|
|
| a |
B-1
Rockwell Boeing Lancer long-range strategic bomber aircraft |
| Â |
|
| Â |
| |
| Â |
|
| Â |
| |
The
B-1 Lancer Rockwell (now part of Boeing) is a four-engine variable-sweep
wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force (USAF). The
development of the B-1A version has began in the early 1970s, but its
production was canceled, and only four prototypes were built. In 1980,
the project has been restarted with the need for the United States Air
Force for a new bomber aircraft. It entered first service in 1986 with
the USAF Strategic Air Command as a nuclear bomber. In the 1990s, the
B-1B was converted to conventional bombing use. It first served in combat
during Operation Desert Fox in 1998 and again during the NATO action
in Kosovo the following year. The B-1B continues to support U.S. and
NATO military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
|
| Â |
| Variants |
|
 |
B-1A
: The B-1A was the original B-1 design
with variable engine intakes and Mach 2.2 top speed.
Four prototypes were built; no production units were
manufactured
|
|
|
|
 |
B-1B
: The B-1B is a revised B-1 design with
reduced radar signature and a top speed of Mach 1.25.
It was otherwise optimized for low-level penetration.
A total of 100 B-1Bs were produced
|
|
|
|
 |
B-1R
: The B-1R is a proposed upgrade of existing
B-1B bomber aircraft. The B-1R (R for "regional")
would be fitted with advanced radars, air-to-air missiles,
and new Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. This variant
would have a top speed of Mach 2.2, but with 20% less
range.
|
|
|
| Â |
| Technical
Data |
Back
menu |
| Design |
The
B-1 has a blended wing body configuration, with variable-sweep wing,
four turbofan engines, and triangular fin control surfaces. The wings
can sweep from 15 degrees to 67.5 degrees (full forward to full sweep).
Forward-swept wing settings are used for takeoff, landings and high-altitude
maximum cruise. Aft-swept wing settings are used in high subsonic and
supersonic flight. The B-1 Lancer is operated by four crew: pilot, co-pilot,
defensive systems operator (DSO) and offensive systems operator (OSO). |
| Armament |
There
are three internal weapon bays for up to 84 500-lb (227-kg) Mk 82 or
24 2,000-lb (907-kg) Mk 84 conven- tional bombs; alternatively up to
eight AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles, 24 AGM-69 short-range attack
missiles, 12 B-28 or B-43 free-fall nuclear bombs or 24 B-61 or B-83
bombs can be carried; similar weapons can also be carried on eight external
stores stations beneath the fuselage.
|
| Avionics
and combat systems |
The
B-1 Lancer is equipped with defensive avionics suite AN/ALQ-161 provides
jamming against early warning radars and the fire control radars of
missiles and anti-air guns. The system also incorporates Northrop Grumman
jamming transmitters, Raytheon phased array antennas and a tail warning
pulse Doppler radar, which gives rear-facing hemispherical coverage.
The countermeasures equipment include also dispensers for expendable
decoys including chaff and flares. The main radar of the B-1 lancer
is the multi-mode offensive radar APQ-164 with an electronically scanned
phased array antenna, which provides high-resolution terrain mapping,
velocity data, beacon modes, terrain avoidance, terrain following, position
data, weather detection, rendezvous and calibration modes. |
| Engines |
The
B-1 is equipped with four 30,000lb thrust class F101-GE-102 turbofan
engines from General Electric. An in-flight refuelling receptacle allows
refuelling from a KC-10 or a KC-135 tanker. he B-1 Lancer can fly at
a maximum speed of 1,448km/h. The B-1 Lancer bomber aircraft weighs
around 86,182kg and its maximum take-off weight is 216,363kg. |
| Â |
| Specifications |
| |
| Type |
| long-range
multi-role strategic bomber aircraft |
| Country
user |
| United
States |
| Country
producer |
United
States |
| Crew |
4
– pilot, co-pilot, and 2 system operators,
offensive and defensive
a
a
a
a |
| Engine |
| 4
× General Electric F101-GE-102 augmented turbofans
a |
|
Speed |
| Maximum
speed: 1,340 km/h |
| Range |
| 11,998
km maximum |
| Weight |
| 216,400
kg take-off |
| Avionics |
|
AN/ALQ-161 jamming and warning radar,ASN-131 radar
altimeter, APN-218 Doppler radar Velocity Sensor
(DVS), APN-224 radar altimeter, ARN-118 TACAN Tactical
Air Navigation system, APQ-164 offensive radar and
ARN-108 Instrument Landing System (ILS). |
| Dimension |
| Length:
44.81 m; Height: 10.36 m
Wingspan: 41.67 m; fully extended
Wingspan: 23.84 m; fully swept
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| Â |
| |
| Â |
| |
|
Back
menu |
| |
|
| Â |
|
| Â |
| Â |
