The B-2 is one of the most iconic and recognizable military jets ever designed.
The 34-year-old aircraft is still operational, and still very much in service.
And not long ago, for the first time, the US Air Force showed what it looks like from the pilot’s point of view.
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The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber or simply B-2, was first launched in 1989.
It’s clearly deemed reliable, considering it’s still being used by the US Air Force.
An iconic aircraft, the B-2 has been featured in several Hollywood movies, including Independence Day and Iron Man 2 but, ironically, not in Top Gun.
The B-2 can fly more than 12,000 miles (19,000 km) with one midair refueling and can reach speeds up to 1,010 km/h.
It is slower than many other equivalent aircraft, and – pretty obviously – slower than Concorde, too.
However, what it lacks in terms of speed (so to speak, it’s obviously still fast as heck) it more than makes up for in terms of stealth.
This jet can become invisible to radars.
They don’t call it the ‘Stealth Bomber’ for nothing.
The cockpit is, relatively speaking, surprisingly simple.
We know that because a few years ago, the US Air Force allowed a civilian journalist to fly aboard the B-2, which had never happened before.
The video reveals a cockpit that looks busy but, on the surface at least, less complicated than, say, that of the Concorde.
As you can imagine, the B-2 is not cheap.
The US has built 21 Stealth Bomber jets so far, with an average cost of $2.3 billion.
As of April 2024, the B-2 project, including development, maintenance, and so on, has cost the United States a grand total of around $44 billion.
It’s a lot, but the B-2 is a hell of a machine, so they’d probably tell you it was worth every penny.
