The B-2 Spirit Bomber
The B-2 Spirit bomber, which first flew in 1989 after years of secret development, is much larger and heavier than the F-117. It was built by Northrop – Grumman, a manufacturer that pioneered flying wing designs in the 1940s.
In the 1980s, Northrop-Grumman tested a stealth plane, code-named Tacit Blue, which has been described as “an upside – down bathtub with wings.” The B-2 was more elegant, shaped like a flying arrowhead. Computer-aided design gave the B-2 similar radar-baffling characteristics to the F-117. The B-2 carries a crew of two and has a range of 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers). It relies on its stealthy approach to outwit defenses because it is relatively slow, flying at around 500 miles per hour (800 kilometers per hour). The B-2’s uses are very specialized, and the plane is expensive to produce. Like the F-117, the B-2 has been built in small numbers—there are only about twenty B-2s in existence.
Other modern warplanes, such as the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter), and the European Typhoon have stealth characteristics, but their shapes are more conventional
than that of the F-117 and the B-2. A key element in their design is that no feature (such as an engine outlet or weapons bay) gives off more than the minimum radar reflection. Stealth features must be balanced against other elements of the design, such as the high speed that is essential for a fighter plane.