FighterJock
ACCESS: Top Secret
- Joined
- 29 October 2007
- Messages
- 4,945
- Reaction score
- 4,743
That is the first time that I have ever heard of such a use for the B-21 Manuducati, it will be interesting to see if such a system works in reality.
I'm getting +23.4%.total combat effectiveness +16% B-2
My brother was probably standing nearby. MF calls me up about 15 minutes after pics start hitting Twitter, "hey, guess where I'm at". "Where?" "Palmdale".
I wasn't aware, that combat effectiveness is now being meassured by guesstimated physical proportions of the aircraft..total combat effectiveness +16% B-2
total combat effectiveness +16% B-2
Well then. I suppose that you never performed a tactical capabilities comparison between Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch.I wasn't aware, that combat effectiveness is now being meassured by guesstimated physical proportions of the aircraft..
No, but I definitely pondered the possibilities of a teamup involving myself, Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch.Well then. I suppose that you never performed a tactical capabilities comparison between Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch.
Pity. Kids today!
Just for info and continuity for history:
B-21 Raider's First Flight: What We Learned
Our analysis of seeing the first B-21 Raider, nicknamed Cerberus, in the sky and from many new angles for the very first time.www.thedrive.com
It's almost like reading this forum, with questions about the data probe and discussion of Cerebrus, how odd...
A smaller bay with a smaller door can have a faster open/launch/close cycle, so less time for the radar to catch you with a large RCS. If that's the case with the doors on the B-21, I'd expect that they're for a couple of ARMs and any decoys or ALEs carried. AAMs are less likely, but possible, especially if Peregrines or CUDAs can intercept incoming AAMs as well as fighters.Such an large aircraft in the A2A role seems very strange. Perhaps as a missile truck in conjunction with NGAD/F-35? You only need the big bay for that, not secondary smaller bays. In the bombing role you would want to get in and out undetected and shooting your way in and out amoungst enemy aircraft is not the way to do it. Come in above enemy fighters from an unlikely direction is.
Even in the SEAD role it seems far too big and unmanuverable and again, shooting your way into a target hardly seems stealthy.
It's been pointed out that the "side bays" have visible screw heads around the perimeter so are more likely to be access panels than weapons bays. I'm just not sure what systems you'd need to put there that result in a door longer than the engine.Either the USAF has gone mad in wanting an A2A role in such a huge aircraft, or we simply have no idea why those bays exist. My money is on the latter.
The A-12 would fit the bill for an bomber that was manuverable enough to fight its way out if need so A2A weapons seem logical there.Remember that the A-12's design brief had space for 2x AMRAAMs, 2x HARMs, and 2x 2000lb bombs, so there's definitely precedence for stealth attack/bombers having A2A capabilities.
Both proposed craft were flying wings (crud, the NG version looks a LOT like the B-21!), so I'm not sure just how maneuverable the A-12 would have been.The A-12 would fit the bill for an bomber that was manuverable enough to fight its way out if need so A2A weapons seem logical there.
Not a great article, doesn't seem to grok that the short and wide panels are for engine access. The question is about the panels between the engine access and the central bomb bay.The First Flight Of The B-21 Revealed Some Interesting Details Of The New Bomber
Here are all the interesting things we have noticed in the images of the B-21's first flight. At 6:51 a.m on Nov. 10, 2023, local time, the B-21 Raidertheaviationist.com
Crew entry? Where we're going, we don't need a crew! Did you not see the red LED through the windshield scanning from side to side?I wonder where the crew entry is?
Ah, okay, that makes sense, thanks!The bays just inboard of the MLG bay doors I assume would be the engine/hydro bay access similar to the B-2. The B-2 engine bay/ECS/hydro bay doors in the single line-up. I would assume the 21 would use a vapor cycle machine similar to the 787, does not require engine bleed air as all the avionics would be liquid cooled.
My guess is inside the Nose Landing Gear bay. Saves you from having to make another hatch in the skin that you then need to do RCS treatments for...I wonder where the crew entry is?
I wonder where the crew entry is?
I'm wondering if that second door behind the front nose gear door is just a crew entrance door. I realize it could be a gear door that closes on power up, but in all of the pics of the B-21 taxiing and definitely flying, that door is closed. It also looks to me like the nose gear could compress upon retraction to fit within just the front door.
Agreed!OK, looking at the enhanced pic from Paul yesterday, here's my thought on the crew door.
This is probably the reason for the aft NLG door. On the B-2, you can clearly see the crew entry door on left side. It looks like during the NLG retraction sequence, NLG up, front door close (front door may be mechanically linked to the NLG) then aft door close. Also if you notice and zoom in on the MLG, the door is linked to the MLG, seems not to be hydraulically sequenced like the B-2. I assume the cockpit is smaller as well, I had plenty of room (due to the 3rd man area not being used) in the B-2 and I am 6'4".Seems likely. I just noticed that you can see that second panel folded down on the ground.
View attachment 711466
Yes Sundog, that's it.OK, looking at the enhanced pic from Paul yesterday, here's my thought on the crew door. I arrived at this because I wanted to look at the nose gear to see if it folded in two. But now that I see the detail of the nose gear, I think the second door is just a nose gear door that opens when the gear retracts and closes again. Also, once I saw the door on side of the gear doors and given it's size, that seemed to me to indicate it's the crew door.