Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B)

The B-21 Raider accomplished its first “power on” test in recent months, moving it another step closer to a first flight that is still scheduled to take place before the end of 2023, Northrop Grumman officials announced July 27.
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www.airandspaceforces.com

Successful B-21 Test Moves Bomber Closer to First Flight, Still on Track for 2023

The B-21 successfully underwent a “power-on” test, and Northrop executives expect a low-rate production contract and first flight in 2023.
www.airandspaceforces.com www.airandspaceforces.com
 
That is brilliant news for the B-21, entering low-rate initial production and a first flight in 2023. Personally I cannot wait.
 
B-21 seems to be following the B-2 process, next will be engine runs, taxi testing then first flight!
 
So are we going to see a B-21 first flight sometime first half September or first half October Hydroman? It would be great to see if the B-21 gets to fly before the years end.
 
The 420th Flight Test Squadron was reactivated in Oct 2019.

Gen. Timothy Ray, the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command, visited Edwards AFB and Plant 42 in May, 2021. His first stop was Edward where he visited the 420th Flight Test Squadron, B-21 CTF. B-21 CTF is the integrated team of NG, 420th FLTS and Detachment 5, of the USAF OT&E Center. The B-21 CTF will also execute first flight, provide design verification, and combat capability validation.

On the following day, Ray visited NG facilities at Plant 42 and saw significant progress made on the build of the first flight test aircraft.

So the first flight test aircraft has been in production for well over two years and B-21 CTF over three years. That means folks are rotating out of B-21 CTF. We know first flight was pushed out six months. Now it's getting on a year.

Is it really taking over two years to build an airframe on production line tooling? At this point, it seems likely there was a problem. But the Air Force nor NG is speaking. Is this related to why NG is not bidding on NGAD or perhaps they already made a deal to work with LM as with F-35, or both?

Lots of questions, no good reporting. At least report on the questions.
 
FighterJock said:
So are we going to see a B-21 first flight sometime first half September or first half October Hydroman? It would be great to see if the B-21 gets to fly before the years end.
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Hey FighterJock, I hope so, depends on how well power on tests go (FCAS, gear swings, fuel, engine runs as some examples). I am betting December but I am being conservative, they could be farther along than they state. Taxi testing should bring the aircraft into the open but initial nighttime taxi testing could be in the cards possibly? Initial engine runs should be at night. Interesting story, during our B-2 taxi tests we had very grabby brakes which created a "duck walk" due to the wide gear track and short wheelbase during low-speed taxi. Fixed it by changing the metering valves and went to less-grabby brakes which solved the problem. Unfortunately, I do not live in the AV (28 years) any longer, I am back down on the other side of the hill now.
 
That was what I was thinking to sferrin. Unless NG are going by the book and doing what they did with the B-2 where the roll out was done without a fully integrated cockpit.
 
Interesting planform is interesting
 

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Our Northrop "A-12" was smaller version of the original B-2 design and the B-21, don't mess with success. The saw tooth trailing edge on the current B-2 needed to have powerful elevons more inboard plus the GLAS surface to handle the low altitude mission. Do not fly large flying wings on the deck!
 
I wonder what was found unsatisfactory about low altitude handling without that added saw-tooth. A bit too slow to change pitch perhaps?
 
Hydroman said:
Our Northrop "A-12" was smaller version of the original B-2 design and the B-21, don't mess with success. The saw tooth trailing edge on the current B-2 needed to have powerful elevons more inboard plus the GLAS surface to handle the low altitude mission. Do not fly large flying wings on the deck!
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Are there any open source pictures of that design lurking around?
 
Scott Kenny said:
Are there any open source pictures of that design lurking around?
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Only one taken from The $5B Misunderstanding book which can be seen on Google images. Govt has always been pretty hush, hush regarding Northrop's XST and ATA aircraft, wonder why?
 
Hydroman said:
Only one taken from The $5B Misunderstanding book which can be seen on Google images. Govt has always been pretty hush, hush regarding Northrop's XST and ATA aircraft, wonder why?
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My first assumption would be overclassification. With things like the X-47 out there in the open literature, there's no obvious reason to continue to keep that shape classified.

Note that I'm speaking strictly of the Outer Mold Line, not any of the details of the guts of the plane.
 
Hydroman said:
Our Northrop "A-12" was smaller version of the original B-2 design and the B-21, don't mess with success. The saw tooth trailing edge on the current B-2 needed to have powerful elevons more inboard plus the GLAS surface to handle the low altitude mission. Do not fly large flying wings on the deck!
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I still would bet a sum of money that the B-21 has a lineage in QUARTS/AARS
 
Hansblix said:
I still would bet a sum of money that the B-21 has a lineage in QUARTS/AARS
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The Northrop QUARTZ design was very different (and lost). Straight wings like Global Hawk.
 
quellish said:
The Northrop QUARTZ design was very different (and lost). Straight wings like Global Hawk.
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I was under the impression that Northrop had a variation of the B-2 or a flying wing that was being used in Tier 3 spaces geared towards ISR and even more recently similarities in Sensorcraft design
 
Hansblix said:
I was under the impression that Northrop had a variation of the B-2 or a flying wing that was being used in Tier 3 spaces geared towards ISR
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Northrop may have proposed an “RB-2” in the late 80s or early 90s. It was a B-2 outfitted for reconnaissance.

In the early 80s Northrop Ventura participated in the competition for the QUARTZ long endurance penetrating UAV. That proposal had long, straight wings.
 
quellish said:
Northrop may have proposed an “RB-2” in the late 80s or early 90s. It was a B-2 outfitted for reconnaissance.

In the early 80s Northrop Ventura participated in the competition for the QUARTZ long endurance penetrating UAV. That proposal had long, straight wings
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Would one assume that it was a high altitude variant and possibly the original ATB/B-2 design or just a B-2 jammed with sensors
 
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Hansblix said:
Would one assume that it was a high altitude variant and possibly the original ATB/B-2 design or just a B-2 jammed with optics
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A B-2 with additional sensors.
 
www.airmanmagazine.af.mil

AIRFRAME: B-21 Raider

The B-21 is a high-tech nuclear-capable stealth bomber designed with future modernization in mind to ensure the aircraft and technology are able to evolve throughout time and threat changes. The
www.airmanmagazine.af.mil


……..My bad… this one is old…… :(
 

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This side view is really mesmerizing o_O
I really wonder even more today if the tiny cockpit does not retract backward in flight (hence the angled side windows).

I can identify some kind of outlets on the upper side of the aft central body. What are those? Nozzles?
 
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