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The greatest bomber on the planet.

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tigisfat

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I had to laugh when he claimed that:

a. The aircraft has only chaff and flare for defense.
b. It took 200,000lbs of gas from the tanker.

:icon_lol:

It's still an awesome video.

[youtube]NdXmkm9jcPA[/youtube]
 
Back in the mid to late 80s, I was sitting on a rock, on top of a hill out in the middle of the woods in Southern Ohio. I heard the sound of a jet, very loud and very rumbly. So, I began scanning the sky looking for this jet...nothing. Then I looked up...and there was a B-1 doing a near vertical climb right above me. The plane was pitched up high enough that I could look up into all four engines and see the exhaust/flames swirling inside of each one. Totally amazing!

OBIO
 
I work with some retired and active duty (guard) B-52 and B-1 flight crews. The B-52 guys seem proud of their plane. The one B-1 guy has very little good things to say about the B-1, which surprised me. He's an EW guy and most of his contempt is reserved for those systems, which he has very little “faith” in. I like the B-1. Awesome looking ship. But, the “greatest”? B-52! The loudest? B-1, no question! :d
 
I guess it depends on which side of the pond you grew up on. ;)

For me the world's greatest bomber would be the Vulcan or Lancaster or very possibly the Mosquito (which could carry the same bomb load as a B-17, faster, with a crew of 2, use much less precious fuel in the process and to top it all off place said bombs more accurately on the target).
 
I was on a backpacking trip in Northern New Mexico and as we hiked along a ridge we started to hear some rumbling. We looked up but couldn't see anything so we just stopped for a second. Then almost level with us and quarter mile off over the valley we saw a B1 with it's wings swept back. :icon30:I'm looking at the maps and the mesa we were on was about 10,000 feet and the valley floor was at approx. 7,500 ft. so the thing was relatively low. Maybe they thought they were making a valley run over some deserted woods, but they had just rocketed over the largest and most populous Boy Scout camp in the world.Needless to say that was one of the many highlights of my trip. We weren't the only ones who saw it either, we met a group further down the trail talking about it too. :running:
 
djscoo said:
I was on a backpacking trip in Northern New Mexico and as we hiked along a ridge we started to hear some rumbling. We looked up but couldn't see anything so we just stopped for a second. Then almost level with us and quarter mile off over the valley we saw a B1 with it's wings swept back. :icon30:I'm looking at the maps and the mesa we were on was about 10,000 feet and the valley floor was at approx. 7,500 ft. so the thing was relatively low. Maybe they thought they were making a valley run over some deserted woods, but they had just rocketed over the largest and most populous Boy Scout camp in the world.Needless to say that was one of the many highlights of my trip. We weren't the only ones who saw it either, we met a group further down the trail talking about it too. :running:
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Northern New Mexico is home to the Pecos MOA and ranges. There are quite a few B-1 low level routes out there. They are planned for obstruction clearance and routed around towns; most if not all low level routes do go screaming by some sort of human activity, mostly in the form of campsites. There are several low level routes where B-1s and other fast jets are allowed to go over the top of major interstates at under 500 feet and .95 mach.

Out of all the things I've seen our jets do, I've never seen one on a low level route. I envy you!!
 
As far as defences, ECM, chaff, and flares is all it's got. As far as offensive weapons, don't wanna be on the receiving end!:pop4:
 
Piglet said:
As far as defences, ECM, chaff, and flares is all it's got. As far as offensive weapons, don't wanna be on the receiving end!:pop4:
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Negative, there's a lot more to it than that. B-1s have more tricks up their sleeves than just about any other aircraft, save very few. Also, the term ECM is a pretty broad one. I never thought I'd hear some say "ECM" and "all it's got" in the same sentence.
 
During Red Flag, F-15 and 16's regularly try to get behind the B-1's at low level. They just can't keep up without hitting the ground. The B-1 is capable of over mach-1 at sea level. The terrain following on the B-1 is generations better that the system in the F-111 and fighters had trouble staying on the 'Vark's tail too. The B-1 has two radar units from the F-16. One is dedicated only to terrain following.

Add in the fact that the B-1 is moderately stealthy (looks like a small plane on radar from what I've read) and handling qualities described by one pilot as flying like a slightly heavy F-4 Phantom, Better ECM than a Prowler and the B-1 is a hard airplane to kill.

I'd take one any day.

Brian
 
Piglet said:
Can it carry AAM's, or gunpods? I guess the wake turbulance can be effective weapon....
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By definition, AAM's and gunpods aren't defensive weapons.
IMG_0563.jpg
 
Piglet said:
You win.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it was a cheap win. I feel dirty, because I knew what you meant but I couldn't resist.:icon_lol:

A long time ago at a car dealership, while waiting for a friend to buy a car, I was perusing one of those 'vehicle option' books. I noticed that a very ugly shade of school bus yellow was in there. I said, 'what on earth do you guys paint school bus yellow?" This old kentucky fried chicken colonel lookin' jerk responds over the rim of his glasses with: "well, ah-generally speakin', ah-school buses".......I thought I was going to kill him. He knew what I meant.:mad:


For the record: There is a lot more to aircraft defense these days than ECM, chaff and flares. Most technologically advanced large aircraft have a whole bag of tricks at their exposal.
 
Chris H said:
Isn't the long running joke that when the deliver the B-1's to the boneyard they'll be flying back home in B-52's?
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Something like that. There've already been plenty of B-1s and B-52s sent to the boneyard. As of right now, and it has been for a while, There are more B-1s available than B-52s. We'll see in the end.
 
B-52's - H models coming up on thier 50th birthday and still going strong.

B-1 - not for long I think

B52Bob -

(where's my FSX B-52?)
 
I'm not talking about likability, I'm talking sheer capability. The B-52 cannot do half the things a B-1 can, and it never will.
 
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