Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B)

quellish said:

Northrop Grumman appears to have landed classified next-gen bomber prototype | Aviation Week Network

Northrop Grumman received contracts totaling more than $2.5 billion for secret aircraft programs in the first quarter of 2008, strongly supporting reports and indications that the company has won a U.S. Air Force contract to build a prototype for the Next Generation Bomber (NGB) program...
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
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For NGB... which was cancelled for LRS-B
 
The "RQ-180" time-frame (2008) when that program began (refer to a previous post of mine regarding dates). There could have been some NGC FB-23 development work for LRS-B/Theater Strike as well. Sometimes you don't know when demonstrators had been built, it depends on how sensitive the program is, does the platform have an application advantage and as long as you keep them hidden. Kind of like the NGAD demonstrator platform.
 
Hydroman said:
The "RQ-180" time-frame (2008) when that program began (refer to a previous post of mine regarding dates). There could have been some NGC FB-23 development work for LRS-B/Theater Strike as well. Sometimes you don't know when demonstrators had been built, it depends on how sensitive the program is, does the platform have an application advantage and as long as you keep them hidden. Kind of like the NGAD demonstrator platform.
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I believe the story with the "NGB demonstrator" was that the later "RQ-180" stories were based on the same evidence. IE, the story became this wasn't an NGB, it was the "RQ-180". I am not sure if in the stories that was ever explicitly stated.
 
Raider first flight on Veteran's day? Sounds like something that could be.
 
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Raider first flight Veteran's day? Which is a public holiday the last time I looked, I would like that to happen if it does.
 
Probably more taxi testing coming soon, medium/high speed taxi then first flight some time after. I think the recent backside photos of the 21 were initial ground handling. I predict a December first flight.
 
Same here Hydroman, it would be good to see the B-21's first flight sometime before the Christmas holidays start.
 
Hard to tell without seeing the actual picture instead of just a photo of the camera screen, but there appears to be two weapons bays. I thought that was likely as having just one would severely limit the B-21's payload.
 
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It looks like there is a smaller secondary bay outboard of a larger primary bay (and presumably a matching one on the other side). I had thought this would be the configuration and I believe several other people on this board even created 3D models to this effect.
 
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Josh_TN said:
It looks like there is a smaller secondary bay outboard of a larger primary bay (and presumably a matching one on the other side). I had thought this would be the configuration and I believe several other people on this board even created 3D models to this effect.
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Aren't those the engine access doors?
 
Cool beans!

Auxiliary inlets appear to be open during the whole take-off, as well.
I wonder what those black sections between the innermost pair of flaps are.
 
Josh_TN said:
I think you’re right, looking at the high rez photo. They are in line with what appears to be the trailing edge of the exhaust so I presume they are directly below the engines.
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I take that back, it looks like there is a large bay on the centerline, a slightly shorter door that's pretty narrow (maybe HARM sized), then the short/wide engine access, then the main landing gear.
 
I cannot wait until they release any footage of the flight, also looking at the photos above it appears that the B-21 does have a single large weapons bay. Anyone else notice this?
 
Scott Kenny said:
I take that back, it looks like there is a large bay on the centerline, a slightly shorter door that's pretty narrow (maybe HARM sized), then the short/wide engine access, then the main landing gear.
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Ah yeah, I think I see it too now on the photo now that I'm using a full sized screen instead of a phone. It looks like five sets of doors, one large central, two small maybe F-35 ish, and two wider, longer outer doors that seemed aligned with the engines. I'm sure people better at analysis than me will come up with rough sizes and estimates based on pixel size and such.
 
Would it make sense for B-21 to have special A-A missile bays ?
Scott Kenny said:
I take that back, it looks like there is a large bay on the centerline, a slightly shorter door that's pretty narrow (maybe HARM sized), then the short/wide engine access, then the main landing gear.
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Bhurki said:
Would it make sense for B-21 to have special A-A missile bays ?
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If not A2A, at least a rapid response A2G. It would make sense to carry an ARM/SiAW in a smaller bay that could rapidly open and close with less signature than the main bay and to not compromise the primary payload. This also would allow for different types of weapons to be carried, since the internal racks I’m aware of can’t mix weapon types (at least I’ve never heard of that being done on any of the existing internal rack/launchers). No reason a secondary bay couldn’t carry an A2A missile either for last ditch self defense, if the bomber has that capability.
 
Thanks Graugrun, video footage of the B-21s first flight is currently thin on the ground at the moment, strange that NGs website has absolutely nothing about it at all.
 
FighterJock said:
Thanks Graugrun, video footage of the B-21s first flight is currently thin on the ground at the moment, strange that NGs website has absolutely nothing about it at all.
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I'm sure they're working on a video and an announcement that's quality. I expect it to be up before the evening news cycle starts. Well done, to NG and all of the suppliers, workers, program managers, etc. involved with program.
 
I definitively see distributed exhausts along the inboard trailing edges, routed at an angle downward. Wonder if that is not the cold flow part of the exhaust. That would shield the hot exhausts on top from slightly below IR Sensors
 
Don't forget NG was also working on much smaller air defense missiles, I think for the original NGB program. The smaller bays may also house banks of those launched just like flares and chaff are launched, with the doors just acting as stealth covers for the missile bank.
 

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