Temporary shelter of the B-21 Raider bomber. Photo: https://t.co/CzFFKuqIdX pic.twitter.com/FgbUEsMgJP
— Ivan O'Gilvi (@o_gilvi) March 5, 2021
The US Air Force has published a photo of a prototype temporary shelter for the new B-21 Raider strategic bomber. The prefabricated tent is planned to be used outside of stationary air bases.
By the size of the concrete slabs of the airfield and the cars standing next to it, aircraft enthusiasts quickly calculated the length and width of the shelter, and then the approximate dimensions of the aircraft. It turned out that the B-21 has a fuselage length of about 15 meters and a wingspan of 42 m. This is significantly smaller than the size of the B-2 Spirit: 21 and 52 meters, respectively.
The official technical specifications of the B-21 are classified, so far no real images of the aircraft have been published - only renderings. According to open sources, Northrop Grumman has been building a prototype Raider at a plant in California since 2019. Its first flight is scheduled for 2022.
The B-21 should be a cost-effective alternative to the B-2. The most expensive aircraft in history lost the technology race with the Soviet / Russian air defense.
Anton Valagin
