The B-2 was first publicly displayed on 22 November 1988 at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, where it was assembled. This viewing was heavily restricted, and guests were not allowed to see the rear of the B-2. However, Aviation Week editors found that there were no airspace restrictions above the presentation area and took aerial photographs of the aircraft's secret rear section [27] with suppressed engine exhausts. [ citation needed] The B-2's (s/n 82-1066 / AV-1) first public flight was on 17 July 1989 from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base. [27] Air Force Global Strike Command officials assume B-52, B-2 mission." United States Air Force, 2 February 2010. Trimble, Stephen (26 August 2011). "US Air Force combat fleet's true operational costs revealed". The DEW Line. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012 . Retrieved 1 July 2012. The development and construction of the B-2 required pioneering use of computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies due to its complex flight characteristics and design requirements to maintain very low visibility to multiple means of detection. [70] [73] The B-2 bears a resemblance to earlier Northrop aircraft; the YB-35 and YB-49 were both flying wing bombers that had been canceled in development in the early 1950s, [74] allegedly for political reasons. [75] The resemblance goes as far as B-2 and YB-49 having the same wingspan. [76] [77] The YB-49 also had a small radar cross-section. [78] [79]

Sweetman, Bill (1999). Inside the Stealth Bomber. Zenith Imprint. p.55. ISBN 978-1-61060-689-9. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020 . Retrieved 19 October 2016. Selected Acquisition Report" (PDF). dod.gov. December 2018. p.31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2023.Winchester, Jim, ed. "Northrop B-2 Spirit". Modern Military Aircraft (Aviation Factfile). Rochester, Kent, UK: Grange Books plc, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-640-5. The GBU-54 LJDAM made its combat debut in August 2008 in Iraq when an F-16 from the 77th Fighter Squadron engaged a moving vehicle in Diyala province. [29] The GBU-54 LJDAM made its combat debut in the Afghan theater by the 510th Fighter Squadron in October 2010. [30] a b INS/GPS Operational Concept Demonstration (OCD) High Gear Program, IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, 8 August 1994. A navalised version, designated KGW-1, was developed to be launched from LSTs as well as escort carriers (CVEs) and long-range 4-engine reconnaissance aircraft. Waterproof carriers for the KGW-1 were developed for launches of the missile from surfaced submarines. Both the USAAF JB-2 and Navy KGW-1 were put into production and were planned to be used in the Allied invasion of Japan ( Operation Downfall). However, the surrender of Japan obviated the need for its use. [99] After the end of the war, the JB-2/KGW-1 played a significant role in the development of more advanced surface-to-surface tactical missile systems such as the MGM-1 Matador and later MGM-13 Mace. [ citation needed] Operators [ edit ] Nazi Germany Siuru, William D. (1993), Future Flight: The Next Generation of Aircraft Technology, New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN 978-0-8306-4376-9

internal bays for ordnance and payload with an official limit of 40,000lb (18,000kg); maximum estimated limit is 50,000lb (23,000kg) [71] The warhead consisted of 850kg of Amatol, 52A+ high-grade, blast-effective explosive with three fuses. An electrical fuse could be triggered by nose or belly impact. Another fuse was a slow-acting mechanical fuse allowing deeper penetration into the ground, regardless of the altitude. The third fuse was a delayed action fuse, set to go off two hours after launch. [35] [36] Kalelioğlu, M.; etal. (December 1989). "Intracerebral myiasis from Hypoderma bovis larva in a child. Case report". J. Neurosurg. 71 (6): 929–931. doi: 10.3171/jns.1989.71.6.0929. PMID 2585086.Launches against Britain were met by a variety of countermeasures, including barrage balloons and aircraft such as the Hawker Tempest and newly introduced jet Gloster Meteor. These measures were so successful that by August 1944 about 80% of V-1s were being destroyed [49] (Although the Meteors were fast enough to catch the V-1s, they suffered from frequent cannon failures, and accounted for only 13. [50]) In all, about 1,000 V-1s were destroyed by aircraft. [50] On 28 March 2013, two B-2s flew a round trip of 13,000 miles (21,000km) from Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri to South Korea, dropping dummy ordnance on the Jik Do target range. The mission, part of the annual South Korean–United States military exercises, was the first time that B-2s overflew the Korean peninsula. Tensions between the Koreas were high; North Korea protested against the B-2's participation and made threats of retaliatory nuclear strikes against South Korea and the United States. [144] [145] In August 2011, The New Yorker reported that prior to the May 2011 U.S. Special Operations raid into Abbottabad, Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials had considered an airstrike by one or more B-2s as an alternative; the use of a bunker busting bomb was rejected due to potential damage to nearby civilian buildings. [142] There were also concerns an airstrike would make it difficult to positively identify Bin Laden's remains, making it hard to confirm his death. [143]

a b Lagacé-Wiens, P. R.; etal. (2008). "Human ophthalmomyiasis interna caused by Hypoderma tarandi, Northern Canada". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 14 (1): 64–6. doi: 10.3201/eid1401.070163. PMC 2600172. PMID 18258079. Late in the war, several air-launched piloted V-1s, known as Reichenbergs, were built, but these were never used in combat. Hanna Reitsch made some flights in the modified V-1 Fieseler Reichenberg when she was asked to find out why test pilots were unable to land it and had died as a result. She discovered, after simulated landing attempts at high altitude, where there was air space to recover, that the craft had an extremely high stall speed, and the previous pilots with little high-speed experience had attempted their approaches much too slowly. Her recommendation of much higher landing speeds was then introduced in training new Reichenberg volunteer pilots. The Reichenbergs were air-launched rather than fired from a catapult ramp, as erroneously portrayed in the film Operation Crossbow. [ citation needed] Air launch by Ar 234 [ edit ] Model of an Arado Ar 234 carrying a V-1 at the Technikmuseum Speyer Once near the launch ramp, the wing spar and wings were attached and the missile was slid off the loading trolley, Zubringerwagen, onto the launch ramp. The ramp catapult was powered by the Dampferzeuger trolley. The pulse-jet engine was started by the Anlassgerät, which provided compressed air for the engine intake, and electrical connection to the engine spark plug, and autopilot. The Bosch spark plug was only needed to start the engine, while residual flame ignited further mixtures of gasoline and air, and the engine would be at full power after 7 seconds. The catapult would then accelerate the bomb above its stall speed of 320km/h (200mph), ensuring sufficient ram air. [43] [44] [45] Operation Eisbär [ edit ] V-1 (Fieseler Fi 103) in flight The policy of diverting V-1 impacts away from central London was initially controversial. The War Cabinet refused to authorise a measure that would increase casualties in any area, even if it reduced casualties elsewhere by greater amounts. It was thought that Churchill would reverse this decision later (he was then away at a conference); but the delay in starting the reports to Germans might be fatal to the deception. So Sir Findlater Stewart of Home Defence Executive took responsibility for starting the deception programme immediately, and his action was approved by Churchill when he returned. [80] Effect [ edit ]The first bomb disposal officer to defuse an unexploded V-1 was John Pilkington Hudson in 1944. [74] Deception [ edit ]