Introducing ‘Rage', The Latest B-1B To Be Resurrected From The ‘Boneyard'
Story by David Cenciotti • 14h • 3 min read
© Provided by The Aviationist
Another B-1B was pulled from storage at AMARG and recalled back to duty to bring the BONE fleet back to 45 total Lancers.
B-1B Lancer 86-0115 “Rage” is one of the four bombers out of 17 the U.S. Air Force stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and maintained "in a reclaimable condition" so that they could be regenerated if needed.
These stored aircraft, tail numbers 85-0066, 85-0077, 85-0081, and 86-0115, covered with silicone-looking spraylat sealant, to cover gaps, engines, and glass, were placed in Type 2000 storage, just one level below the flyable Type 1000 storage.
On April 20, 2024, a B-1B Lancer bomber of the 7th Bomb Wing, serial 85-0089, experienced a fire engine failure during routine maintenance at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The projected repair costs to fix the fire-damaged aircraft were expected to be cost-prohibitive, therefore the U.S. Air Force elected to regenerate one of the four B-1B bombers from the "Boneyard", at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
The restoration was required to keep the BONE (as the B-1 is nicknamed in the fighter pilot community) fleet at its congressionally mandated size of 45 bombers in inventory.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/introducing-rage-the-latest-b-1b-to-be-resurrected-from-the-boneyard/ar-BB1qrbnD?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=50666f9ca2fd4e1191064ef0dfa1fe93&ei=62
