Posted on 03/07/2009 7:16:51 PM PST by naturalman1975
A US Air Force bomber remains at Melbourne Airport awaiting take-off clearance after the aircraft made an emergency landing there last night. The B1B Lancer bomber, which can carry conventional and nuclear arms over a large distance, landed about 9.25pm (AEDT) on Saturday after reporting problems with its landing gear.
The plane, which is capable of speeds of more than 1500km/h, was believed to be on its way to the Australian International Airshow at Avalon Airport when it diverted to Tullamarine.
Melbourne Airport spokeswoman Emma Stenhouse said the bomber was, in fact, scheduled to land there and alerted authorities of a problem on its approach.
A full emergency services response was activated but the plane landed without incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Well, this one is temp mothballed in Melbourne now :)
If not claimed within 31 days...
A friend of our family, the late Emil Pipersky, worked on that aircraft at North American Rockwell back when I was a kid. He was also slated to build the American SST before it was cancelled, IIRC.
Obama is going to Give them to his buddies in the middle east
The B-one...she’s a beauty!
There are approx 60 operational, in-service B1s. They are based in South Dakota and Texas.
For now...
I have seen her on flybys at air shows. When they “punch it” it is really impressive. She is a fast and big bird. I wonder how fast she can go from 2,000 feet to 50,000 feet - I bet it is pretty quick.
If you look at the early 1960’s B-58 Hustler - she is sort of similar.
test
We have the following quantities active of each:
B-52H:76 active, 18 inactive reserve
B-1B: 64 active, 24 inactive reserve
B-2: 20 active.
I think she’s one of the prettiest planes flying...sleek, sexy, powerful, fast. If you’re ever at or near a base where they are in the pattern...just kick back and enjoy. It’s amazes me how such a large airplane can appear to be so small in the air. And I love how its pilots drive it around like it’s a fighter. Yank and bank, turn and burn...love the B-1B!
I agree. I think she’s one of the most elegant machines ever built.
We have the following quantities active of each:
B-52H:76 active, 18 inactive reserve
B-1B: 64 active, 24 inactive reserve
B-2: 20 active.
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Dam 160 bombers? Wtf! thats it? OMG.
So, 160 active heavy bombers, 202 if you include the reserves.
No kidding. Not enough ability to project power in a major war. I don’t think it will be getting better any time soon, either.
only prettier bomber was the canberra, in my opinion, and ONLY my opinion.
Nope.
I'm not going to defend the number because I think the cutbacks that Clinton made (and the GOP allowed) to US military borders on criminal.
At the same time, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact we maintain over 5,250 nuclear warheads. That's a significant punch or counter-punch.
What really bothers me is what will that number be in 6-8 years. We've had two wars that have really put a hurt on a lot of different equipment, including our strategic bombers.
I have a feeling we will see a B2ski and/or a F-35ski pretty soon.
Obama needs to give them something to keep them quiet while he socializes the country.
Another point to remember, one bomb, one kill with the technology delivering bombs these days.
I do wish we had more, they sure were cheaper back in the day. UAVs are the way we’re heading. But no doubt, the Obama administration will cut back on defense spsending.
Does anyone know the distance required for a fully loaded B1 to land/take off?
Thx.
R
A neighbor of mine did as well, in Columbus. Avionics, I believe.
Vulcan, too.
Yes.
Middle column at the bottom.
We have to give B1 Bob Dornan some of the credit in pushing hard for the B1 bomber.
We were installing this new fangled product called gutter helmet up on the roof when it flew over the first time. Then it came again and again and again, wings out stretched and appearing only a hundred or so feet above us. Obviously doing some touch and goes.
Then the last go she pulled the wings back just after she flew over us, pulled it back to first gear and lit out of there like a bat otta hell...
Damn that was cool.
Like this?
“What really bothers me is what will that number be in 6-8 years.”
Care to take a guess? (rhetorically speaking of course)
The 121 is/was a lovely looking aircraft. The lines were even better with the radomes removed. Once that’s done it was just one big compound curve.
I'm afraid after Obama's first term, or God-forbid a 2nd, we'll be fighting with slingshots and broad swords.
President Eisenhower's Air Force One ?
oh man, thanks jeff! incredible pix!
fantastic!
A beauty
B-52H:76 active, 18 inactive reserve
B-1B: 64 active, 24 inactive reserve
B-2: 20 active.
If you Google Earth to
32.152586 (North)
-110.834821 (West)
You can see 11 of the inactive B-1s in storage at D-M in Tucson.
Right next to many B-52s that are being scrapped as part of one of the SALT agreements - they are the ones with the wings cut off and lying next to the fuselages - not a part of the 18 count above...:^)
Scroll around and you can see many more B-52s (older versions, I presume) awaiting destruction.
“Back in WWII a B-29 got stranded in the USSR, strangely, an almost exact replica started coming off the Soviet production lines awhile later.”
Yup. The Tupolev TU-4 Bull.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-4
Misleading title. The B1 isn’t awaiting clearance (permission) to depart, its awaiting a towbar to tow the aircraft so it can be inspected.
60 years ago the allies could send 1000 bombers in one night. Now we have much more advanced Air Defenses and we only have 200 heavy bombers TOTAL.
I guess it not just the old stock market thats going down.
How about all of the V-bomers from the 60’s?
How do you know a B-1 bomber has flown overhead?
By the trail of parts left on the ground.
I just had to post one more photo, a favorite. Read a great story about the SR 71 Blackbird at the following link. http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/sr71-4.jpg
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