Northrop B-2 Spirit: America's Stealth Bomber

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In 1988 I hired on to Boeing and was assigned to an "L" shop, meaning at the time it was Boeing Military Airplanes. We made lots of parts for the B2, and every single one of them was labeled as a "bracket" on the unclassified drawings. I can't look at the B2 without thinking it's made entirely of brackets.

31 years is getting up there for a military plane. B-52: That's cute.

You mentioned the original Northrup “flying wing“ and that is a story in and of itself but an interesting human side story to the B2 is Jack Northrop. The original flying wing was his baby and his passion and he always stood by the position that it what is the best configuration for an airplane. It destroyed him that the flying wing design went by the wayside. In 1981, the Air Force got special clearance to give Jack a briefing and show him a model of the B2 design. He was very ill at the time and couldn’t speak. Northrop reportedly wrote on a sheet of paper "Now I know why God has kept me alive for 25 years". B-2 project designer John Cashen said, "As he held this model in his shaking hands, it was as if you could see his entire history with the flying wing passing through his mind." He died 10 months later. What an incredible gesture, I can only imagine what that meant to him

Before the B2 was unveiled, jack northrop was given special permission to see the aircraft. When he was wheeled into the hangar. jack Northrop said, “Now I know why god kept me alive for so long “ the B2 wing span is the exact same width as the XB47 flying wing that Jack Northrop built. The X47 was beyond the technology of its time. When the USAir Force declined to purchase his X47, he was ordered to destroy all flying models and jugs. This broke Jack Northrops heart. He then stepped down as head of Northrop aircraft company.

Please do a video on the electrical grid! That thing is freaking huge!

Was at an air show back in the late '90s when a B-2 flew over. The pilot was being broadcast over the event PA and was saying various things about the jet, and at the end of his first fly-over, he said, "Now I'll demonstrate the visual stealth aspects of this plane..." He went into a bank to the left and began a turn. As the top side of the plane was facing the crowd, you could barely make it out against a crystal clear sky! If you hadn't tracked with your eyes as it did the turn, you would have never known it was there! It was amazing!

11:25 The X-15 was neither a fighter or a jet. It was an experimental, rocket-powered aircraft and it had no offensive capabilities.

I once had the honor to fly with the ANG 117th Air Refueling Wing during a training operation to refuel a B-2 and I can absolutely confirm this thing is utterly terrifying in the sky. It appeared behind our KC-135 tanker completely without notice, refueled, and vanished seemingly into nothingness as quickly and quietly as it appeared. We saw neither where it came from, nor where it went. It's an enormous aircraft that has a real knack for making itself look and feel an order of magnitude smaller than it is. Not to mention it has the same radar signature as a pigeon with a slight fever.

Recommendation: Bathyscaphe Triest. The first crewed vehicle to reach the deepest point in the ocean. It was truly a mega project from development to its deep dive. Include the history from Bathyspheres to the Triest and you have a pretty great story.

The US: Why yes indeed, we will fly Halfway across the world and back, simply to keep our Pimp Hand Strong

Great video. However, one point I think you missed is the economic and life-saving benefits of the typical B2 mission. To pull off a sortie with the same results would require an aircraft carrier and a minimum of 30 aircraft for tactical support, bombing, and refueling--that's well over 50 human assets at risk not including those on the carrier. A single B2 from Missouri along with refueling tankers can pull off the same task much much much cheaper and with significantly less human lives at risk and a higher probability of success. Everyone is caught up in the upfront cost but forgets the true costs of conducting military operations.

I spent 33 years at Northrop on this program. 31.5 year in flight test at Edwards. I am retired now and miss working on this plane. It was a privilege to work on such a awesome weapons system. I am glad it is on our side.

Over 30 years old and yet it looks like it's from 100 years in the future.

Apparently the high stealth mode includes retracting antennas back into the body, squelching communications and active sensors, and limiting use of wing flaps. There is also a terrain following system that lets it fly down to within 200 feet of the ground.

Wow! after reading many of the comments below I really feel old. I worked this program for many years, lived in the AV and at AF Plant 42, site 4, sometimes actually living at the facility. I was a manufacturing engineering type, and supported the build of all 20 AC's. Of the 50+ programs I have worked on in my career, the B2 was the absolute Best! I'm proud to have been associated with it and still get excited every time I see it fly either on TV or in person.

This aircraft is a whole lot larger than people think...truly a mesmerizing sight to see one in the air. Great job on covering this Simon...another stellar segment!

Dad took me to the Offutt AFB Air Show once when I was a kid, and one of these did a fly-by. It's really creepy to see a large black triangle fly past you at a rather low altitude without making a sound; and then several moments later you hear what sounds like a much smaller and entirely invisible jet following it at a much higher altitude. They also had an F-117 parked on the tarmac, with a barrier all around it to keep us about fifty feet away and an armed guard to discourage any silly ideas about getting past the barrier. And if you go a bit down I-80 from Offutt you can visit the Strategic Air Command museum, which has an SR-71 hung from the ceiling of the atrium where you enter, with its nose pointed directly at the front doors. It's a little intimidating.

Such an amazing aircraft. Crazy to think 31 years later and it doesn’t have a single operational analog. I’m expecting 31 years from now a video on the B-21 Raider!

About 10 years ago I was driving home from work, a few days before a local airshow, on a backroad, and the weather was nice so I had the sunroof open. Suddenly there was a huge shadow above me. I look up and see a B-2 just a few thousand (or so it looked like) feet above me, completely silent and just passing over. I've been in awe ever since.