Supersonic Stealth Bomber?

[Viking]

From the Torygraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5315480/Stealth-bomber-photographed-breaking-sound-barrier.html

Stealth bomber photographed breaking sound barrier
A stealth bomber is frozen in time as it breaks the sound barrier during a test flight above the Californian desert.


Last Updated: 10:37AM BST 13 May 2009



B-2 Spirit Bomber breaking the sound barrier over Palmdale, California  Photo: EPA 

Its unmistakable teardrop profile is shrouded in the blur of a condensation cloud as it reaches high subsonic speed.

The striking image of the B-2, officially known as the Spirit Bomber, was taken as the aircraft soared over Palmdale, near Los Angeles.

It was released to coincide with the announcement of upgraded military software for the United States Air Force's fleet of 20 B-2s.

The bomber is central to America's air warfare capabilities and is the flagship of the nation's long-range strike arsenal, with the ability to unleash conventional and nuclear weapons.

Its stealth comes from a combination of reduced acoustic, infrared, visual and radar signatures, making it difficult for opposition defences to detect, track and engage the aircraft.

They have seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The B-2 can travel as high as 50,000ft and weighs 153,700lbs without its payload of bombs.

The cloud effect is caused by a vapour cone also known as the "Prandtl-Glauert singularity".

It appears when there is a sudden drop in air pressure around aircraft travelling just above or below the speed of sound.

These condensation clouds, also known as "shock collars", are frequently seen during space shuttle launches but their precise nature is still under debate.

US defence contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation disclosed on Tuesday that it is installing upgraded software in the B-2 bombers' flight management system.

A statement from technology group Semantic Designs, which designed the software, said the project "will enhance and extend the lifetime of the B-2".

The company said: "Although the B-2 is the Air Force's newest bomber, its computers and processors require upgrade to keep up with integration efforts.

"Expanded and more reliable systems are necessary to maintain the B-2's leading edge combat capabilities."

I want to know what else they haven't been telling us about. If I understand aircraft correctly then you really need to design in the ability to go supersonic into the airframe. You can't really just put a bigger engine on it. That means Northrop-Grumman intended the plane to go supersonic (if that is what it actually did).

What I want to know is, what else have they been keeping secret, this plane is 20 years old and has been operative for over 10 years.

[Siege]

I say this is bullshit.

It ain't supersonic.

[Siege]

Then again, this is an american plane.

Israeli intellegence love to make the arabs believe that the IDF have capabilties beyond their actual real ones, while the US Air Force seems to be the exact oposite.

[Viking]

Then again, this is an american plane.

Israeli intellegence love to make the arabs believe that the IDF have capabilties beyond their actual real ones, while the US Air Force seems to be the exact oposite.

I saw something recently about the IAF borrowing MiG-29s from "somebody" to practice against.

[Syt]

Alien technology!

[Ed Anger]

I could tell you what the AFRL is working on, but then I'd have to kill you.

[DontSayBanana]

It jives, mostly; Palmdale's right along the HASSC. I note that that's particularly used for NASA supersonic research- of interest, the picture's pretty close to where the Quiet Spike has been tested (adding a spiked nose cone to an F/A-18 to try to disperse sonic boom shockwaves).

[Syt]

Btw, the photo is at least two years old, illustrating this March 2007 article:
http://www.aviationnews.eu/?p=875

It seems it's only re-circulated, because developers Semantic Designs used it in a press release:
http://www.semanticdesigns.com/Products/Services/NorthropGrummanB2.html

[grumbler]

Btw, the photo is at least two years old, illustrating this March 2007 article:
http://www.aviationnews.eu/?p=875

It seems it's only re-circulated, because developers Semantic Designs used it in a press release:
http://www.semanticdesigns.com/Products/Services/NorthropGrummanB2.html

I recall this picture coming out and, no, it isn't a picture of a transonic B-2.  It was just an unusual picture that looked that way.  This is an astonishingly badly researched article, and would badly damage to Torygraph's reputation, had the Torygraph any such thing.

[Syt]

Btw, the photo is at least two years old, illustrating this March 2007 article:
http://www.aviationnews.eu/?p=875

It seems it's only re-circulated, because developers Semantic Designs used it in a press release:
http://www.semanticdesigns.com/Products/Services/NorthropGrummanB2.html

I recall this picture coming out and, no, it isn't a picture of a transonic B-2.  It was just an unusual picture that looked that way.  This is an astonishingly badly researched article, and would badly damage to Torygraph's reputation, had the Torygraph any such thing.

German media watcher bildblog.de made the background research. It seems a lot of media jumped the OMG SUPAHSONAC ST34LTH BOMMA! train.

[Lucidor]

I honestly though the B2 was supersonic. 



I think the Backfire looks cooler.

[The Brain]

I honestly though the B2 was supersonic. 

Are you a woman? Cause you sure don't seem to know your hardware.