Is that the B-2 Spy Bomber flying overhead? Yes! It is.

Interrupted my brekkie to go and watch that beast burning through the atmosphere above Stroud. It’s heading north-west so off to America? Anyone else get a glimpse?

Yea, just heard it over Brimscombe.

They’re rather noisy for something that supposed to be “stealth” !!!

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/live-b-2-stealth-bombers-3265364

They’re still low over Cirencester, and so really noisy here. I did get a photo but the distance and angle actually justifies the stealth name…

My dodgy pic:

B2 Spirit by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

They’re rather noisy for something that supposed to be “stealth” !!!

Noise is irrelevant, it’s radar stealth that’s important.
Although the Orange Skull is convinced that stealth aircraft are literally invisible, you can’t actually see them.
(Insert facepalm photo of choice here).

They ended up back at Fairford. Maybe it was a quick dash across the pond to get some Hershey’s.

And again at 19:27! They’re out and about taking in the valley views.

One of them just flew over Stroud again.

The Extinction Rebellion mob will be getting paranoid……..

How long can they fly for?

Ever if they’ve got enough fuel 🤷‍♂️

Seems to be a lot of movement of these about recently, I reckon were in for a WW3 soon… 🤩

Although the Orange Skull is convinced that stealth aircraft are literally invisible, you can’t actually see them

Just a couple of blokes in a sitting position going 600 mph at 50000 feet.

Over Hastings.

One v low and v noisy turning over Minch common to go in the direction of Fairford tonight, was cooking in the pizza oven so couldn’t get to my phone for a photo

Well noise is important as it carries and can be picked up from many miles away – especially over water by submarines and other vessels with the right equipment. But flying low and slow will be high drag and high power so bound to be noisy especially since they’re not the most aerodynamically efficient things ever to fly. But cruising up at their normal operating ceiling they’ll be pretty quiet as that is the flight configuration they’ll be designed to operate in and be the most stealthy in terms of radar signature, IR signature, visual signature and noise signature…you need all to be truly stealthy.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen one in flight, must be a pretty impressive sight.

Regarding noise. At the eastbourne airshow the modern jet made a hell of a racket. The old ones were disappointingly quiet.

Why was that?

You obviously haven’t heard a Vulcan go with throttle up! Loudest thing I have ever heard.

You obviously haven’t heard a Vulcan go with throttle up! Loudest thing I have ever heard.

That and the Lightning – best sites I’m seen at any airshow!

Phantom with the afterburners lit very low over the crowd at Biggin Hill many years ago was the noisiest aircraft I’ve ever heard.

Two USAF B2 bombers over Sufolk earlier

Our local paper says they flew to Iceland for tea. Seriously, on their budget you’d think it’d be a home delivery by Waitrose.

There are three of them here for a few weeks, based at Fairford.  They arrived with call signs of Death11, Death12 and Death13 😀

The old ones were disappointingly quiet.

Why was that?

Thrust levels, at a guess. Old ones, less thrust, new ones, lotsa thrust.

Having said that, the noise from a Vulcan at full chat was biblical.

One interrupted my dream this morning at around 06:30, god, that noise goes on & on, such a deep drone with some squeaks at the end!

It was scary to see them over the North Yorks Moors a couple of months ago – a WTF moment – what are they doing over here???

Just had two F-16’s at telephone numbers at approx 300ft come over (put it this way, they wouldn’t have cleared the South Downs on the other side of my back garden view).  Heading east in an awful hurry.

The old ones were disappointingly quiet.

Why was that?

Possibly preserving the engines? Most of the wear occurs when you’re running the engine flat out for take off (the turbine blades actually bend back and wear away the seal). So if you’re displaying an old plane you can keep the engine in good condition a lot longer by not being noisy for the sake of it.

It was scary to see them over the North Yorks Moors a couple of months ago – a WTF moment – what are they doing over here???

IIRC they were based at an RAF base in order to see if it worked as an operational base. I guess there’s a huge amount of logistics and behind the scenes stuff needed to keep them in the air. And all that has to be tested in addition to just “is the runway long enough” and “can we get to Moscow without causing havoc over Heathrow”.

can we get to Moscow without causing havoc over Heathrow

If there were B-2’s on the way to Moscow, I don’t think a bit of disruption in flights to the Costa-del-Soul or Madira would be of the utmost importance! 😲

I seem to remember Vulcan crews if they ever had to head for Moscow were basically told to ‘keep going as there’ll be no point turning round with nothing to come back to’!😳

And all that has to be tested in addition to just “is the runway long enough”

For the B-2 it needs special climate controlled hangers of which there are two at Fairford.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen one in flight, must be a pretty impressive sight.

It really is, the damned thing is just a flat silhouette against the sky, it just doesn’t look like it ought to fly!
I saw one a few years ago at Fairford for the RAIT, it came over with an escort of a pair of F-15 Eagles, which then peeled away, the Spirit did two or three low passes, then landed, to everyone’s surprise.
The crew met RIAT officials and staff, then a little later it taxied out, took off, and as it climbed away its escort came up behind it to escort it back to its base in the States.
Amazing thing to see.
One thing about the Spirit, the planform isn’t what was originally designed, the Air Force demanded changes, that weren’t necessary, and which cost a lot of time and money.
The new B-21 Raider is the shape that the B2 should have been, it’s simpler, but just as effective.

Pound for pound the old Dragon Lady (U2) has got to be up there with the loudest military jets.

Used to see these all the time in Cyprus and the detachment had by far the best bar at Akrotiri*.

(*Of course they were never in Cyprus and thus neither could that excellent bar have been…)

Saw a Dragon Lady a couple of weeks ago landing at Fairford, I’d just come out of Cotswold Outdoor on my way back to my car, and heard a jet, looked around and it appeared over some trees as it landed.
Not in the same league, but bloody impressive when they come thundering overhead at high speed like these two, I barely had chance to get my phone out and open the camera app.

Coming…

Going…

Occasionally a couple of Apaches go over me, and bloody hell; they do make some racket.

U2 (and TR1) was based on a F104. (True fact)

Remember watching the B2 flypast at Fairford as it was accompanied by the music from when Indy opens the Ark of the Covenant in ‘Raiders over the PA system.
Proper end of the world stuff.