B-2 In Museum Dayton Ohio

[Dutchy 0]

Is the B-2 so old, that he has to move to a museum?

 

http://www.af.mil/stories/story.asp?storyID=123006228

 

Okay it is nice, to show it. But why now? Why not flying, it cost milions of dollars it is stealthy big bomber and in a museum. I don't get it.

 

I did it see now for a few times flying and once on a static. Nice and strange to see.

 

And now in a museum?

I really don't get it.

 

Salute

Dutchy

[snapple2993 0]

Correction Dutchy! I believe its over a billion dollars!

 

Waste of cash if you ask me... of course the Zoom Zoom's always get what they want... they have the best planes now, but they always want more, even though there is no more Cold War.

 

B-2's just another weapon that's lost its purpose, like the Ohio Class SSBN's, and that Star War's BS.

 

Not that I'm some ultra-leftist who wants us to spend the money on welfare, I just think the military in general and the people of the United States would be better served if the damn thing didnt cost a BILLION... split the money between the marines, army, and intel agencies... they're the ones that need it now.

 

Seriously I hate the B-2 cause its gotta be the most disgusting waste of money since the "Great Society".

 

Cheers,

Saffell

[+Fates 63]

Dutchy,

 

I was ast the museum back for the 2003 Dayton Airshow. I was rather pissed that it wasn't there then. I was even more pissed that they didn't have one on static display at the airshow. It was suppose to be the greatest airshow on the planet, and if it wasn't for the friends that I was around, I would have chalked the airshow up to being quite boring. I've seen better performances.

 

As far as the B-2 is concerned, that aircraft, to my understanding was a test aircraft used for testing structural flaws and Service difficulties.

Never built to fly, the aircraft had to be disassembled for shipment to the museum’s restoration facility here. Originally, it served strictly as a ground-based test article to evaluate the airframe’s integrity in varying degrees of stress.

 

This aircraft has been destroyed a few times over. Test where they intentionally bend a wing to see what force it will take until it explodes. The article basically explains why it's in the museum. Would you rather it be sent to the Boneyard in Tuscon to sit in crates for 30 years? I'm glad it's there where it can be admired for the huge waste of money it is....hehe....But It's saved lives in the MIddle East, and no price is to high for that.

 

Fates

[Indy_BIA 0]

Yeah Fates is correct. I talked to an Air Force guy at the USAF museum once. They were still finishing the cold war hanger then and they were moving in aircraft. I asked him how come a lot of newer planes where there. The F-22, F-117, B1 that was parked outside etc.. He said that usually the planes that are there either have serious structure damage or something that prohibits it from flying or being used in the military. He was even nice enough to show me the C-130 that they were moving in. When he shined his light on it you could see a noticeable crack that ran most of the entire underside of the fuselage. The B1 that was parked outside was actually trucked to a different museum

 

So there really isn't much else to do with them. Might as well give the people that paid for it a chance to see it :)

[Dutchy 0]

I know about F-117 and F-22 in that museum. I visit it back in 1998. (mine only USA trip)

F-22 is half real and half model (Revell :) ).

 

The B-1 version that I saw was a B-1A. What still fly is the B version.

Do thay have now also the B version in that museum?

 

It is a great museum, no doubt about that. I wish we had that sort of musea here in mine country.

 

Saw on a picture that there are now 3 halls, when I was there were their 2 halls.

 

Salute and thanks guys (and ladies?) for the information.

 

Dutchy

[Indy_BIA 0]

Not sure if they have another B1 there or not. When I was there it was parked outside and they were getting ready to move it to Texas or something like that. I have some pictures of it I could send you if you'd like. They now have 3 hangers. WWI+ WWII hanger. Modern Flight, and the Cold War hanger that even has a Mig-29 and SR-71 in it. I haven't been there since early Spring. I'm hoping to go back soon and take a lot of pictures :)

[+Fates 63]

When I was there for the AIrshow, one of the best things I enjoyed is the fact that the SR71 was (as well as all the other aircraft in the hangar) un-roped. You could kick the tires, walk under it, and just about do anthing you want around it as well as all the other aircraft in the hangar.

 

The USAF Museum is constantly LOANING aircraft to other musuems, and Vice Versa. Another UPSETTING thing to me was the lack of the XB-70 Valkyrie. Apparently this is on loan to the Smithsonian for it's grand opening last week. I hadn't seen this aircraft since like the late 70's and I was really looking foward seeing it.

 

Cheers!

 

Fates

[Skater 0]

Correction Dutchy! I believe its over a billion dollars!

 

Waste of cash if you ask me... of course the Zoom Zoom's always get what they want... they have the best planes now, but they always want more, even though there is no more Cold War.

 

B-2's just another weapon that's lost its purpose, like the Ohio Class SSBN's, and that Star War's BS.

 

Not that I'm some ultra-leftist who wants us to spend the money on welfare, I just think the military in general and the people of the United States would be better served if the damn thing didnt cost a BILLION... split the money between the marines, army, and intel agencies... they're the ones that need it now.

 

Seriously I hate the B-2 cause its gotta be the most disgusting waste of money since the "Great Society".

 

Cheers,

Saffell

Snap, the B-2 could have cost less if we bought more of them. The reason for the high unit cost, was because we lowered how many we intended to buy several times. The production, tooling, personnell, development, and yada yada yada costs had to be recouped. You can thank Clintonian legislators and politicians for the cost overruns.

 

Had we spent 10 Billion more on acquiring these aircraft, we'd have 40 of them, not 20. Also, as a testament to how incredible these aircraft are, we have yet to lose one. Not even in test and development. Name one aircraft that can claim zero class A mishaps. The B-2 is the only one I know of, and this a completely radical design and concept, not a tried and true design. This is the first tailless flying wing ever in production.

 

Also, the aircraft has a capability like no other. In one pass, from Angels 40, it can hit 36 targets precisely with PGM's or JDAM's. Not even the B-1 can do this, and the B-2 does this with almost complete impunity from ground based defenses.

 

I am not an extreme righty, and I do not support everything the military wants to buy, but I do support the B-2. It is simply a phenominal aircraft, and one whose purpose has not passed. Look at the B-52, more than 50 years after it's first flight, that airframe is still the workhorse of the bomber fleet. Used in every major conflict since Korea. The B-2 has more capability, there is no reason it should not be as valuable as the BUFF.

 

Also, plese not that the B-2 in the museum was a ground test airfram used for dev and test. It has never flown, and was not constructed to be airworthy. It is basically useless after ground testing and avionics development and testing phases are complete. She'll be an excellent addition to the museum.

 

-Skater

[+Dave 2,322]

Did some of you read the article?

 

"The B-2 originally arrived from Palmdale, Calif., in seven separate C-5 Galaxy shipments. Never built to fly, the aircraft had to be disassembled for shipment to the museum’s restoration facility here. Originally, it served strictly as a ground-based test article to evaluate the airframe’s integrity in varying degrees of stress."

 

 

It never flew. So I don't see the big waste in money. It was a test bed.

[snapple2993 0]

<_< Bahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We piss more money away on things of less value... like politics (Re-Elections, and hanging chads :D ).