Northrop wins bomber contract

DANG the Dorito chip won..I liked the other design it looked cooler.

a reply to: boomer135

It wouldn't pay off. They'd be responsible for any overruns till the 22nd bomber.

If this new LRS-B takes the same path as the F-35/JSF, we may find ourselves flying B-52s for another 50-to-100 years...

But, on the upside, Northrup-Grumman has an excellent history.
Keeping my fingers crossed.

a reply to: aholic

Makes sense, it's just playing to their relative strengths.

I can see Lockheed pushing a supercruising acute-angle triangle (the "manned phantom ray"), or maybe a subsonic ultra high-altitude craft building off of the Polecat and the X-56. All using their X-55 construction methods. That's ambitious, but it offers plenty of places for skyrocketing costs (whether control/powerplant issues on the supercruising triangle, or weight management on the high-flyer)

Meanwhile, Northrop seems to have pulled out all of the stops and played on their success with the RQ-180, to build a medium altitude subsonic craft with an RCS that would have been science fiction 10 years ago (requiring control and coating technologies that will still seem like science fiction 20 years from now), but making things like powerplant and weight management, which spiked costs for the F-35, much less of a potential issue.

a reply to: Barnalby

I doubt we'll ever get to see the LM/B bird unless they win a protest. It will end up collecting dust in some forgotten hanger somewhere or buried in the desert like so many before her.

a reply to: Sammamishman

And we'll get a grainy photo of a pole test model in 2040?

a reply to: Barnalby

Ha, if we're lucky.

a reply to: Barnalby

I think your analysis is correct. I'm off to grab some beer and celebrate. My family has been a Grumman family since Kennedy was in office. Happy to see them still at the cutting edge.

My congratulations to the winning team! If any of you are reading this, keep up the good work.

China probably already built both lol.

Finally!!! Now some pics would be nice! I know, I know,,,, never satisfied. LOL!

a reply to: aholic

Was the lockheed bird supersonic?

a reply to: Xeven

Almost willing to bet China has been slipped a few poison pills.

The FC-31/J-31 has some nontrivial issues.

a reply to: Xeven

Thay can't get the engines to work...

a reply to: BigTrain

Not during testing.

Posted earlier here
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

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