B-21 Vs. B-2: What's The Difference Between These US Stealth Bombers?
Story by Bob Sharp • 16h
Despite such similar names, there are fundamental differences between the United States Air Force's (USAF) B-2 and forthcoming B-21 bombers. At first glance, the two bombers seem very much alike. Both are stealth aircraft based on the flying wing type design, and both are designed by the brilliant people at Northrop Grumman. However, dig a little deeper and there are plenty of differences between the two aircraft. But first, let's look at the similarities between the two formidable planes and the design decisions behind them.
The B-21's development was based on a "low-risk" approach. In essence, this means the plane is more of an evolution of the existing B-2 platform than a radical departure from technologies that are already proven. This methodology goes a long way to explaining why the planes look so similar. As to be expected with such programs, the USAF remains tight-lipped about much of the B-21's design and capabilities, but there are some available facts and figures that we can look at.
The most obvious difference between the two craft is their size. Northrop Grumman's B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is a larger beast than its younger sibling with a wingspan of 172 feet and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 336,500 pounds. By comparison, the B-21 has an projected wingspan of about 140 feet and an estimated MTOW of between 225,000 and 260,000 pounds. While this is one of the defining differences between the two planes, it isn't the only one.
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