Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids B-2 Spirit
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit over the Pacific Ocean in May 2006.
Role	Strategic stealth bomber
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Northrop Corporation Northrop Grumman
First flight	17 July 1989
Introduction	April 1997
Status	In service
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1988-2000
Number built	21
Program cost	US$44.75 billion (through 2004)
Unit cost	$737 million (1997 approx. flyaway cost)

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is a special American aircraft. It's a bomber designed to fly long distances and drop bombs. This plane uses advanced stealth technology. This means it is very hard for enemy radar to see it. The B-2 Spirit can carry both regular bombs and nuclear weapons. Two pilots fly this powerful aircraft. It can drop up to 80 GPS-guided bombs, each weighing about 500 pounds (227 kg). It can also carry sixteen large nuclear bombs.

Designing the Stealth Bomber

The idea for the B-2 bomber started a long time ago. It was first called the "Advanced Technology Bomber" (ATB). This project began during the time of President Jimmy Carter. The design work continued when Ronald Reagan was president. The company Northrop Grumman designed and built the B-2. They had help from another company, Boeing. Each B-2 aircraft was very expensive to build. In 1997, one bomber cost about US$737 million.

Challenges and Changes

Because the B-2 was so expensive, the project caused a lot of discussion. Many people in the United States Congress debated its cost. The Cold War was ending around this time. This meant the bomber might not be as needed as first thought. Congress originally wanted to buy 132 of these bombers. But in the late 1980s and 1990s, they decided to buy only 21.

In 2008, one B-2 bomber had an accident. It crashed shortly after taking off. Luckily, the pilots were able to get out safely. Today, the United States Air Force still uses 20 B-2 bombers.

B-2 Spirit in Action

The B-2 bomber was first planned to carry mainly nuclear weapons. However, its first real combat mission was different. It dropped regular bombs on Serbia during the Kosovo War in 1999. The B-2 was also used during the Iraq War. It has also been used in the war in Afghanistan. The B-2 Spirit is a key part of the U.S. Air Force.

Images for kids

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  The B-2's first public display in 1988 at Palmdale, California: in front of the B-2 is a star shape formed with five B-2 silhouettes

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  The B-2's first public flight in 1989

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  B-2 from below

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  Side view of a B-2 Spirit

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  A 2000 lb (907 kg) BDU-56 bomb being loaded onto a bomb bay's rotary launcher, 2004

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  A maintenance crew servicing a B-2 at Andersen AFB, Guam, 2004

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  Vice President Dick Cheney inside a B-2 cockpit with pilot Capt. Luke Jayne during a visit to Whiteman AFB, 2006

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  The B-2's engines are hidden inside its wing to make it harder to detect.

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  Illustration of the B-2's basic radar reflection angles

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  The gap below the air intake helps the jet engine work better.

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  A B-2 during aerial refueling which extends its range past 6000 nmi (11,000 km) for intercontinental sorties

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  In a 1994 live fire exercise near Point Mugu, California, a B-2 drops 47 individual 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs, which is more than half of a B-2's total ordnance payload.

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  Wreckage of the 2008 B-2 crash

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  Restored B-2 Spirit full-scale test unit on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

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  Orthographically projected diagram of the B-2 Spirit

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  A B-2 in formation flight with eight U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets

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  Spirit of Indiana sits on the ramp at Andersen AFB in Guam on 23 June 2006

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  Spirit of New York

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  B-2 in flight over the Mississippi River (St. Louis, Missouri) with the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium in the background

See also

In Spanish: Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit para niños