Northrop B-2 Spirit: America's Stealth Bomber
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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Your comment is 2 weeks old, how does that work?
Also thanks Simon for the side project on the Russian woodpecker. I suggested it in the comments, cheers!
Please make a video about Bar Lev Line, costing around $300 million in 1973.
@@mustafaemad3614 here in Newfoundland they’re making a hydro electric facility that has cost over 7 billion dollars so far
@@dimapez As I understand it GPS can be made to work passively, using the signals from the 4 satellites the device should be able to calculate its location without emitting any signals of its own.
@@Theoneandonlyrock351 its not only about the cost, Bar Lev Line has a plot twist to it's story.
In 1988 I hired on to Boeing and was assigned to an "L" shop, meaning at the time it was Boeing Military Airplanes. We made lots of parts for the B2, and every single one of them was labeled as a "bracket" on the unclassified drawings. I can't look at the B2 without thinking it's made entirely of brackets.
lmao
Ooh be careful you might find the fbi crashing through the ceiling if you say too much
@@Gun5hip - More fun facts: At the time, the Green River Killer was at large, and on a murdering spree. One night, (I worked graveyard) the phone rang and I answered, "L-3310, how may I help you?" And a woman asked if this was the line for tips on the GRK. I said, no, this wasn't.
One time a guard came running into the shop with his pistol drawn. "Did you see it?!"
"See what?"
"A possum ... it was [..... this ....] big!"
"No, sir, I haven't"
LMAO! I'm a designer who strongly (obsessively) believes in integration... BRACKETS are my mortal enemy! That would have ended me! ☠☠☠🤣
I installed a lot of brackets on the plane. Always fun.
31 years is getting up there for a military plane.
B-52: That's cute.
C-130. Dang I look good for my age.
M2 Browning, I am immortal.
The B-52s are only in service because the USSR fell.
@@AAaa-pm3rr Yes, but they are no going any time soon.
@@bobthebomb1596
Actually they are. China is becoming an issue. Also, the Taliban are getting new equipment. They will be retired sooner than you think.
@@AAaa-pm3rr
You mentioned the original Northrup “flying wing“ and that is a story in and of itself but an interesting human side story to the B2 is Jack Northrop. The original flying wing was his baby and his passion and he always stood by the position that it what is the best configuration for an airplane. It destroyed him that the flying wing design went by the wayside.
In 1981, the Air Force got special clearance to give Jack a briefing and show him a model of the B2 design. He was very ill at the time and couldn’t speak. Northrop reportedly wrote on a sheet of paper "Now I know why God has kept me alive for 25 years". B-2 project designer John Cashen said, "As he held this model in his shaking hands, it was as if you could see his entire history with the flying wing passing through his mind." He died 10 months later. What an incredible gesture, I can only imagine what that meant to him
Cool story!
The original Northrop YB-49 is a successor to the German Horton HO-229 from WW2. But no mention of that or the field propulsion employed.
In addition, the wing span Jack figured out with a slide rule way back then is the same as the computer came up with so many years later.
It went to the wayside because technology didn't exist to keep it flying. The whole thing is wildly unstable and technically shouldn't be able to fly. The flight computer causes intentional instabilities to keep it airborne. Like fighting fire with fire. That crushed him, he really tried to figure out a way to make it fly back then but the tech just didn't exist. No pilot could manually compensate, definitely not during a long range sortie.
He created something that changed aviation in a massive way. I can't imagine dedicating your life or having a huge dream like that only to have it fall flat when you're so close. You know how to fix it but you're too far ahead of the available technology. Then to have people see your work decades later when the tech exists, make it work, and honor you for it. That's a great way to die.
@@ericalbers4867 well said 👍
11:25 The X-15 was neither a fighter or a jet. It was an experimental, rocket-powered aircraft and it had no offensive capabilities.
I did find that comparison odd, I wouldn’t consider 630 to be that slow ether.
Sorry, yes, totally right. My reading mistake :(
@@megaprojects9649 Thank You for your work, I love your content.
After watching many of your videos I realized today I wasn't subscribed, I just did so.
@@megaprojects9649 It's okay.. I still smashed that like button.
Totally, small word slips are acceptable when one is putting out like 7 videos each day, haha. Still smashing 'Like' !
Please do a video on the electrical grid! That thing is freaking huge!
I second this
I concur.
I 4th this
and A giant mess sadly!
The US electrical grid is the largest machine in the world
Before the B2 was unveiled, jack northrop was given special permission to see the aircraft. When he was wheeled into the hangar. jack Northrop said, “Now I know why god kept me alive for so long “ the B2 wing span is the exact same width as the XB47 flying wing that Jack Northrop built. The X47 was beyond the technology of its time. When the USAir Force declined to purchase his X47, he was ordered to destroy all flying models and jugs. This broke Jack Northrops heart. He then stepped down as head of Northrop aircraft company.
Was at an air show back in the late '90s when a B-2 flew over. The pilot was being broadcast over the event PA and was saying various things about the jet, and at the end of his first fly-over, he said, "Now I'll demonstrate the visual stealth aspects of this plane..."
He went into a bank to the left and began a turn. As the top side of the plane was facing the crowd, you could barely make it out against a crystal clear sky! If you hadn't tracked with your eyes as it did the turn, you would have never known it was there! It was amazing!
Got to witness this at the indy500 flyover one year. When it was flying head on at us, you couldn't see it until it was pretty close. Couldn't hear it until it was just above us.
I once had the honor to fly with the ANG 117th Air Refueling Wing during a training operation to refuel a B-2 and I can absolutely confirm this thing is utterly terrifying in the sky. It appeared behind our KC-135 tanker completely without notice, refueled, and vanished seemingly into nothingness as quickly and quietly as it appeared. We saw neither where it came from, nor where it went. It's an enormous aircraft that has a real knack for making itself look and feel an order of magnitude smaller than it is. Not to mention it has the same radar signature as a pigeon with a slight fever.
@Richard Hopkins that's not why he didn't hear it. At normal flight speeds you can't hear it coming . I live near where they flew. Only time you heard them was landing and taking off or after one fly by you.
@Richard Hopkins It's immensely quieter than any aircraft I've ever heard, and the noise dissipates quickly at relatively short distances.
You wouldn’t hear it as well inside a flying KC-135 now would you?
@Richard Hopkins I meant "quickly and quietly" as somewhat of a metaphor. I'm sure it sounds like a jet when it's flying. My point stands; the B-2 has a knack for sneaking up on you.
Well, the radar signature on American "stealth" aircraft is big enough that a Serbian guerrilla's Soviet era anti-aircraft missile could see it and hit it.
Recommendation: Bathyscaphe Triest. The first crewed vehicle to reach the deepest point in the ocean. It was truly a mega project from development to its deep dive. Include the history from Bathyspheres to the Triest and you have a pretty great story.
yaaassss
*deepest feature in the ocean
They missed the absolute deepest point if I recall. That's still untouched. So they reached the Mariana but not the deepest part of the trench. I'll have to double-check this though. Still it's crazy nonetheless.
Lol just checked. Yeah that time they didn't but in 2012 James Cameron reached it. Damn that took a long time to accomplish lol.
Trieste can be seen at U.S.Naval Undersea Museum @ Keyport, Washington.
@@ericalbers4867 The thing that will really spin you out....
More people have walked on the moon than have been to the deepest point in Earth's oceans.
The US: Why yes indeed, we will fly Halfway across the world and back, simply to keep our Pimp Hand Strong
@N Webb well if they don't fuck around like ww2 Japan, hopefully they won't find out
@@mrmacguff1n imagine a world where putting a stop to the rape and genocide of an entire hemisphere with 2 bomb drops makes idiots think you did genocide too
I've read this several times and I keep thinking 😂
@@MajesticSkywhale that was really well said. People just want to hate The US.
A pimps love is very different from that of a square
Great video. However, one point I think you missed is the economic and life-saving benefits of the typical B2 mission. To pull off a sortie with the same results would require an aircraft carrier and a minimum of 30 aircraft for tactical support, bombing, and refueling--that's well over 50 human assets at risk not including those on the carrier. A single B2 from Missouri along with refueling tankers can pull off the same task much much much cheaper and with significantly less human lives at risk and a higher probability of success. Everyone is caught up in the upfront cost but forgets the true costs of conducting military operations.
Good point, the operating cost of the B2 are exceedingly high as well. But not enough to offset all the costs of what it would take to replace it, as you mention!
I spent 33 years at Northrop on this program. 31.5 year in flight test at Edwards. I am retired now and miss working on this plane. It was a privilege to work on such a awesome weapons system. I am glad it is on our side.
B2 is an decades old crap. The Chinese H20 stealth bomber is way better.
@@aburetik4866 lmao
@@alexalbrecht5768 If B2 were not old crap, why would USAF spend money to develop new craps like B-21? LOL
@@aburetik4866 just because something is older doesn’t mean it’s crap. The B-21 isn’t as big as the B-2 but it’s stealthier and cheaper to produce and maintain. The B-2 was never cost effective. The Chinese H-20 is just a shitty attempt at copying the B-2 with data stolen through espionage. It won’t survive if it attempts to bypass the first island chain.
@@alexalbrecht5768 Haha, H20 is built not for the first island chain. It can bombard your homeland like the white house and burn your prezdent into ashes. lol
Dad took me to the Offutt AFB Air Show once when I was a kid, and one of these did a fly-by. It's really creepy to see a large black triangle fly past you at a rather low altitude without making a sound; and then several moments later you hear what sounds like a much smaller and entirely invisible jet following it at a much higher altitude.
They also had an F-117 parked on the tarmac, with a barrier all around it to keep us about fifty feet away and an armed guard to discourage any silly ideas about getting past the barrier.
And if you go a bit down I-80 from Offutt you can visit the Strategic Air Command museum, which has an SR-71 hung from the ceiling of the atrium where you enter, with its nose pointed directly at the front doors. It's a little intimidating.
Apparently the high stealth mode includes retracting antennas back into the body, squelching communications and active sensors, and limiting use of wing flaps. There is also a terrain following system that lets it fly down to within 200 feet of the ground.
200 feet off the ground in a flying wing. Not going to lie if I was the pilot attempting that for the first time, I would need an underwear changing the moment I landed back at the base.
B2 is an decades old crap. The Chinese H20 stealth bomber is way better.
@@aburetik4866 sure it is
@@aburetik4866 lol
@@fordgtguy If B2 were not old crap, why would USAF spend so much money and effort to build a new crap like B-21? LOL
Wow! after reading many of the comments below I really feel old. I worked this program for many years, lived in the AV and at AF Plant 42, site 4, sometimes actually living at the facility. I was a manufacturing engineering type, and supported the build of all 20 AC's.
Of the 50+ programs I have worked on in my career, the B2 was the absolute Best! I'm proud to have been associated with it and still get excited every time I see it fly either on TV or in person.
Awesome story! My grandfather got to work on the B2 as well. The Ford factory and a Lancaster, CA location from. 86 to 95. He also worked on the B1. He just turned 91 yesterday.
Over 30 years old and yet it looks like it's from 100 years in the future.
Imagine what the US forces thought upon stumbling over the Ho. 229
About 10 years ago I was driving home from work, a few days before a local airshow, on a backroad, and the weather was nice so I had the sunroof open. Suddenly there was a huge shadow above me. I look up and see a B-2 just a few thousand (or so it looked like) feet above me, completely silent and just passing over. I've been in awe ever since.
B2 is an decades old crap. The Chinese H20 stealth bomber is way better.
Silent? Must have been the glider variant.
@@aburetik4866, H20, made of water and is disguised as a cloud.
You hear the B2 LONG before you even see it
@@aburetik4866 where is your Chinese stealth plane? I hear alot about china but see nothing.
Such an amazing aircraft. Crazy to think 31 years later and it doesn’t have a single operational analog. I’m expecting 31 years from now a video on the B-21 Raider!
ya and think that the idea came from the late 40's nazis no matter what anyone says ...if germany had of got some going ohhhhh
@@chronosschiron yea the basic design did for sure. Even if they fielded any operationally tho, they would be a far cry from the B-2 or modern aircraft in terms of avionics, navigation, communications etc.
@@sierravortec2494
only one ever flew i saw the film footage but that was it ...and it didnt go far an they disassembled it and hten americans got there
still its an amazing achievement do get and keep ahead
@@chronosschiron The Northrop N-9M first flew in 1942 (with development starting in 1929), the Horten Ho-2 had it's first flight in 1944. Northrop was working on a flying wing well before the Horten brothers and was the first to make it work.
Considering how old the B2 is now, it really surprises me that I've only ever seen one in flight once. It's not exactly a frequent visitor to UK airshows! It turned up unannounced at RAIT a couple of years ago along with a B1-B
This aircraft is a whole lot larger than people think...truly a mesmerizing sight to see one in the air. Great job on covering this Simon...another stellar segment!
I actually live just a few miles away from their base in Missouri, I will occasionally see a B-2 do a casual flyover, may not hear it sneak up and it disappears just as fast as you notice it. It's truly awesome seeing one fly over town.
Simon, there was actually a second B-2 crash. Major Vic Deakins tried to steal the two nuclear weapons in the payload during a training exercise in Utah . Thankfully, their devious plan was thwarted by Captain (and co-pilot) Riley Hale and park ranger Terry Carmichael.
"Broken Arrow". John Travolta and Christian Slater.
Is this a Broken Arrow reference? I like it. Haha
?????
Don't forget that captain hale went mad and tried killing deakins apparently
Great movie haven't seen it in years.
Living not far from their home base in Missouri we get to see these graceful birds of prey fly fairly frequently. A truly amazing feat of engineering.
I remember back in 1994 when my father was stationed on Terceira Island Azores. The B-2 bomber landed on the island. They had some insane security. Even as a 12 year old living there with my family the security details still were incredible strict. You couldn't stop and look at the planes without the threat of being arrested and being held until the planes had left the island and had completed whatever they were doing. This was my 1st experience with US Government Military Police. Those guys don't fuck around. They are given orders and they follow them. Whether you're 12 and a civilian or in your 30's and military personnel. Which Terceira Island Lajes Field Azores was once considered the gas station of the atlantic ocean. Might be worth a geographics video.
I like how we account all that spent revenue to one aircraft. The tech that came out of its RnD has probably been used in every next gen military aircraft since.
13:56 “B-1 Raider”?
Producer: “Whoops!”
Writer: “Whoopsie!”
Was flying it difficult ?
"Super easy ,barely an inconvenience !"
I’m going to have to ask you get all the way off my back...
@@harrywhrlow5794 LOL!! Well played.
Another interesting facts about the B-2:
-Not only are the engines buried deep in the wing, but the exhaust isn't a straight-line tube like conventional aircraft. The tubes run in a rough S-shape to further reduce visibility.
The X-15 was and absolute rocket because... Well... It was.
It also was not a fighter jet.
It was an experimental high altitude/high speed aircraft meant to do testing at hypersonic speeds.
In fact, this aircraft was very important to the US space program, with multiple pilots receiving their astronaut wings.
Definitely worth a mega/side projects video of its own
No joke, I have a family friend who flew the B-2 back when it was introduced in the late 90's into the late 2000's. Guy flew missions over Iraq in Iraqi Freedom, as well as Kosovo, and Afghanistan. Nicest guy you'd ever meet, never think he flew one of the most advanced aircraft ever.
Then think about how many people he probably killed
@@gabenchrist7331 He would not be responsible for that anyway.
@@gabenchrist7331 I do. They were people that deserved it, and I am proud to call him a friend. Do you even know what went on in Kosovo?
@@FixedGearFox it wasn't meant to be offensive just because you said "never think he flew one of the most advanced aircraft ever"
@@p_serdiuk No, my grandma was responsible.
The most interesting part of the stealth is that a Russian mathematician came up with the calculation formula that is used to guarantee the success of the stealthiness.
@crassgop 1. It's interesting to know who came up with the mathematical theory that made these planes possible and, 2. There's a certain irony in the work of a Russian mathematician being used as the basis for aircraft that were specifically designed to attack Russia/USSR.
I've seen this plane in flight and it truly looks like a far off bird. It's an amazing craft.
Same. It's flown the Offutt AFB air show a couple times. Unreal in person!
@@applejacks971 For me it was Death Valley, and I could only figure out it was a plane because of a silver plane following it.
I live 15 miles from where it’s stationed in Missouri. I see it once a week at least and it’s always like 1000 feet off the ground
@@EXAVIOR1000 lol I was gonna say, I live in Blue Springs and it's not that uncommon to see them flying around. Literally saw one circling over my work yesterday before it did the flyover for the playoffs
I still remember the first time a B-2 did a flyby at my hometown air show. I was struck both by how HUGE the thing was (it's in the same wingspan range as the B-52, and this was quite soon after it went public)... and how QUIET. It was FAR quieter than any airliner. It seemed quieter even than the F-117.
please do the "Rockwell B-1 lancer" next.
Please, Yes! Da B-ONE!
Oh hell yes. The B-1b is a sexy beast.
The best looking plane
Was Just thinking about B1 VS B2
@@farshadmn4273 😄
Convair B-36 Peacemaker. The Large Lad.
When you realize that (adjusted for inflation) the B2's development costs were about 1/10th that of the F35 lmao
It's already obsolete and they've not even finished development :\ what a waste of money.
Makes you wonder what they are really paying for.
@@JohnnyWednesday How it is obsolete though
@@p_serdiuk - Because both China and Russia will have fielded the next generation of jets before the F-35 is delivered - the UK is so fed up of waiting that we're now developing our own next generation fighter and cancelling most of our F-35 order. The prototype for the F-35 first flew 20 years ago! and we're STILL waiting for it.
The Ministry of Defence have to protect this country and we needed the F-35 10 years ago - it's too late, the new Russian fighter will be deployed within 5 years and it's better than the F22 let alone the F35.
@@JohnnyWednesday you know the F-35 is operational *right now*, yes? Get better information than whatever crap is in your head currently
I watched a doc on the YB 49 (Flying Wing) that was very interesting. The wing would fly but all the adjustments needed all the time made it damn near impossible to keep it up safely. Fast forward to computers being so much smaller and more powerful they are capable of making the calculations needed to keep it up in the air. Thanks Simon for the videos as I stumbled on your channel a few days ago (Subbed to several of your other ones as well) and have been binge watching the content and loving every second of it.
My mom had couple of these stationed at her base. She was high enough rank that I was allowed to see them up close. It was like seeing the bat jet IRL
Crazy how modern stealth jets like the F-22 and F-35 look almost normal now.
'General Mom'?
You're mom got ran thru lmao Barrack bunny
Thank you for covering this magnificent gem. I know it was my comment specifically that inspired you to do so. You're welcome.
Ah, so you're the one. I was wondering.
Another truly awesome video. Nobody on the internet comes close to informing us about amazing and marvelous things as beautifully well as Simon does. Just think about the planning, studying and editing that goes into making these videos. Absolutely remarkable. Each video, no matter the topic, is a treasure.
I worked on the B-2 during it's short production run back in the 90's. I remember a part of the movie Terminator 2 where the backstory about how Skynet is first formed was recounted:
"... All stealth bombers are upgraded with Cyberdyne computers becoming fully unmanned. Afterwards, they fly with a perfect operational record. The Skynet funding bill is passed..."
It may have been an unintentional association, but the fact that most B-2 missions are flown from US bases, it becomes a grueling long flight that would actually be a perfect sort of mission for an unmanned aircraft. So, it was a lucky guess for the people writing the screenplay of Terminator 2. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this concept (turning any new stealth bombers into unmanned aircraft that is).
12:30 Eyyy, it's St Louis. Gotta love the Arch
“Grace and elegance that contrasts with well...the absolute hell it’s capable of unleashing”...
I don’t know why you have to bring my girlfriend into this, but ok....
Damn
LOL.
Damn bro
Dated a girl like that too.
That's rough buddy
Thank you Simon and the team for this video, always been a massive fan of the B2
2:05 - Chapter 1 - Developement
4:05 - Chapter 2 - Black or grey ?
5:25 - Mid roll ads
6:50 - Chapter 3 - A changed world
8:45 - Chapter 4 - The aircraft
11:35 - Chapter 5 - Armaments
12:30 - Chapter 6 - Operational history
14:00 - Chapter 7 - The B1 raider (B21)
15:10 - Chapter 8 - The ghost rides
B-2: *costs 1.3 billion dollars
Jeff Bezos: Yeah, i want like 10 please
$2.1B*
The revolutionary flying wing. It's a marvel of modern day stealth technology.
It totally is I love the B2 spirit it is such a great stealth plane. The design and functionality is just so cool
The revolutionary flying wing isn't something that the B2 should take credit for. Look up the Horten Ho 229, which wasn't even the first flying wing either, just one of the most famous early ones. B2 is the culmination of many decades of flying wing designs and it's certainly not the first stealth plane either, so I'd say evolutionary is a lot more fitting than revolutionary for this plane
Don't get me wrong it's a great plane but in many ways it was a derivative of something else
@@unocualqu1era The Horten Ho 229 was old news when it came out, if you really want to look at flying wings look at Jack Northrop's YB-35, N-9M and his earlier flying wing work.
@@noctisumbra2749 Yeah that's why I said it wasn't the first, seems like flying wings were designed and built as early as the 1920's. My point is the B2 is a derivative of something else in almost everyway, but somehow it always gets a lot of credit for being a stealthy flying wing despite just being an evolution/refinement of earlier work
@@unocualqu1era Right but I'm damn tired of people giving Horton credit for Northrop's life work especially when he build two nearly visually identical aircraft with props that both flew before the Germans even started their program.
The kick is that the B-2 is being retired and the B-52 is getting updated for a life up to 2060.
The B-52 will always bring more fear to a country then the B-2.
The Avionics, rotating bomb rack, and other things that went on the B-2 was tested by the B-52 ghost buster.
In fact, the B-52 named Casper, yes, named after the friendly ghost was referred to as Ghost Buster.
I have only found a few pictures of Casper on the internet. Casper is the B-52 with a pac-man ghost near the cockpit of the B-52. The Avionics allowed the B-52 to monitor and track stealth aircraft.
When we design, build, and test certain types of aircraft. We also design, develop, and build the counter product.
Casper would sit on the tarmac near base ops at Edward's.
I'm from Palmdale and I can tell you that seeing these things doing touch and goes is a sight to behold. I remember my dad taking my sister and I to see a Spirit fly low over a stretch of road one day. It was awe inspiring.
So that's the UFO everyone's talking about.
Yes it is, and it's predecessor the Northrup YB-49.
No, everyone is talking about the TR-3B. Stealth bombers fly like regular airplanes. The legitimate UFO sightings are of vehicles that maneuver unlike anything known to the public. Only an idiot would mistake an airplane for a UFO.
Nah the ufo was a tic tac shape no windows no noise no exhaust
UFO’s generally fly in a sporadic manner that defies our understanding of physics, changing direction or accelerating in such a way that most can’t fathom
One of the things that happens when it goes into stealth mode is that certain antennas retract into the fuselage for a smooth surface,just thought I’d share that👍
Would love a video on the Ford River Rouge Complex. Amazing story behind that and certainly MEGA in scale.
Hey Simon, you guys left out that to help the crews rotate naps on super long missions our boys figured out a way to stick a Walmart lawn chair in the cabin. Light, cheap, comfy. They figured out a way to tie it in so it worked like a cot. The press had fun blabbing about the 20 dollar bed in the billion dollar bomber for the 40 hour flights. Necessity is truly the mother of invention.
Recommendation: a U boat or perhaps a dreadnought battleship
When I saw this aircraft, I understood why some people clamed to have seen a triangular UFO. It looks out of this world.
My grandfather built these aircraft at the Ford factory and in Lancaster, CA from '86-95'. He used turned 91 yesterday!
The B2 has the radar signature of a bumblebee. Good luck picking that up.
Suggestion: Harrier Jump Jet, We've had American and Soviet planes/Jets, Why not a British?
Couldn't agree more! We've done some truly beautiful aircraft too. The Harrier is an amazing aircraft. I saw one at an airshow I went to at Cosford.. Wish I had seen it fly but due to a late arrival of Concord it's display was overshot... Bummer! We saw the Vulcan Bomber at the same show though. It did a low level buzz where we could see the pilot as he went past before he banked round, put on the power and went near vertical into the clouds. Conditions were just right for him to do that awesome disappearing act!
Have you ever heard of the TSR.2? Ahead of it's time. I've seen the only one left of its kind at Cosford Museum.
This has got to give Olivier (Simon's beard) something to look into. He can chill while his beard does the research!
Why not a British? Ever heard of July 4th 1776?
@@theenzoferrari458 "independence day" what of it?
@@cuddlepaws4423 The Vulcan is such an odd looking plane, would never think it's a high speed bomber.
I've partially heard of the tsr2, pretty sure it's the "British B52" that was cancelled due to political squabbling and was replaced by the Phantom-II?
@@ryaffus7208 that's the reason why. Lmao.
The X-15 was a rocket-powered aeroplane, not a fighter jet.
Excellent, been looking forward to this one!
These things have flown over my house a few times when circumstances had one stationed at the local air force base. It's freaky looking.
So the thing is that the B-2 is in the process of being made obselete by the B-21, which is currently being developed by Northrop Grumman. It will initially serve alongside other bombers, but is eventually supposed to replace the B-1, B-2 and even the B-52.
'MURICAAAAAAA!!!
Love the vids, Simon.
I dont know if it counts as a megaproject, but can a video be made about the T28/T95 Superheavy Tank Destroyer?
it isnt a tank destroyer it is an assault gun it was developed for use in breaching the siegfried line in europe during ww2 mainly to be used against hardened bunkers
@@paktahn I know, but more people are familiar with the term I used. You dont have to like it, but I didn't ask you to. Thanks, internet "know-it-all".
@@paktahn What's your point? A mere technicality or preference of terminology?
Either way, it was never used in the war as it had been intended, and thus it could have been used for anything. Played War Thunder EVER?
@@stalkbroker9463 Agreed. Also, im aware it was designated as a GMC, but had so much freaking armor with that 305mm thick plate on its front that the "gun motor carriage" designation was oddly inappropriate considering there was nothing else like it in the US arsenal at the time.
“B-1 Raider”... even included artist rendering showed actual “B-21” designation... was the writer half asleep during this one? lol
:D ya, B-21 is the correct number. C'mon guys, the actual B-1 is still in service right now and it's been flying for decades, lol:)
Recommendation: muskrat falls. Located in Newfoundland, Canada. Our annual provincial budget is only 2 billion dollars and this project was projected at 2 billion and they’ve spent more then 7 billion so far. It’s going to be a hydro electric facility and ugh it’s just been going so bad. We love you Simon! You rock xo
Yeah. I hope it works out. We need that power with Holyrood aging so much
@@sandybarnes887 so awesome to see another newfie fan of Simon!!
@@Theoneandonlyrock351 I'm a huge fan of the cocaine fueled (allegedly) mega channel producing wonder boi with the blaze. All 11 of em. It's great to see another resident of the Rock
Thank You for all the aircraft episodes, they are the best on CZcams
Me seeing there is a new megaprojects video: OMG :)
Me seeing a new Simon video ...woohooo :)
I'm a simple man. I see a MegaProjects video, I click play.
Canadian Avro Arrow and other related projects like the Vulcan or Aerocar please
I really enjoy how you narrate / present material. You’re super good at it. 👍
Love your videos. Saw a B-2 at RIAT last year.
The whole point of "classified", in other words. This magnificent airplane is useful because it's hard to detect. If the wrong people found out how hard is hard, they might be able to do something about it.
Stealth aircraft are usually flown with radar reflectors if they are not used in a military mission, to prevent the enemy from detecting the real RCS.
But even if the RCS would be known, stealth still gives a big advantage. You can build a radar with a low frequency which can detect it, but for shooting it down you need a fire control radar which don't work on a low frequency, and it can't really follow the aircraft on the higher frequency needed for fire control.
@@simonm1447 Makes sense. I'm sure civilian ATC would be much happier with a plane they can actually see on primary radar.
@@marsgal42 at least in EU the civil ATC is not using primary radar, but secondary radar. So the military aircraft have to activate their transponders to be seen by the ATC.
The military is using primary radar for airspace observation here.
@@marsgal42 Civilian ATC radars don't really see aircraft. They see transponders.
@@colormedubious4747 I’m aware of the difference between primary and secondary radar. Both of which are used by Canadian ATC.
My grandfather made the engines for these planes when he worked for General Electric in Cincinnati Ohio.
My aviation flex is growing up with a stepdad who was a concrete contractor at Plant 42/Skunkworks for 20+ yrs thru the 70’s-80’s. And my real dads house was less than a mile from Skunkworks with a 100% (at the time)clear straight shot at the Skunk hangers and the runways. I saw all the awesome stuff up very very close. In the air and on the ground. I just found some B2 pics my mom took from directly beneath at a couple thousand feet a few weeks . Sooo freaking cool.
One interesting fact is that Northrop engineers visited German aircraft designer Reimar Horten at his ranch in Argentina during the early 1980's. His work on flying wings goes back to the early 1930's, he and his brother Walter flew the world's first all-wing jet aircraft in Germany shortly before the end of World War II. I met Horten's son at the Oshkosh Airventure show in 2019, where he told me about his father's secret involvement in the B-2 project.
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Shows correctly labelled image of B-21, refers to it as a B-1.
The X-15 was never a fighter.... nor was it a jet, it was a rocket powered hypersonic test bed.
I love the star emblem on the ground made of 5 B2's . 1:25
One of my defining memories is of the time I hiked up Black Mountain, on the northern edge of San Diego, and looked south toward MCAS Miramar. The air show was going on and a B2 made a flyby. Black Mountain is not very big by mountain standards, but I was able to look down towards the B2 as it flew with San Diego on one side and La Jolla on the other. Now - well let's just say small world.
The X-15 is a hyper-sonic rocket powered aircraft, not a jet.
Look at a Perigrin Falcon from the side while diving for the kill... Same for the B2.. They are a perfect match
FYI the bird has nothing to do with the design , it’s just a coincidence
X-15 a "fighter jet"? Wow! They really are extending the life of some of these ol birds, and apparently changing some of their missions!
11:28 I like how soothing cute sounding music is playing as the video shows the plane dropping an ungodly amount of bombs from its fuselage......
I guarantee someone caught a glimpse of this thing being tested and completely believed they had seen a UFO. I honestly would too lol.
"X-15 Fighter Jet"... it is neither of those. it is not a fighter, or a jet
Love this video and all your other channels :) you cover so many things we are all interested in
Great one Simon👍👍👊
Greetings Simon,
I got a mega project for your channel, and this one might be very relevant soon - the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
AO was the biggest radio telescope in the world, until FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope) was finished in 2016. It’s still home to the world’s most powerful (sensitive) ground-based radar.
As early as last week a main cable broke, putting the structural integrity of the facility at risk. Before that, on August 10th, an auxiliary cable broke as well. I can serve as a fact-checking source for this episode, but I, by no means whatsoever will represent the Arecibo Observatory or its managing entities. I just like your channel a lot and I think the Arecibo Observatory should represent part your collection of science videos.
I second this suggestion! Looking at what it still does, you wouldn't think it was made in the early 1960s.
"It has cooking facilities on board" - Yeah, a microwave...
@Frank Silvers But I wouldn't call it "cooking facilities" if it's just a microwave...
@Frank Silvers Technically a TucTuc is also a car. Still, I wouldn't talk about cars if I specifically only mean a TucTuc...
@Frank Silvers Which I am not. Yes, a microwave is a cooking facility. It's still very misleading to talk about cooking facilities if you mean just only and nothing else than a microwave. If I sold you a "cooking facility" for a few thousand dollars and at the end I only give you a microwave, you would feel very cheated, because the expectation of what you get would have been very different... As I said: It is like selling you a car and then you get a TucTuc. That is technically correct. Still the expectation that goes with the word "car" is a different one... And as the week now starts again and I have more important things to do than having this super pointless discussion here, I'll be out here now...
I got to see one of these things fly at an air show in my town a long while back. I'd seen numerous pictures before, but it looked almost like an alien vehicle from a distant galaxy in person, and compared to all the other aircraft that flew before and after it, it was pretty much silent.
I was born in Whiteman air force base in '61,don't remember it at all, left when I was a yearling. My dad was the base projectionist and the story was he took me to work before home, the movie, "Psycho". I'm Bicycle Bob and I approved this message. I'm looking for an O'Dell, not sure if first or last name of my Dad's best friend, a black man whose name I proudly carry.
The US GAO is the Government Accountability Office, not the General Accounting Office, right?
IIRC it switched from the latter name to the former.
A.K.A. Jack Northrop's Revenge
I lived in Kansas City must of my life and saw it all the time. Airshows had them and anytime the Chiefs played they would fly over the stadium. Sometimes during Royals games too. You almost can't see it until it's pretty much on top of you and they're very quiet (in jet terms), though you can still hear it if your outside. It does have, as part of it's "stealth up" more that quiets the engines significantly. Though at a sacrifice of thrust. At night you couldn't see them at all, even when they were flying really low, all you can see are running lights if they had them on. Overseas I saw quite a few also. Of course there I got to see them in their full glory.
Normally you knew when ordinance was on its way. Most bombers and support aircraft are loud. I could fall asleep to the sounds of the one god's call with they need help, the A-10. This beast though.. nothing. Just sudden and complete destruction. Imagine being outside with a beer just relaxing, and suddenly 10 city blocks are obliterated with no warning.
Great videos Simon, informative and I love the humour. Quick update on the X-15, was a research plane flying at near Mach 6 or 7 and was us flown to the edge of space to validate reaction controls prior to manned space flight! Thanks
This makes me wonder what the hell happened to the Comanche.
Toborrow from the CuriousDroid video, it got scalped.
China: We don't know how to copy it. Waaaaah!
I’ve Been waiting for this one! Thank you
Simon!! Me and my boyfriend are from Newfoundland in Canada. We watch you every single day, and night. All your channels! :) I swear if you look up our little island it’s pot of gold of inspiration for your channels. When it comes to mega projects you should do a video on muskrat falls!! Its a hydro electric facility that has cost over 7 billion dollars so far and our annual provincial budget is only 2 billion. It’s a billion dollar project that’s sucking money from Newfoundland’s pockets and it’s one of the biggest if not the biggest project in Canada and North America. Maybe not biggest but very expensive. It’s been very mishandled. Anyways we love you!! Hope to see a Newfoundland video soon and if you ever wanna come visit hit us up!! ❤️
Maybe, Simon *does* know better... I'm still 90% convinced his frequent mangling of facts/pronunciations is a gimmick to game the YT algorithms because, good or bad, like or dislike, it shows engagement, and gets us commenting like rabid wolves. So, yeah, maybe *WE* are getting played to stuff his pockets... The Emperor's New Clothes...
Naw. It was just poor training in that fake English city. Russia was failing, so they didn't have the budget to hire the good teachers they had before.
Mega projects: The 2020 US presidential election
Around 3am on Christmas day in Inverness, Il (near O'Hare Airport) one of these beasts was flying above our car and tracking us (you could see a green laser following along side us in the ditch off the road). My partner rolled down the window and looked up and screamed, "IT'S A UFO - RIGHT ABOVE US)". We saw it in the darkness - it had red lights on the wingtips and nose, which illuminated enough of the body for us to clearly see it. It followed us for around 10 minutes, and then left. We figured they were probably bored being Christmas and all and wanted some practice tracking things... Anyway, it left us with a great story!