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?
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).
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.
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.
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’!😳
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.
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.
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.
Posted 4 years ago
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