Early hiccups with B-21

Northrop has run into a few early hiccups with the Raider design, but should have them resolved before production hits its stride. One of the bigger issues is the engine airflow. The comment was made that it's a very different aircraft in terms of airflow, and that makes it difficult to get the airflow needed for the engines where it needs to be. It's believed that the F135 is the base for the engines on the B-21, which would require a fairly large inlet, which will impact stealth.

There was also a comment made that there was some issue designing the wing for the aircraft. No details were given as to what the issue might be though.

www.defensenews.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I think the wing problem and the inlet problem are co dependant and that its the same problem they thought they had worked out that nearly crashed the demonstrator earlier.

shoulda gone with lockheed

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Except then it would cost far more than bid and be significantly delayed, bp.

a reply to: anzha

A combination of Boeing AND Lockheed? Jesus, it'd be 2060 before they rolled it out.

a reply to: Zaphod58

And then they'd be forced to redesign the RAM coating from scratch after the EMD aircraft started shedding it in basic flight ops.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: anzha

A combination of Boeing AND Lockheed? Jesus, it'd be 2060 before they rolled it out.

Milk that cow until you're feeding it its own milk.

I'll eat my socks if they do a live reveal of the B-21 before the Chinese H-XX.

a reply to: E92M3

from what ive seen it is a very normal looking on the outside.

i wonder what they are going to do to get more air to the inlets. not like you could put a mesh over the leading edges to feed the air to flow from the leading edge and therefore not needing huge holes for the inlets and just big enough to make up for what the 'mesh' was unable to let in.

maybe they wouldn't even need traditional inlets at all, you could also use bypass cold air to cool the exhaust.


i know none of that is true but its a cool picture to imagine

a reply to: E92M3

The Raider will soon be at Edwards, so it's far more likely than not to be out before the H-20.

They need raise Ben Rich from the dead...

originally posted by: E92M3
I'll eat my socks if they do a live reveal of the B-21 before the Chinese H-XX.

Can you record us a video of you eating your socks please?

a reply to: Blackfinger
Or Ed Heinemann.

Come to think of it Jack Northrop would be pretty chuffed at the B-21.

a reply to: thebozeian

i learned a new word today, Chuffed aka very pleased.

www.thedrive.com...

A different take.

Interesting that he came away thinking the Iron Bird was a ground test article.

a reply to: anzha

morphing wing is bleeding edge now? they have been around in one shape or another for a long while now.

a reply to: penroc3

He might consider marrying it to stealth tech bleeding edge.

a reply to: anzha

Most of the time they are. They are sometimes turned into flying articles, but at least at the start they're ground test.

a reply to: Zaphod58

We used to have what we called "flat sats" where all the electronics and mechanicals were sprawled out on a work bench (or larger) to do integration testing. I'd have thought they'd do a similar approach with aircraft and then put everything into a flightworthy airframe once they were seemingly working on the ...ermmm... flat bird.

a reply to: anzha

They integrate everything but engines, and simulate flight after flight, dropping flaps and gear, doing long "flights" that last to the limit of the planned range, etc. It lets them run all the systems, including hydraulics and flight systems without actually risking a flight test aircraft.

originally posted by: anzha


Interesting that he came away thinking the Iron Bird was a ground test article.

Probably is, but using an iron bird as testbed for full system integration doesnt rule out the existence of flying protoypes.