The newest B-21 Raider, the first aircraft of the sixth generation, makes its first flight (photos and video)
The time from development to the first flight of the B-21 Raider can be considered a record in the current conditions – only 8 years
The most advanced combat aircraft in the world, the American strategic bomber B-21 Raider from Northrop Grumman, has made its maiden flight.
Videos and photos of the incident were posted by a number of American spotters and officially confirmed by the US Air Force. Given that the B-21 Raider is classified by the US military as the first representative of the sixth generation, this is a rather significant event in the aircraft industry as a whole.
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT 11-10-23 #RAIDER33 #B21Raider pic.twitter.com/3tEKudqDiw
– Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
It is also quite revealing that the first flight took place less than a year after the first demonstration of the aircraft, and the work on it has been going on since about 2015, behind a very tight veil of secrecy.
Thanks to the photos of the B-21 Raider on the ground, which were the first photos of the aircraft from other angles, some other elements of the machine that had not been seen before became known. Because before that, the only photos were from the front projection of the car.
For example, the B-21 Raider retains the characteristic nose of the B-2 and generally follows its predecessor in terms of aerodynamics, although it is 1.5 times smaller. But it is possible to notice a more than interesting solution, most likely with folding keels in the middle of the fuselage.
The photo below also shows the internal weapon compartments, six in total, which have different geometric dimensions. At the same time, they should accommodate not only classical cruise missiles and bombs, but also drones, i.e. the B-21 Raider is also an “air carrier”.
And it is this inside, not the outside, that makes up the main differences between this aircraft and the B-2. And they explain where the progress in this area has been over the past 30 years. The fact is that this is indeed the first aircraft to be created with a pilotless option – pilots in the cockpit are not required. That is, the B-21 Raider is also the largest strike UAV in the world.
Also, the B-21 Raider implements a completely new approach to building a truly open architecture, which should allow the aircraft to be updated continuously, without traditional stages – Blocks. It is declared that new equipment, weapons, and software can be added, changed, and combined without “modernization programs.”
