Thanks for watching everyone! If you enjoyed the video, please give it a thumbs up. And feel free to subscribe as I have many more videos coming over the next few months... X-15, F-22, YF-23, the first 747/727/737, B-17, B-29, B-36, B-47, XB-70, Hughes H-4 Hercules, YF-12, Space Shuttle Orbiter and more... (footage is already captured so I just need to edit it!)
Great series Paul. Planning a trip to Dayton in a couple of years and wondering how long you recommend i set aside for the museum. Is 1 day enough? Cheers
I got to see this particular aircraft when it first arrived at the museum. The right wing was still broken and all of the wing leading edges had been removed as they were considered classified. The museum staff did an amazing job fabricating the missing parts and putting it back together for display.
Hate to ruin it for everyone but this isnt a real B2 its a fake painted scale model used for stress testing. None of the avionics, engines or stealth tech is on this piece. Per museum curator the only part of the plane that is real is the front nose gear. There would be no point in having an operational 2 billion dollar aircraft on a museum display.
@@AirzGamingTTV what was on the test article was not disclosed. The "body" which includes the wings and "fuselage" were part of the test article because it was built to find the failure point. Since any structure inside the skin was classified, and I have seen no public information about the internal structure, we don't know about what else was included. For sure they didn't put in expensive components like the engined, electronics. BTW Northrop built another test article nicknamed the Iron bird. It had no skin. It a full cockpit, control surfaces and everything required to fly the B2 except the engines. It was used to test how everything worked when plugged together. The cockpit was a flight simulator. I had the privilege to fly it for a few minutes.
In fact we cannot say anything less about a lot of other aircraft, just thinking about the B36 for example at the time when it was designed and developed...
Dang, I remember the day B-2 was unveiled to the public. I was 8 at the time and totally in awe. Still looks as amazing as ever. I've got to say the B-21has alot to live up to!
Can you make videos? Not of anything inside of course but of your experience snd stories. I've always been infatuated with everything about this jet and want to know anything about it and the awesome pilot to fly them. Hope you see this and may considsr starting up a YT channel of your own about the B-2 bomber. You'll grow a following pretty quickly. Cheers and thanks for your service.🇺🇲
Let me tell you why the B-2 is my forever favorite military plane. When I was 13 my father was a Chaplin at Whiteman AFB. He had a buddy that ran the flight simulator for the B-2 training. My younger brother and I were fortunate enough to be allowed to "fly" in this gigantic room-sized box on a hydraulic platform. The trainer boarded with each of us one at a time. Sitting at the pilot seat, I got to taxi to the runway, fly a takeoff, refuel off a KC-10, bombing of Whiteman AFB (no kidding lol), and finally a landing. Talk about a unique childhood experience. Now, post 9/11, I think it would be tough to have something like that happen for another couple lucky kids.
@@pbdye1607 oh I am sure it was something like that. Just a fun afternoon so I am positive no secrets were given to this 12 year old (at the time) haha.
@@juniorballs6025 for real!! My brother, today, is in the military flying drones. To say we were impacted by that experience is an understatement. Totally awesome 🙂
The B2, F117A, B1-B and the SR-71 design still blow my mind today. I was but a wee nipper when the aircraft were unveiled (SR-71) and they just look so incredible to this day. The amazing thing is, to the engineers and designers, when these aircraft enter service, they're immediately old news as the next gen is already in development.
Uhhh great, this video will be awsome. I cant wait to get a better feeling for the size of the B2-Spirit. I will just grab a quick coffee and enjoy this before the family wakes up. Aren`t these the best minutes of the day?
I live 50 miles west of Whiteman AFB and see these flying over the house often. I think we are on the flight path to one of the runway approaches. It surprises me how quiet they are even when low to the ground. Sitting in the house they sound similar to the HVAC turning on .
Wow! I went to the Airforce Museum just 2 days ago and saw this B2! All of the planes I saw were a lottt bigger than what I imagined. Walked around for like 5 hours in that museum. Very fun experience, I got some of the tokens too, and an F16 shirt. Got to walk around in some presidential aircraft too, like the VC-137C that JFK used.
That place would be my Mecca! Not just the B-2 but so many other phenomenal aircraft I grew up trying to learn as much as possible about, some of which I saw in the background in this! The YF-12 and the Valkyrie just blow my mind! To see them in person must be such a surreal experience!
I live in San Diego (Poway)... I see f22s and f18s flying around ALL DAY. Nothrop, Lockheed, Gen Atomics, and Gen Dynamics are within walking distance; but, I've NEVER seen anything as awesome as THIS. The B2 Spirit is truly terrifying.
I was here many many years ago (when I was a kid), and yeah it's amazing. Probably even better. I've seen that XB-70 in person and that's another huge aircraft.
I've been there many times since I was a kid, I have my own kids now and have taken them a few times. Luckily it is just a little over an hour drive for me. You should absolutely go if you can.
B2 was the first stealth plane to be designed with the benefit of modern computers. The older mainframes they used for the F117 weren't powerful enough to model curved surfaces, so they were forced to use flat angled facets instead. In comparison, the B2 is so astonishingly smooth it looks like they hand shaped it out of wet modeling clay. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to machine all those curved panels so they perfectly matched with no gaps big enough for a radar beam to fit into. Your $1 billion at work, I suppose.
The plane that truly gets your attention at the USAF Museum is the B-36. The XB-70 is amazing but you're able to get closer to the B-36 and see it from above.
I was a crew member on F-4C's back in the mid-60's, I would love to have crewed one of these incredible birds ! They are a beautiful example of American ingenuity and sophisticated design. Thanks for this walkabout !
I worked for Northrop Grumman 1989-1998 on the B2 Stealth Program in Pico Rivera, California, as a DBA; even got told not to sit on the Cray used for flight test analysis. Installed a lot of Oracle on various servers for different applications. Got to see one up close (25 feet away) in Palmdale and made a few visits to Edwards for IT support (had a great Solaris laptop we used when doing IT support at different locations) Quite an aircraft!
"even got told not to sit on the Cray used for flight test analysis" But those things were made for sitting on (if an X-MP or Y-MP, idiots designed the Cray-2 in between without seating), they even had foam padding for the butts!
I was at Edwards Air Force Base when the B-2 moved from Plant 42 in Palmdale, California to Edwards. I still have my letter that was carried in the bomb bay during this maiden flight.
Back in 2018, during my senior year of high school. I had the chance to see them in person at Whiteman AFB. It was so amazing, you were spot on when you said its bigger than it seems. It is a massive wide aircraft. Surprisingly though the inside is vary cramped. I was able to sit in the cockpit and it is a tight fit for a 5'10 highschooler. They had just enough room for the stairs going in, the cockpit, a toilet and a microwave. It was such a wonderful experience seeing it in person. And an F16 buzzed the runway for us.
Very nice tour. Subscribed. We are lucky in the UK that Spirits, Buffs and Lancers visit one location (RAF Fairford) I have quite a few videos of them in action on my site.
Fascinating and interesting commentary and video footage on topics such as "continuous curvature" and the way the aircraft controls yaw... without compromising its "stealth". With the state of the world at the moment we need technologically superior aircraft for national defence and offence. Well done Paul.
I like what you're doing straight forward information. Subscribed. Out camping in the Owens Valley Calif. saw a B-2 fly directly above me very high in the sky leaving a contrail, early in the morning the sun hasn't come up above the mountains yet, it turned east going away from me then turned south, it lit up like a UFO with a contrail, I said to myself it's not so stealthy now. I took a pixelated zoomed in shot of it. Makes me wonder why it lit up like that.
I am just down the road in Cincinnati, and try to make it up there at least twice a year. It may no be a big change, but it seems like there is something new each time.
Good one Paul. Back in the 90’s, as a trucker, I made a delivery to Whiteman AFB in Missouri. I got to see these bombers, under open covers on the tarmac. I assume the covers were to protect them from spy satellites. This was post Cold War but, I think they took security seriously and I did not dare take any pictures. Still, amazing planes. Thanks for the post. Keep em coming
They’re docks, the jet isn’t designed to be left out in the elements all day every day. Plus consider that while in a dock the aircraft is secured in its own “Vault” and as long as the doors remain closed/locked there isn’t a need to have a “Babysitter” to stick with the jet. Not to mention every dock is built to streamline any maintenance (we averaged about 20 man hours per flight hours during my time) with external “pit” power and cooling air for powerups w/o engines- as well as piping to make refueling easier by having a way to refuel directly from within the dock.
Next time you’re in the states, you should check out the Evergreen museum in McMinnville, OR. The home of the Spruce Goose, another Blackbird, 2 747s (one of which is on the roof of the campus water park) and a Titan II rocket among other space age displays.
You’ve done a great job presenting this beautiful aircraft. One of the greatest unexpected plane spotting experience I’ve ever had was seeing this aircraft fly over while I was attending the NFL experience before the super bowl many years ago in Tampa. I had no idea they were going to do the fly over and then suddenly there it was.
Hey mate, great insight into one of the worlds most successful bombers to date and the fact that this bird has been flying for quite some time is a testament to her (or his) design. Safe travels.
Everything I say is in the public domain. The B2 at the museum is a test article and never had the ability to fly. It was used in destructive testing. The external mend plates are there to hold the broken off wing in place. The only part of the test article that flew is the "Fire and Ice" landing gear door. It was removed after hot and cold testing for analysis and given to the museum separately from the test article. Many parts of the aircraft were built at the museum as the test article did not come with all the parts. The heat tiles for the engine are represented by paint applied by the museum. Anyone who had seen a B2 up close will see the differences between the museum parts and the real thing. The docents will tell you which items are museum built. While I don't know this for sure I suspect that the following are museum built: -Air speed measurement device -cockpit and it's windshield -leading edge (which isn't the same shape as the real thing) -Radar absorbing paint is simulated with normal paint As to the cost, if one takes the whole program cost and divides by the number of flying aircraft built, your number is about correct. The cost to build one more was about $500million since all the research and tooling costs were done. The reason for the high program cost is that the development program included as much development as had been performed since the Wright Brothers. Except for some fastners inside and some other small items inside everything was new, except the RAM which had been developed earlier, but on the B2 is improved. On the high maintenance cost , Northrop developed a corn husk blasting method to remove RAM and recycle it. Northrop also developed the 1st system that used computer aided design and no paper blue prints. Northrop also used computer modeling of radar reflections that advanced that practice significantly. The B2 had when built the most advanced fly by wire system in the world. This overcame the problems of bombing platform stability attributed to the YB-49. A great deal of effort went into the buried engines as it was a conflict between radar stealth and getting enough air to the engines.
Thanks for the info - I definitely noticed that the wing leading edges didn’t look right. I’m guessing the shape would be almost impossible for a museum to fabricate on their own, but they did a surprisingly good job still.
@@EstorilEm the leading edge is undoubtedly not made from the same materials as the real thing. Another issue for the museum substitute is how to attach the fake leading edge as the test article probably didn't come with the the fastening points. The museum doesn't have an unlimited budget to fabricate the very large part. If I had an unlimited budget, I would make the fake out of balsa wood and simply carve it shape. Then the correct paint color would make it look good. But the museum did a fantastic job of preserving important history. I was also surprised (and appreciated) that I could walk up to the test article at the museum. It is a lot closer than ever got at Northrop with the flying B2 Spirts.
Yeah, tooling is a fixed cost, so building a small number sometimes costs you a lot more in the long run. not to mention fewer spare parts at the inevitable end-of-life cycle.
I really enjoyed the video you presented some information that most people neglect to do like the pre-engine air intakes to cool the exhaust and the differential thrust produced by the engines to aid in steering the aircraft. Something I didn't know about and has never heard mentioned in any of the other talks about the B-2 I've seen.
Air planes are so cool and fascinating and I hope to fly / build many aircraft both in super sonic and not, this is such a fun topic 🙀🤩 and thanks to u for filming this too!🥰
I felt my eyes watering when you said the cost! Wow!! We could get half the Collins Class Submarine fleet (3) for 1 of these!! Cost the same to maintain it too!! 😭 (I digress!!) Amazing footage of the B-2! I can't believe how big it is and that it's so 'flat'!! You wouldn't have thought it could fly, let alone carry a payload of bombs/missiles! Great stuff!
For some reason I had in my head until now that it had 2 engines. It actually makes sense to use 4 as they can have smaller diameter than equivalent 2 keep the cross section thinner.
Yeah I also thought that they had two engines also , yeah makes sense to use four, what a beautiful plane , I sure hope that they build all the B21’s and don’t reduce the allotment, we need all 100 or more for the future unless China wants to have an treaty to limit the number of bombers cause right now they are trying to out build us.
Great video Paul! I love swing aircraft museum tours and the B2 Spirit is my favorite stealth jet! LOVE IT! ❤️ Cheers 🥂 Caleb’s Aviation Also I just realized that you’re at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio right?? Talk about karma! I was going to visit that museum today and it would’ve been awesome to run in to one of my favorite TH-camr’s ever!! Unfortunately I had a last minute schedule conflict!!! Very disappointed indeed! 😢
My grandfather (who actually turned 91 years old today) built this plane in complete secrecy. He mentioned there were to be a lot of B-2's built, but when the plan was changed to build less, the workers had to become airforce certified to work on multiple components since they would no longer be hiring more workers. The security clearance meant that not many people would have the privilege to build it, let alone ever speak of it. He also helped build the B-1. He gave me more information, but considering the secrecy, I'll hesitate to mention anything further.
Great to see! Incredible that it was designed going on 30 years ago. I’ve heard similar info about the susceptibility of the stealthy surface coatings on the F-22 Raptor, to the point where it is detrimental to expose the aircraft to rain.
Actually, the B2 LOA/RCS coatings can be exposed to rain. The reasons cannot be spoken about, as to why some believe they could not be exposed to rain. They could with no problem, but there was another problem that was corrected in a quick amount of time, that factored into not flying around rain or lightning and thunderstorms. Rather than correct a myth, it worked as a deterrent to the real reason, which like I said was corrected quickly going way back to 1996. One would not want to bomber That couldn't fly in the rain. But that is a case of mistaken information, which worked to our advantage, for our potential enemies thinking it could not.
Love this aircraft. I've had the pleasure of going inside the cockpit because my father was the commander of the the maintenance crew out of Whiteman. Nothing is better than being at Arrowhead stadium watching one of these fly over.
That was one of the six test vehicles they had at Edwards Air Force Base. That one was used for climatic testing. Why it was called fire and ice. The hot deck aft of the engine exhaust is made out of solid titanium.
So, you have been to my favorite museum. And given special permissions to enter areas off limits to the general public. Awesome! How much time did you spend at and in the museum? It takes considerable time, days in fact to properly absorb all there is. Interesting sideline to the B2, Jack Northrup was said to have been handed a model of the aircraft and told of it's existence shortly before his death.
There is considerable value to being sneaky. Can't hit what you can't see. Granted, you may receive a random round, "to whom it may be addressed ", but what are you going to do?
Brilliant video once again. I’ve been binging on your videos and just had to subscribe. Assuming there will also be an XB70 video and did I see a B1 Lancer in the background? Can we expect a video on that?
Thanks for watching everyone! If you enjoyed the video, please give it a thumbs up. And feel free to subscribe as I have many more videos coming over the next few months... X-15, F-22, YF-23, the first 747/727/737, B-17, B-29, B-36, B-47, XB-70, Hughes H-4 Hercules, YF-12, Space Shuttle Orbiter and more... (footage is already captured so I just need to edit it!)
Could you please do the Douglas X-3? my grandfather worked on it and I am trying to build a model!
@@CodemanDIY hi mate, I'm afraid I am now back in Australia and didn't record any footage of the X-3 but maybe some time in the future :)
@@PaulStewartAviation yes please do!
@Paul Stewart
*Thank you Paul, you did an excellent job detailing the technological marvel and beauty that is the B2 Spirit!*
Great series Paul. Planning a trip to Dayton in a couple of years and wondering how long you recommend i set aside for the museum. Is 1 day enough? Cheers
I got to see this particular aircraft when it first arrived at the museum. The right wing was still broken and all of the wing leading edges had been removed as they were considered classified. The museum staff did an amazing job fabricating the missing parts and putting it back together for display.
The test article did not come with many parts of a flying aircraft. The leading edge was never attached
I was lucky enough to pilot it in. Good memory. 💪🏽
@@TheGarlicMan What are they like to fly?
Hate to ruin it for everyone but this isnt a real B2 its a fake painted scale model used for stress testing. None of the avionics, engines or stealth tech is on this piece. Per museum curator the only part of the plane that is real is the front nose gear.
There would be no point in having an operational 2 billion dollar aircraft on a museum display.
@@AirzGamingTTV what was on the test article was not disclosed. The "body" which includes the wings and "fuselage" were part of the test article because it was built to find the failure point. Since any structure inside the skin was classified, and I have seen no public information about the internal structure, we don't know about what else was included. For sure they didn't put in expensive components like the engined, electronics.
BTW Northrop built another test article nicknamed the Iron bird. It had no skin. It a full cockpit, control surfaces and everything required to fly the B2 except the engines. It was used to test how everything worked when plugged together. The cockpit was a flight simulator. I had the privilege to fly it for a few minutes.
The amount of work, time and brains put into this Aircraft is absolutely mindblowing and insane.
Yes indeed.
Almost a replica of the Horten 229
Same could be said about the Concorde in the 70s. It's amazing what humans can achieve with a clear goal in mind.
Not nearly as mindblowing and insane as the amount of taxpayer money it cost I guess.
In fact we cannot say anything less about a lot of other aircraft, just thinking about the B36 for example at the time when it was designed and developed...
Dang, I remember the day B-2 was unveiled to the public. I was 8 at the time and totally in awe. Still looks as amazing as ever. I've got to say the B-21has alot to live up to!
Yes what an experience! The B-21 will be the first new aircraft launch that I'll be watching live and can't wait
I flew these jets for over 11 years . Wonderful memories
Cool. How similar was this test version to the real thing?
What's your Spirit number?
Whadda lucky duck!
Can you make videos? Not of anything inside of course but of your experience snd stories. I've always been infatuated with everything about this jet and want to know anything about it and the awesome pilot to fly them. Hope you see this and may considsr starting up a YT channel of your own about the B-2 bomber. You'll grow a following pretty quickly. Cheers and thanks for your service.🇺🇲
@@Chief305 The inside of the cockpit actually isn't classified if/when the MFDs are powered off. THAT'S where all the truly classified shit is.
That museum is amazing. I went there in 2017 and I was blown away by just how big and diverse it is. The Air Force did a great job putting it together
Agreed. So much to see.
Let me tell you why the B-2 is my forever favorite military plane. When I was 13 my father was a Chaplin at Whiteman AFB. He had a buddy that ran the flight simulator for the B-2 training. My younger brother and I were fortunate enough to be allowed to "fly" in this gigantic room-sized box on a hydraulic platform. The trainer boarded with each of us one at a time. Sitting at the pilot seat, I got to taxi to the runway, fly a takeoff, refuel off a KC-10, bombing of Whiteman AFB (no kidding lol), and finally a landing. Talk about a unique childhood experience. Now, post 9/11, I think it would be tough to have something like that happen for another couple lucky kids.
I'm guessing the bombing was with dumb bombs because simulating a nuclear release - even with fake codes... >.>
@@pbdye1607 oh I am sure it was something like that. Just a fun afternoon so I am positive no secrets were given to this 12 year old (at the time) haha.
Wow...that must've been absolutely amazing 😲
The ultimate video game at the time of life you enjoy it the most. Awesome 😎👍
@@juniorballs6025 for real!! My brother, today, is in the military flying drones. To say we were impacted by that experience is an understatement. Totally awesome 🙂
The B2, F117A, B1-B and the SR-71 design still blow my mind today. I was but a wee nipper when the aircraft were unveiled (SR-71) and they just look so incredible to this day.
The amazing thing is, to the engineers and designers, when these aircraft enter service, they're immediately old news as the next gen is already in development.
Uhhh great, this video will be awsome. I cant wait to get a better feeling for the size of the B2-Spirit. I will just grab a quick coffee and enjoy this before the family wakes up. Aren`t these the best minutes of the day?
I live 50 miles west of Whiteman AFB and see these flying over the house often. I think we are on the flight path to one of the runway approaches. It surprises me how quiet they are even when low to the ground. Sitting in the house they sound similar to the HVAC turning on .
Best part of that museum is that its free. Really a great visit if you like history, military or aviation.
I fully agree! It's incredible and does require at least 2 days to see
Wow! I went to the Airforce Museum just 2 days ago and saw this B2! All of the planes I saw were a lottt bigger than what I imagined. Walked around for like 5 hours in that museum. Very fun experience, I got some of the tokens too, and an F16 shirt. Got to walk around in some presidential aircraft too, like the VC-137C that JFK used.
It's great, isn't it?!
Great seeing it up close. The true size of it becomes evident as you walk along the wing! Thanks Paul!
Glad you enjoyed it
Glad you are out and about again Paul
That place would be my Mecca! Not just the B-2 but so many other phenomenal aircraft I grew up trying to learn as much as possible about, some of which I saw in the background in this! The YF-12 and the Valkyrie just blow my mind! To see them in person must be such a surreal experience!
I live in San Diego (Poway)... I see f22s and f18s flying around ALL DAY. Nothrop, Lockheed, Gen Atomics, and Gen Dynamics are within walking distance; but, I've NEVER seen anything as awesome as THIS. The B2 Spirit is truly terrifying.
Went here for Vacation back in August, loved the amount of awesome Aircraft the museum has!
Couldn't agree more!
I was there in August too! Amazing place.
This museum looks incredible!
Definitely going on my bucket list.
It really is!
I was here many many years ago (when I was a kid), and yeah it's amazing. Probably even better. I've seen that XB-70 in person and that's another huge aircraft.
I've been there many times since I was a kid, I have my own kids now and have taken them a few times. Luckily it is just a little over an hour drive for me. You should absolutely go if you can.
And from what I remember it is free to get in! It is really worth it.
@@metaspark7260 yep free entry
He said it's "fairly defenseless," but it's more accurate to say "it uses (classified) passive defense."
B2 was the first stealth plane to be designed with the benefit of modern computers. The older mainframes they used for the F117 weren't powerful enough to model curved surfaces, so they were forced to use flat angled facets instead. In comparison, the B2 is so astonishingly smooth it looks like they hand shaped it out of wet modeling clay. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to machine all those curved panels so they perfectly matched with no gaps big enough for a radar beam to fit into. Your $1 billion at work, I suppose.
When you say "modern" you must mean supercomputers from the late 70s and early 80's, which by today's standards had less power than the average PC.
@@white-dragon4424 indeed
Stopped there many years ago specifically to see the XB-70, looks like I need to make another trip to see the B-2! Thanks for the video.
the quality and attention to detail with which the B-2 was constructed is just astonishing.
It’s sad 2 think though this is used four the purpose of killing people..
The B2 Spirit is one menacing plane, absolutely amazing. So cool to see the Xb-70 Valkyrie in there as well. awesome!!
The plane that truly gets your attention at the USAF Museum is the B-36. The XB-70 is amazing but you're able to get closer to the B-36 and see it from above.
Really cool that you went to this museum, looking forward to the next vid!
very good video about northrop grummans b 2 spirit strategic bomber.
I was a crew member on F-4C's back in the mid-60's, I would love to have crewed one of these incredible birds ! They are a beautiful example of American ingenuity and sophisticated design. Thanks for this walkabout !
You're welcome! What did you do on the F-4s? I am working on a F-4 video and would love to have someone proof read what I say.
I worked for Northrop Grumman 1989-1998 on the B2 Stealth Program in Pico Rivera, California, as a DBA; even got told not to sit on the Cray used for flight test analysis. Installed a lot of Oracle on various servers for different applications. Got to see one up close (25 feet away) in Palmdale and made a few visits to Edwards for IT support (had a great Solaris laptop we used when doing IT support at different locations)
Quite an aircraft!
"even got told not to sit on the Cray used for flight test analysis"
But those things were made for sitting on (if an X-MP or Y-MP, idiots designed the Cray-2 in between without seating), they even had foam padding for the butts!
MiniMe, stop humping the supercomputer!
I was at Edwards Air Force Base when the B-2 moved from Plant 42 in Palmdale, California to Edwards. I still have my letter that was carried in the bomb bay during this maiden flight.
Wow, Paul !!!
That is soooo cool !!!
Really interesting, too.
I look forward to watching the next video from your tour of this museum 😊
Back in 2018, during my senior year of high school. I had the chance to see them in person at Whiteman AFB. It was so amazing, you were spot on when you said its bigger than it seems. It is a massive wide aircraft.
Surprisingly though the inside is vary cramped. I was able to sit in the cockpit and it is a tight fit for a 5'10 highschooler. They had just enough room for the stairs going in, the cockpit, a toilet and a microwave.
It was such a wonderful experience seeing it in person. And an F16 buzzed the runway for us.
Glad to see you back in the states.
No. The stealth jab at the beginning had me. Not bad!
Love this airframe, did 4 years at Whiteman and many tours of the B2, got to fly the simulator twice. Awesome 👌
He is a very good speech about our new B21 , and give us a good knowledge ! Thanks 👍👏👏👏👏👏💐💐💐
This was absolutely fascinating Paul. Please keep these great videos coming!
Glad you enjoyed it! I’m working on the XB-70 video as we speak :)
@@PaulStewartAviation Cheers Paul; can’t wait to see it! Stay well and keep up the great work mate.
Very nice tour. Subscribed. We are lucky in the UK that Spirits, Buffs and Lancers visit one location (RAF Fairford) I have quite a few videos of them in action on my site.
Cheers I'll have a look. I hope to visit the UK and film more videos next year :)
@@PaulStewartAviation 👍
Fascinating and interesting commentary and video footage on topics such as "continuous curvature" and the way the aircraft controls yaw... without compromising its "stealth". With the state of the world at the moment we need technologically superior aircraft for national defence and offence. Well done Paul.
I like what you're doing straight forward information. Subscribed. Out camping in the Owens Valley Calif. saw a B-2 fly directly above me very high in the sky leaving a contrail, early in the morning the sun hasn't come up above the mountains yet, it turned east going away from me then turned south, it lit up like a UFO with a contrail, I said to myself it's not so stealthy now. I took a pixelated zoomed in shot of it. Makes me wonder why it lit up like that.
I am just down the road in Cincinnati, and try to make it up there at least twice a year. It may no be a big change, but it seems like there is something new each time.
Warren county representing here also lol
I'm happy I actually got to watch that very interesting video. It was private when you first posted it but happy you resolved that issue
Yep fixed now :)
Good one Paul. Back in the 90’s, as a trucker, I made a delivery to Whiteman AFB in Missouri. I got to see these bombers, under open covers on the tarmac. I assume the covers were to protect them from spy satellites. This was post Cold War but, I think they took security seriously and I did not dare take any pictures. Still, amazing planes. Thanks for the post. Keep em coming
They’re docks, the jet isn’t designed to be left out in the elements all day every day. Plus consider that while in a dock the aircraft is secured in its own “Vault” and as long as the doors remain closed/locked there isn’t a need to have a “Babysitter” to stick with the jet. Not to mention every dock is built to streamline any maintenance (we averaged about 20 man hours per flight hours during my time) with external “pit” power and cooling air for powerups w/o engines- as well as piping to make refueling easier by having a way to refuel directly from within the dock.
Next time you’re in the states, you should check out the Evergreen museum in McMinnville, OR. The home of the Spruce Goose, another Blackbird, 2 747s (one of which is on the roof of the campus water park) and a Titan II rocket among other space age displays.
I’m literally visiting there today :)
The ordnance on display next to the B-2 are, from left to right: B-83 "strategic," B-62 "tactical" nuclear gravity bombs and GBU-31 2000 lbs JDAM.
You’ve done a great job presenting this beautiful aircraft. One of the greatest unexpected plane spotting experience I’ve ever had was seeing this aircraft fly over while I was attending the NFL experience before the super bowl many years ago in Tampa. I had no idea they were going to do the fly over and then suddenly there it was.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for all those interesting close up details 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey mate, great insight into one of the worlds most successful bombers to date and the fact that this bird has been flying for quite some time is a testament to her (or his) design. Safe travels.
Definitely “his” - Jack Northrop’s brainchild.
One of my A&P teachers was tasked with changing the engines in the B2 when in service. She said they did not use cold AC in the summer.
Everything I say is in the public domain. The B2 at the museum is a test article and never had the ability to fly. It was used in destructive testing. The external mend plates are there to hold the broken off wing in place.
The only part of the test article that flew is the "Fire and Ice" landing gear door. It was removed after hot and cold testing for analysis and given to the museum separately from the test article. Many parts of the aircraft were built at the museum as the test article did not come with all the parts. The heat tiles for the engine are represented by paint applied by the museum. Anyone who had seen a B2 up close will see the differences between the museum parts and the real thing. The docents will tell you which items are museum built.
While I don't know this for sure I suspect that the following are museum built:
-Air speed measurement device
-cockpit and it's windshield
-leading edge (which isn't the same shape as the real thing)
-Radar absorbing paint is simulated with normal paint
As to the cost, if one takes the whole program cost and divides by the number of flying aircraft built, your number is about correct. The cost to build one more was about $500million since all the research and tooling costs were done. The reason for the high program cost is that the development program included as much development as had been performed since the Wright Brothers. Except for some fastners inside and some other small items inside everything was new, except the RAM which had been developed earlier, but on the B2 is improved. On the high maintenance cost , Northrop developed a corn husk blasting method to remove RAM and recycle it. Northrop also developed the 1st system that used computer aided design and no paper blue prints. Northrop also used computer modeling of radar reflections that advanced that practice significantly. The B2 had when built the most advanced fly by wire system in the world. This overcame the problems of bombing platform stability attributed to the YB-49. A great deal of effort went into the buried engines as it was a conflict between radar stealth and getting enough air to the engines.
Thanks for the info - I definitely noticed that the wing leading edges didn’t look right. I’m guessing the shape would be almost impossible for a museum to fabricate on their own, but they did a surprisingly good job still.
@@EstorilEm the leading edge is undoubtedly not made from the same materials as the real thing. Another issue for the museum substitute is how to attach the fake leading edge as the test article probably didn't come with the the fastening points. The museum doesn't have an unlimited budget to fabricate the very large part. If I had an unlimited budget, I would make the fake out of balsa wood and simply carve it shape. Then the correct paint color would make it look good. But the museum did a fantastic job of preserving important history. I was also surprised (and appreciated) that I could walk up to the test article at the museum. It is a lot closer than ever got at Northrop with the flying B2 Spirts.
Thank you for this info, I was wondering why it looked so different from photos of real B2s
@@nivlacyevips it's real, it wasn't supplied with parts to make it fly, then they broke it
@@saltyroe3179 In my opinion, if it was never intended to fly, it’s not a real B2.
I love that museum !! I have my picture taken with that very aircraft!! I could live in the museum with all the history and aircraft!! Awesome Place!!
Great vlog as always Paul ! The humor was acceptable 😂
Glad you enjoyed it
What a cool plane! Who else is here waiting to see the new B-21?!
8:35 The B2 production number was cut from over 100 down to 20. That drove the price of each individual plane up dramatically.
Yeah, tooling is a fixed cost, so building a small number sometimes costs you a lot more in the long run. not to mention fewer spare parts at the inevitable end-of-life cycle.
Good point
@@DFX2KX Not just tooling but all the time and effort to design and engineer the plane too.
@@TheInsaneShecklador That is VERY true.Facilities, parts contracts, all that stuff isn't going to get much cheaper past a certain point.
I just discoverd your channel and you are the best!
Welcome :)
I really enjoyed the video you presented some information that most people neglect to do like the pre-engine air intakes to cool the exhaust and the differential thrust produced by the engines to aid in steering the aircraft. Something I didn't know about and has never heard mentioned in any of the other talks about the B-2 I've seen.
Love the Dayton AF Museum... so cool........ seeing the XB-70 up close is..........unreal.
Air planes are so cool and fascinating and I hope to fly / build many aircraft both in super sonic and not, this is such a fun topic 🙀🤩 and thanks to u for filming this too!🥰
Seen the B-2 "Spirit" fly overhead, along with 2 F-117 "Nighthawk" aircraft at Nellis AFB, Nevada... AWESOME Is An UNDERSTATEMENT!!!
Love the videos. Can't wait until we see the Shuttle. Shame Buran is not available as I would give my right arm to see inside that amazing beast.
That was great, thank you for the tour
Glad you enjoyed it
Good Job & Have a Great Christmas 🎅👍
Thanks, you too!
Fascinating video, Paul. BTW, the only total loss of a B-2, at Guam, was caused by moisture entering those skin-flush air-data sensors.
That's right....I definitely remember that video, too
I felt my eyes watering when you said the cost! Wow!! We could get half the Collins Class Submarine fleet (3) for 1 of these!! Cost the same to maintain it too!! 😭 (I digress!!)
Amazing footage of the B-2! I can't believe how big it is and that it's so 'flat'!! You wouldn't have thought it could fly, let alone carry a payload of bombs/missiles!
Great stuff!
Superb presentation. Thank you.
For some reason I had in my head until now that it had 2 engines. It actually makes sense to use 4 as they can have smaller diameter than equivalent 2 keep the cross section thinner.
Yeah I also thought that they had two engines also , yeah makes sense to use four, what a beautiful plane , I sure hope that they build all the B21’s and don’t reduce the allotment, we need all 100 or more for the future unless China wants to have an treaty to limit the number of bombers cause right now they are trying to out build us.
So beautiful. Thanks!
there was one piece of this B-2 that flew which was the nose gear door from another airframe. heard that the last time I was at the Museum
was wondering when this was going to be released as it was private a few hours ago! another great vid!
haha I made a mistake in the first version from a few hours ago. 72,000 tonnes was a little too heavy. :) This is version 2.
I would love to see a B2 sometime in my life!
Excellent video very informative great looking museum 👍👏
Glad you enjoyed it
Such a beauty.
Beautiful looking machine 😮
Hi Paul very interesting video thank you
God bless USA. Forever. 🇺🇸
Definitely my favorite aircraft
Great video Paul! I love swing aircraft museum tours and the B2 Spirit is my favorite stealth jet!
LOVE IT! ❤️
Cheers 🥂
Caleb’s Aviation
Also I just realized that you’re at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio right??
Talk about karma! I was going to visit that museum today and it would’ve been awesome to run in to one of my favorite TH-camr’s ever!! Unfortunately I had a last minute schedule conflict!!!
Very disappointed indeed! 😢
Cool plane!... we love your channel ✈️
Thanks for visiting
My grandfather (who actually turned 91 years old today) built this plane in complete secrecy. He mentioned there were to be a lot of B-2's built, but when the plan was changed to build less, the workers had to become airforce certified to work on multiple components since they would no longer be hiring more workers. The security clearance meant that not many people would have the privilege to build it, let alone ever speak of it. He also helped build the B-1. He gave me more information, but considering the secrecy, I'll hesitate to mention anything further.
I forgot to mention, he reckons, out of the 31 built, he probably walked across the top of 17 of them.
Looks flying saucer - ish love it!!!😊😊😊
Thanks Paul.. do more military aircraft sir.
Love the vid.
Great to see! Incredible that it was designed going on 30 years ago. I’ve heard similar info about the susceptibility of the stealthy surface coatings on the F-22 Raptor, to the point where it is detrimental to expose the aircraft to rain.
Actually, the B2 LOA/RCS coatings can be exposed to rain. The reasons cannot be spoken about, as to why some believe they could not be exposed to rain. They could with no problem, but there was another problem that was corrected in a quick amount of time, that factored into not flying around rain or lightning and thunderstorms. Rather than correct a myth, it worked as a deterrent to the real reason, which like I said was corrected quickly going way back to 1996. One would not want to bomber That couldn't fly in the rain. But that is a case of mistaken information, which worked to our advantage, for our potential enemies thinking it could not.
@@Genjo_N_Mojave So, disinformation like the carrot thing.
Love this aircraft. I've had the pleasure of going inside the cockpit because my father was the commander of the the maintenance crew out of Whiteman. Nothing is better than being at Arrowhead stadium watching one of these fly over.
this particular aircraft is just a test article you would never be able to get this close to a real one great video though been to the museum 4 times
The spirit of b2 lives on to b21!
That is so beautiful
That was one of the six test vehicles they had at Edwards Air Force Base. That one was used for climatic testing. Why it was called fire and ice. The hot deck aft of the engine exhaust is made out of solid titanium.
So, you have been to my favorite museum. And given special permissions to enter areas off limits to the general public. Awesome! How much time did you spend at and in the museum? It takes considerable time, days in fact to properly absorb all there is.
Interesting sideline to the B2, Jack Northrup was said to have been handed a model of the aircraft and told of it's existence shortly before his death.
I spent a full Tuesday there and probably around 5hrs on the Wednesday. It’s an awesome place!
I seen a b-2 spirit at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, ohio.
Fighters: "Wait, you're scrambling us for a seagull?"
Radar operator: "Yeah but this seagull is moving at a ground speed of 500 knots"
glad to see a F-22 video is on your list!!
Got to visit 🤯🙏🙏🙏
So COOL!
Such a cool looking plane, most planes just look like flying machines, but this looks like a falcon in flight.
Any ideas if the "mock up" used in S02 of the "Last man on Earth" TV series has any bearing on reality ?
Very interesting. If this thing is in a museum, then what have they got out there in Nevada that we don't know about? Subscribed.
There is considerable value to being sneaky. Can't hit what you can't see.
Granted, you may receive a random round, "to whom it may be addressed ", but what are you going to do?
Awesome bird!
It sure is!
Fascinating
Brilliant video once again. I’ve been binging on your videos and just had to subscribe.
Assuming there will also be an XB70 video and did I see a B1 Lancer in the background? Can we expect a video on that?
Cheers. I have raw footage for the sr-71, yf-12, yf-23, f-22, x15, F102 (I think 😂) and xb-70 so sadly no B1B
If the bomb bays can hold a pair of 30,000 pound bunker busters, then the 40,000 pound bomb payload is definitely understated :P
I liked the stealth joke in the beginning