Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

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Author: Mango

Last revision: 17 Jul, 2020 at 15:30 UTC

File size: 1.46 MB

On Steam Workshop

Description:

The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses; it is a flying wing design with a crew of two. The bomber can deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as up to eighty 500-pound class (230 kg) Mk 82 JDAM Global Positioning System-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400-pound (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration.

Development started under the "Advanced Technology Bomber" (ATB) project during the Carter administration; its expected performance was one of the President’s reasons for the cancellation of the Mach 2 capable B-1A bomber. The ATB project continued during the Reagan administration, but worries about delays in its introduction led to the reinstatement of the B-1 program. Program costs rose throughout development. Designed and manufactured by Northrop, later Northrop Grumman, the cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million (in 1997 dollars). Total procurement costs averaged $929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which included development, engineering and testing, averaged $2.1 billion per aircraft in 1997.

Because of its considerable capital and operating costs, the project was controversial in the U.S. Congress. The winding-down of the Cold War in the latter portion of the 1980s dramatically reduced the need for the aircraft, which was designed with the intention of penetrating Soviet airspace and attacking high-value targets. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Congress slashed plans to purchase 132 bombers to 21. In 2008, a B-2 was destroyed in a crash shortly after takeoff, though the crew ejected safely. Twenty B-2s are in service with the United States Air Force, which plans to operate them until 2032 as of 2018, when the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is to replace it.

The B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet (15,000 m), with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) with one midair refueling. It entered service in 1997 as the second aircraft designed to have advanced stealth technology after the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk attack aircraft. Though designed originally as primarily a nuclear bomber, the B-2 was first used in combat dropping conventional, non-nuclear ordnance in the Kosovo War in 1999. It later served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

Features

• Highly detailed exterior
• Somewhat detailed interior
• Potent loadout of bombs with two missiles
• Auto-loiter
• Terrain avoiding autopilot
• Accurate proportions
  User Manual

  To pitch, roll, and yaw, use TG, FH, and RY Respectively
  Throttle up with V, throttle down with B
  Tilde (Key left of 1 for most keyboards) toggles the autopilot.
  E enters landing mode.
  N and M Trim the aircraft
  LeftAlt to enter cockpit view
  LeftShift turns on the engine
  C toggles the bomb bay
  1 through 6 open up the bomb racks
  7 and 8 deploy each missile, steer them with IJKL, and enter their camera views with 9 and 0.
  Z and X toggle each outboard ruddervon; use with autopilot to loiter in a circle.
  Not recommended, but flaps can be toggled manually with Q

  Operation Specifics; Important!

  
  There is a great deal of automation. To take off, throttle up to full power with V, then turn on the engine with Lshift.
  Proceed to take off and lift the nose up with G; flaps will deploy automatically, and landing gear will retract on its own.
  Alternatively, toggle the autopilot and then just increase throttle and turn on the engine; aircraft will lift off automatically.
  When autopilot or landing mode is engaged, steer primarily with yaw instead of roll.

  To bomb, open the weapons bays with C and open the bomb racks as you see fit. Do NOT bomb unless flying in a straight line.

  Landing is easy, enter the landing mode with E; gear will deploy and aircraft will level itself. Lower throttle and set pitch angle until you touch down, upon which the engine will shut off automatically.

  Important note: When autoleveling is on, either by toggling the autopilot or entering landing mode, pitch will act differently. Pitching up or down adjusts the angle the autopilot tries to maintain instead of maneuvering normally.

  Creators Note: I’m quite proud of this aircraft, probably my most detailed one yet. It was built in 5 days for the RLM contest in the besiege discord server

  Please do not re-upload this item without permission from me, the author.