03-09-2013, 03:09 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Beech Bum
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Missouri, USA
Posts: 793
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Re: 2013: Year of the B-2
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Originally Posted by gospodin
With only 20 bombers (out of 21), this is not a real deterrent but a showcase weapon trotted out every so often to impress our adversaries. The roles that the bomber has played could have been done by the F-117, or later even by the Strike Eagle. The Air Force has always been reluctant to fly this bird, because of the huge cost (at over $2bil apiece) and by the negative publicity of an accident, as was witnessed by the loss of a bomber in Guam. IMO, the technology is impressive and the bomber is pretty cool, but like the F-22, Congress cut off production before this weapon system could be made truly effective, which also made the per-unit cost skyrocket. If the B-2 was actually made in the numbers it was supposed to be (75), it would not only have cost less than an Aegis destroyer, but would be a much more effective weapon, rather than just the expensive museum piece it will be in another ten years.
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Very true. It's sad that these programs for amazing technology and innovation always seem to get cut off before it could be as effective as it was planned out to be. As for the F-117, that and the SR-71 will be two of my most favorite military aircraft. Don't they still use the F-117 somewhere (not for combat, but for something else?)
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Originally Posted by CarbonPlane
Agree it is a cool bomber. Hard to believe it's been in service 20 years.
I think the YB-49 was also an impressive design though it never made it into production.
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The YB-49 looks huge! I've not seen that design.
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