USAF's future bomber?
I love little leaks of info.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/923-full.html#195794
Boeing Blended Wing Body Flies
Boeing's Blended Wing Body (BWB) research aircraft -- designated the X-48B -- made a 31-minute first flight last Friday at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The 21-foot wingspan, 500-pound unmanned quasi flying wing climbed to 7,500 feet during the inaugural jaunt. "We've successfully passed another milestone in our work to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational efficiencies of the BWB concept," said Boeing Phantom Works Program Manager Bob Liebeck. Up to 25 flights are planned to gather data in low-speed flight regimes, after which Boeing will explore the BWB's noise characteristics and handling characteristics at transonic speeds.
The composite research trijet will be able to fly up to 10,000 feet and 120 knots in its low-speed configuration, though modifications will needed to enable the aircraft to fly at higher speeds. Boeing does not envision a BWB passenger jet in the next 20 years, but the company's integrated defense systems division believes the BWB would be a "flexible, long-range, high-capacity military aircraft."
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/923-full.html#195794
Boeing Blended Wing Body Flies
Boeing's Blended Wing Body (BWB) research aircraft -- designated the X-48B -- made a 31-minute first flight last Friday at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The 21-foot wingspan, 500-pound unmanned quasi flying wing climbed to 7,500 feet during the inaugural jaunt. "We've successfully passed another milestone in our work to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational efficiencies of the BWB concept," said Boeing Phantom Works Program Manager Bob Liebeck. Up to 25 flights are planned to gather data in low-speed flight regimes, after which Boeing will explore the BWB's noise characteristics and handling characteristics at transonic speeds.
The composite research trijet will be able to fly up to 10,000 feet and 120 knots in its low-speed configuration, though modifications will needed to enable the aircraft to fly at higher speeds. Boeing does not envision a BWB passenger jet in the next 20 years, but the company's integrated defense systems division believes the BWB would be a "flexible, long-range, high-capacity military aircraft."
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Cool. 0 -
Who needs bombers in the 21st Century?
There will never be another war where humans of a country must annihilate the others country with conventional bombers. Regime changes can be made with cruise missiles, airborne lasers, and space borne lasers. People....equipment vaporizing from earth or dropping and failing of unknown reasons.......[:D]...technology baby.
Why does America need a bomber in the 21st Century?
Really?
If North Korea got silly and launched 3 whole missiles armed with nuclear weapons at the United States.....couldn't one sole nuclear submarine handle the entire war?
I think the Air Force is stupid and needs to get it's lazy rear into Space....that's where the next real battleground will be....and we need military spacecraft manned with humans up there to deliver armagedon.
Sorry Buff fans......0 -
Hey the buff will outlive us all. there will always be a need for a simple beast to drop a bunch of bombs 0 -
Thats a pretty cool looking plane. it will be interesting to see how it will evolve into a functioning platform. 0 -
If a Buff dropped it's full load could this plane heat up and detonate each bomb before it hit the ground?
If so, bombers are obsolete.0 -
quote:Originally posted by ObiWan
Who needs bombers in the 21st Century?
Really?
I think the Air Force is stupid and needs to get it's lazy rear into Space....that's where the next real battleground will be....and we need military spacecraft manned with humans up there to deliver armagedon.Sounds familiar. Our latest fighters initially showed up in Vietnam without any guns at all on board. The thinking was that slinging bullets at one another up there was outdated because we now had air-to-air missiles. After losing a bunch of aircraft and pilots we scrambled to refit them.
Conventional conflicts will inevitably take place and when it comes down to it nothing even comes close to the firepower of a heavy bomber. During the Vietnam war a three plane cell of B52D's could deliver 210 tons of bombs on target with zero warning. The effect of this amount of explosive, all impacting within about 15 seconds, is beyond comprehension. Numerous sources quote former NVA/VC fighters as saying this was the most feared weapon they faced. In fact, their infamous tunnel warriors state this was actually the only serious threat they faced. It's telling that post war debriefs of Iraqi military personnel ~35 years later show the BUFF to still be the most feared weapon we have. In a conventional war the only thing better than firepower is having lots of it.
As for your thoughts about the USAF needing to get their lazy rears into space, they're several steps ahead of you.0 -
Buff's used in Vietnam and Iraq are apples and oranges.
JDAM's changed everything. Pinpoint accuracy has been used in this war.
Think it's $250,000 to make a dumb bomb smart with JDAM.0 -
quote:Originally posted by ObiWan
Buff's used in Vietnam and Iraq are apples and oranges.
JDAM's changed everything. Pinpoint accuracy has been used in this war.
Think it's $250,000 to make a dumb bomb smart with JDAM.The pinpoint accuracy of JDAM's added to the BUFF's capabilities in Iraq, but contrary to the impression given by the media several times more tonnage of standard iron bombs were used. Just ask the Iraqi commanders who lost entire units during the battle of Khafji. I read an interview with one who said his unit suffered greater losses 30 minutes there than during the entire war against Iran.
One way or another, the only thing better than using big ol' JDAM's is the capability of using LOTS of them at once. The BUFF is unequaled in this.0
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