldn’t need them,
Their wings have all been broken off.
Bush flew the F-102A Delta Dagger. The F-106 Delta Dart is similar, a later version.
The F-104 was a Strafighter—basically a missile with stubby wings and a high tail.
LOL..A musician,eh?...that’s the first thing that came to my mind ,too.
Strafighter = Starfighter for the F-104.
I Googled XB-70 Valkryie photos, and this photo was one of them.
The chase plane pictured is a TB-58A trainer. This is the B-58 Hustler bomber, a delta wing bomber that came out in the late fifties, and the chase plane is the trainer version.
The B-58 was a large plane, and the B-70 made it look like a fighter!
You beat me by like nine seconds. Thanks for posting the photo with the caption. I’m not skilled in doing that.
I used to love the B-58 Hustler. One of my favorite models as a kid.
"How about [Americans] just nuke the camel jockeys and the chicoms and then [Americans] wouldn’t need them,"
Because that would be genocide and murder? And eventually another enemy would rise up anyway, and there would once again be a need for them.
(You probably weren't actually proposing a nuclear holocaust, but the comment was pretty stupid).
President Bush flew the F-102 Delta Dart in the TX ANG.
The chase plane appears to be a B-58 Hustler. the B-58 was used as chae for several of XB-70 flights IIRC
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
If they also made it a space delivery vehicle and replacement for the shuttle, this would be a real hit.
No, Bush flew the 106 in an ADC unit.
I don’t understand the need for a heavy bomber. Instead of paying 5 to 10 times the price of an F-22, build the extra F-22s instead. You end up with more flexibility and more bomb load.
102, my bad.
That depends on what threat needs bombing. The B-52 is a great old bird, with emphasis on OLD. She's as big as a barn, literally, on radar.
Let's see, what RCS did I use for the BUFF...well I think Big as a Barn, is close enough. Something like 1,000 sq. meters.
Which one was the widow-maker? I remember getting a copy of Jane’s Aircraft of the world in 1963 which showed the Valkyrie and the SR-71. I remember thinking how cool they were. Amazing how far ahead of the times those planes were. I grew up believing that we would be flying to London in 2 hours and make it to CA in just under two. Guess it is still ahead of its times.
My spelling has always been atrocious
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