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Why The US Air Force Won't Fix Its Damaged B-2
The US Air Force has decided not to repair a B-2A Spirit stealth bomber that crashed at Whiteman Air Force Base. Instead, they will retire it from service. The decision is primarily driven by the cost and duration associated with repairing the damage.
Пікірлер: 516
It is now a spare parts donor. The parts may be of more value than the plane.
@shadowwarrior5139
3 ай бұрын
The most valuable part is paint gives it stealth. other parts are cheap enough to buy or recreate them.
@recoilrob324
3 ай бұрын
@@shadowwarrior5139 The fuselage is largely made of composites and very likely the nose gear collapse fractured this structure. As it's an integral part of the airframe/wing it's not a separate part that can be replaced so the whole airframe would probably need to be replaced which would not be cost effective and maybe even possible as the B2 production line has been long shut down.
@Strike_Raid
3 ай бұрын
@@shadowwarrior5139 Wow! No...
@captaron
3 ай бұрын
@recoilrob324 lol no that’s just false, composites can be repaired such as the 787. it’s not an airframe replacement, that’s an outrageous lie 😂
@recoilrob324
3 ай бұрын
@@captaron Was not a lie....just a supposition. I'm not privvy to the internals of a B2 and I suspect that neither are you. They were the most precise aircraft ever built because of their composites and how they're made....and after spending 2 Billion $$$ for each one...don't you think if it was easily repairable they would do it? I think they would, so something is keeping them from doing it which is why I was thinking the damage was structural and depending on how they are made...that could be VERY difficult to repair to military standards. I'm an A&P and have worked on government projects and some of the requirements are really crazy to meet. It could even be something like they could make the repair...but the rig used to test them no longer exists and would cost too much to build another...you know..something like that. I don't know and if you know something different...please tell because lots of people are wondering about this.
Imagine being the person who got blamed for scrapping a freakin stealth bomber. Oops.
@charlesstockford6003
2 ай бұрын
I bet his call sign has been changed. Pilots can be cruel. I'm thinking Scrapper or Scrappy.
@joshschneider9766
2 ай бұрын
Call signs don't get changed once given. And it depends on why it happened. If the standard investigation found pilot error they'd be anywhere from grounded to ejected from the force to imprisoned depending on what happened. It's actually a standardized investigation and consequences thereof formula.
@SolarMillUSA
2 ай бұрын
It was me. I got a freaky text from my gf and was distracted.
@charlesstockford6003
2 ай бұрын
@@joshschneider9766 Google it you'll be surprised. They can. I won't put down reasons but peers can vote on it. One of the reasons would fit this scenario.
@revmsj
2 ай бұрын
@@SolarMillUSAwatching KZread again whilst flying, eh…?
Frame twist damage is a BITCH to repair. Nevermind the paint job.
@bebo5558
3 ай бұрын
pacershark. I sure for the cost of that airplane, we can confidently repair any frame twist, what's it gonna do fly crooked?
@pacershark452
3 ай бұрын
@@bebo5558 That's easy to say. You're talking about something made out of cutting edge materials with extremely complex electronics. The labor costs to do it RIGHT would be outrageous.
@borntoclimb7116
3 ай бұрын
They can put this plane in a museum
@bebo5558
3 ай бұрын
@@pacershark452 For the price these planes cost, it should be repaired and put into service! Just like it costs more to fix a semi than a pickup truck-- a Cadillac than a Kia!
@bower31
2 ай бұрын
@bebo5558 It'll be a parts donor, it would cost more to repair it than to wait for the B-21. 19 B-2s is plenty
Meanwhile, the B-52 seems intent on flying forever.
@ibraheemshuaib8954
2 ай бұрын
it shall fly us to Mars.
@michaelold6695
2 ай бұрын
They also have literally hundred of B52s in the boneyard, although with the new upgrades the ones in storage will become less useful and more expensive to be brought in to service and up to spec
@rtz549
Ай бұрын
Built like a battleship and easy to work on and maintain. A proven airframe.
@grandmasterpu
Ай бұрын
@@michaelold6695there’s 10 left in the boneyard, and of that 8 are being reclaimed.
@LoneWolf-wv4fg
Ай бұрын
@@michaelold6695there maintaining the b52’s as there not as expensive as the b2 and the whole purpose of the b2 was to drop nukes in Soviet territory, but they don’t need to drop nukes as they are self propelled now. So it doesn’t make sense to keep them over the b52 which can carry a much larger payload of conventional bombs than the b2
In unrelated news, the roster of B-2 qualified pilots has also been reduced by one- but the garbage cans on base at Whiteman have never been emptied more efficiently.
I had a Chevy Vega once that I had to divest from my fleet.
@ronhaworth5808
2 ай бұрын
LOL. I had a 74 Vega once to give it better traction in the snow I carried extra engine parts in the back including a spare cylinder head.
@MrGchiasson
Ай бұрын
Ahh...had a Chevy Vega Wagon with automatic transmission...called it our 'Vegamatic'. I later bought a used Ford Pinto. (Yeah...something's seriously wrong with me.)
When you’re defense budget is big enough to swallow the expenses of a B2 like it’s nothing.👍🇺🇸
@captaron
3 ай бұрын
it’s the opposite, there have been many cuts due to budget restraints such as the f-22 cuts and new procurements as the f-35 purchases have gone from 83 to 70 buying less and having a smaller fleet is an indicator of budget restraints, you’ve stated the opposite
@jackmarston2515
3 ай бұрын
@@captaronprobably has something to so with the fact that the interest we pay on the national debt is now our #1 expenditure.
@thomasohanlon1060
3 ай бұрын
@@captaron well the 22 program was cut because both presidents Bush and Obama’s view was the need for such an aircraft was no longer necessary, the days of pier conflicts were a distant memory. So the thought was that funding could go into more common systems and upgrade them.
@cwatson42785
3 ай бұрын
What are you talking about? It's the opposite here
@zacharychoo
3 ай бұрын
Not worth it to fix it, B21s are rolling off the line which are better and cheaper
Holy Batshit Robin ! You banged up the billion dollar Batwing again ! 😆🤣
It's now spare parts for the remaining b-2's.
Potholes and a B2…two things the government won’t fix…
@Phantom_Of_Fury
3 ай бұрын
It's true
@mrsandman2185
2 ай бұрын
Education department, medical insurance and corporate culture have entered the chat.
@MrGchiasson
Ай бұрын
Most of the asphalt roads in our town has more patches than asphalt. Where's my tax money going? It's not infrastructure.
@TwoHawksHunting
19 күн бұрын
@@MrGchiassonAsk your local and state politicians.
They already have the B-21 Raider. Why would they waste money on an outdated plane that they are in the process of retiring?
@LiterallyMojo
2 ай бұрын
Its a well earned flex being able to call an aircraft decades beyond what any other country can hope to accomplish "outdated"
@pappagone6066
2 ай бұрын
how many B21 we will see?
@LiterallyMojo
2 ай бұрын
@@pappagone6066 over 100 And they would buy more but the US airforce is expecting a potentially better replacement for the B21 by the time those 100+ aircraft are built
@gregsummerson6524
2 ай бұрын
A billion dollar aircraft!
@bigbk3278
2 ай бұрын
@@gregsummerson6524meaning?
Standard cost benefit analysis. When you've got next season's model on the way, the 5% operational loss isn't weighted as highly as it would have been a few years ago. Cost: lose 5% operational capability, repair $, potential increased usage +maintenance on test of fleet. Benefits: regain 5% operational capability. Other factors : new model on the way. Question: what are the odds of a substantial war within 2 years where the 5% operational capability loss will be a serious problem? Answer : 300 page report saying the odds are low, and the capability can be compensated for using x alternatives /methods. Result : scrap for parts.
@luckythirteen77
3 ай бұрын
In other words: totaled. As mentioned elsewhere in thread, it’s not scrap. Potentially parts, or if pressed to they could decide to spend the outrageous cost of repair. Who knows, top secret stuff I’m surprised we’ve heard this much. It’d be tragic if it was something as dumb as a taxi accident. $2 billion…
@myne00
3 ай бұрын
@@luckythirteen77 I mean, I wrote "scrap for parts" was that unclear?
@luckythirteen77
3 ай бұрын
@@myne00 It’s not scrap. All this YT says is that they won’t do the repair.
@luckythirteen77
3 ай бұрын
@@myne00 Bunch of pedantic engineer types arguing about what ifs. I’m out. Not like I work in the industry or anything. *edited for lack of F’s to give.
@IT_Wizz
2 ай бұрын
@luckythirteen77 why don't you just stfu in the first place when you got nothing usefull to say? Stop crying for attention dude
B-21 Raider is designed with modular electronics allowing for swapping, B-2 comes from the days when not much versatility was possible. They realized the need to shorten the lifetime of high value military equipment so that maintenance does not eat up operational budget. B-21 is a game changer, if can be demonstrated to not have any system flaws. Supposed to be operated remotely, just think about the implications, what a great solution for having to hunt enemy air defenses without having to put a pilot in the cockpit.
@ghost307
2 ай бұрын
And as soon as the B-21 Raider is added to the inventory, the US Chair Force will start whining that they want a NEW plane.
@dragons_advocate
Ай бұрын
"... to not have any flaws..." Say, the "B" stands for Boeing, does it not? 🤔
Its not going to be driven by "duration" of repairs at all. Its going to be THREE main factors... 1 - Cost of reoair vs need to have that airframe in service. 2 - Availability of spare parts and materials to carry out all of the repair work. 3 - The aircraft can become the "Christmas" tree for the rest of the fleet. Giving a new pool of spares allowing other airframes to be kept serviceable when they might otherwise not have been. Duration of repair work isnt really a reason to scrap an aircraft. If its on the ground long enough, its going to become more valuable to the fleet than the others. We were going to scrap and aircraft once, but a U turn descision was made a year later, we spent two years inspecting and repairing the aircraft. When it went back into service, it had the lowest hours and cycles of the fleet, it also had all the latest modifications and had much of the corrosion on it repaired. That aircraft certainly proved its worth!
Can you imagine the bullet points on that pilot's yearly evaluation report? "--- Totalled out the single most expensive vehicle the US Government owns." ... "Promote ahead of peers."
@Will-dn9dq
2 ай бұрын
Note was do to moisture an being kept in an un air conditioned area. The peto tube closed and thought it needed correct itself. Wasn't the pilot it was who ever supposed make sure its stored right
@jamesholden5664
2 ай бұрын
I remember back in the 70s an A7 crashed in downtown Tucson. The engine stalled out the pilot guided it down the middle of University Blv. He punched out at 100 ft. Then the plane went down in the middle of the street fireballing spewing flaming jet fuel everywhere killing and injuring a bunch of people. Cause of the accident was a clogged fuel filter. Sucks to be that mechanic I'm sure he got in a bit of trouble.
@MrGchiasson
Ай бұрын
"We're taking it out of your pay. You can retire...20 years after you die.)
The US airforce is one of few places where they can say "2 billion dollar project is wasted".
@homeuser9129
2 ай бұрын
Yeah that's because you can print as many dollars as you want & whenever you want without any repercussions, now you don't even have to waste paper & ink, just type in addition zeros in the main banking computer and boom there you have trillion of dollars out of thin air, I mean electrons.
@jamesholden5664
2 ай бұрын
2 billion dollar project. The project cost much more that that.
@jamesholden5664
2 ай бұрын
@homeuser9129 So your saying it's too expensive to repair this bomber because they can get 2 trillion dollars out of thin air?? Why aren't they getting the money out of thin air to repair this bomber then. I'm so confused.
@homeuser9129
2 ай бұрын
If you have unlimited money would you waste time on getting a damaged car repaired or getting a new one?
Never cease to amaze me, thos Spirit Airline planes...
@mr_gutsy5151
2 ай бұрын
(Laughing noises intensifies.*)
@IDBTitanosaurus
2 ай бұрын
@@mr_gutsy5151 Of all the US Government conspiracies... ...Spirit Airlines in the United States has a piss poor reputation in order to hide the B2 Spirit from the Spy bots.
This has always happened in the military. In the UK Army its called BER - Beyond Economic Repair.
@donotneed2250
29 күн бұрын
We called that also when I was in the U.S. Army. I effectively typed up the DA 444(Inventory Adjustment Report) plenty of times especially when I was overseas. I'm quite sure each branch has its own version of it.
If you want all the bells and whistles be prepared to pay for them. We are at the point of 'diminishing returns' as far as military equipment is concerned.
I can't believe that you let the car warranty expire
@real5609
3 ай бұрын
They actually had it but car shield doesn't pay some claims
I heard it happened after midnight and from some kind of creature on the wing singing New York, New York.
@albertobarbosa5960
3 ай бұрын
Did the technician die?
@Hillary4SupremeRuler
3 ай бұрын
Rudy Colludy?
A disposable multi billion dollar airplane.
I hope they put it in a museum.
I don't think that "too expensive" is a term used in the military at all, this sounds like an excuse.
@yofolkdem1256
3 ай бұрын
Have you met the VA?
@DuDeFroMTN83
3 ай бұрын
What he said 👆
@barefootbreezy6983
3 ай бұрын
lol ever seen the maintenance cost for f22s? There are things too expensive for the military and getting the parts for these plans arent easy. Its probably more valuable to rip spare parts for the other few b2s than repairing it.
@_Addi_
3 ай бұрын
They already have the B-21 Raider. Why would they waste money on an outdated plane that they are in the process of retiring?
@richhead1999
3 ай бұрын
@@yofolkdem1256The VA has a different budget they have to stick to.
Pilot really wanted to fly a B-21
10 billion dollar 'accident' ! That's a big oops !
Someone fucked up big time 😂
Looks like a flying boomerang..
@Constance_tinople
3 ай бұрын
its more effeicient than having a tail section with regards to lift generated and relative maneuverability at the cost of complexity and thus cost. also better as a uniform profile to reduce its radar cross section
@ChargerusPrime
3 ай бұрын
@@Constance_tinople well, I'll be honest, I never knew that at all. Can't deny what it looks likes though lol.
@Ryuu1010YT
3 ай бұрын
it does exist since around 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
@Constance_tinople
3 ай бұрын
@@ChargerusPrime I like to call it the dorito but imagining it being thrown by hand is making me giggle
@psychoaztecs
3 ай бұрын
it looks like flying hawk diving down.
2 billion dollars wasted ☠️
Priced right out of usefulness.
B21 is replacing the b2 in a few years so they dont want to was billions when they can buy 2 new planes for the same price
@JamieWalker-pc6nd
2 ай бұрын
Spare parts too
Parts for the other 19 . . .
They are gonna to retire the current B2's in service with a new version (the B21) any way, so repairing it makes less sense. The B21 completely redesigns and brings the current design into the 21st century. The B21 is set to replace both the current B2 Spirit and B1B Lancer.
This is the one that will fly in space if not already
@suicidalsmileyface625
3 ай бұрын
What are you talking about?
buzz lightyear and woody meme... "experts! stealth bomber experts everywheeeeere"
With the B-21 flying seems better to let the money go into that program then repairing one of a fleet we have that we aren’t using .
Only 21 were built, including the test bed. This one retired, one crashed and burned in Guam (total loss). So, there are 19 but, the first one never became service ready. Down to 18 but, not all are service ready. At any given time there are at least 2-3 in for repainting or repair/upgrade. 15 ships at most ready to fly. Amazing plane, I helped build it. Just a shame they din’t build all 132 in the original contract.
Seems like they're not going to last very long. They're not getting enough mileage for the money spent.
@XB10001
3 ай бұрын
* mileage? They should check the odometer ...
@joewoodchuck3824
3 ай бұрын
@@XB10001 It was a figure of speech.
@MotoroidARFC
3 ай бұрын
@@XB10001that sortie from the US, over the Pacific, squeezing through the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia airspace, across the Indian Ocean to Diego Garcia where they then headed north for Afghanistan (still in the air), dropped their loads, went to Diego Garcia and landed. All to keep the strike a secret. They went home the same way they came in.
@XB10001
3 ай бұрын
@@MotoroidARFC and what does that have ANYTHING to do with my comment? Anything at all! 🙄
@MotoroidARFC
3 ай бұрын
@@XB10001 that they have high odometer numbers.
The b21 coming out probably has a large influence on the decision as well
Wasn't woke enough so they cut it.
Not being released to the public = pilot error from a pilot with friends in high places.
There was an equation we used in the military to determine if it was worth repairing something or not. The B2 wouldn't be subject to it, but if repair costs exceed 50% of its current value, then you don't bother repairing it.
The cost to retire this B2 will be extracted from the pilot's pay check.
@ghost307
2 ай бұрын
$50 a week...
It has a very low success rate and it can't even fly in the rain it was kind of a waste of money just like how all our military contractors take advantage of our taxpayers it's kind of a joke yeah it's very stealthy when it works
@kmoecub
2 ай бұрын
Why are you still stuck on a un-verified rumor from 1997? One that has been debunked many times.
The B-2s have a system that's incompatible with the rest of the Air Force and can't interact with other planes/systems the way F-22s and F-35s can.
The reason for the crash was announced as water droplets in one of the flight sensors.
@BigTrain175
2 ай бұрын
I believe you are thinking of the B-2 that crashed at Guam in 2008. It burned and they replaced it by bringing the prototype aircraft up to operational standards.
Well. If you don't know the "Damage". YOU DON'T KNOW 💩 FROM THERE ON OUT !
It means they're going to repair it. They just don't want those guys to know.
Parts plane
Military now: _"Decommission this plane, repair to expensive."_ The same military, some geopolitical incidents later: _"Order 25 new stealth bombers, costs be damned!"_
It's like a bicycle helmet.. once damaged, you never use it again due to structural damage.
@AllisterCaine
2 ай бұрын
That's actually a great comparison. You'd be cheaper off building a new aircraft if the base structure is damaged.
@solarissv777
2 ай бұрын
@@AllisterCainethe problem is you cannot build new B2s. B21s on the other hand...
@AllisterCaine
2 ай бұрын
@@solarissv777 I don't know, maybe there could even be parts recycled. But If I am looking at the F-35 parts diversity disaster... I am not so sure.
The aircraft mentioned caught fire, Im sure the airframe took enough fire damage it was unrepairable.
The B-2 looks better than the new B-21.to bad they couldn't keep the look
“Sooo, shame about our crash, when do I get my new replacement spirit sir?” “Replacement? Do you know how much these aircraft cost? No, you’re flying a desk now.”
Ah the ole B-2 Boomerang!
Refurbish the internal bay and let some airline use it for transporting passengers.
All of the armchair experts are mouthing off even though they have no idea what the damage is or the cost to repair it. How about letting the military do their job and stfu.
@revmsj
2 ай бұрын
Hey, these armchair experts own that bomber, and as such have every right to have an opinion and to voice said opinion. If you don’t like it then you stfu 🖕🏾
Just for the ones who don't know, it accidentally landed with the parking brake on and lost control on the runway, causing most of the damage to landing gear and underbody
Should'a bought that extended service warranty...🤦♂️
Something is wrong with your system when a repair to a multibillion dollar aircraft is not worth it. I’ll tell you what should be scrapped, the whole B21 Raider program.
Might also have something to do with its replacement being right around the corner anyway.
It would be nice if it got retired to the USAF Museum at Wright Paterson AFB
@BigTrain175
2 ай бұрын
There is already a B-2 at the museum, but this aircraft was a test airframe that never actually flew.
The facilities that can remanufacture a B-2 were long since closed and converted to new aircraft production. The last B-2 was delivered in 2000. The facilities to structurally build these aircraft were built in the mid-1980s and started delivery in 1997. It would be like walking into an auto factory and saying, okay everybody clear all this moderns stuff out and dust off the old blueprints. We are going to stop making modern cars, we will rebuild all the old machinery we used to have, and rebuild just 1 car to its original specs.
I would imagine that part of the reason for the decision not to repair the damaged B-2 is that the B-21 Raider is slated to start replacing the B-2 beginning in 2027.
Yeah, think of having a composite frame supercar and taking a good knock with it... You'd never know if you actually repaired it fully or not the way that material hides certain damage. If it was loaded hard enough with some impact it's probably a write off automatically because of liability of mission compromising failures.
@williammurphy6104
2 ай бұрын
As someone who owns a car with a carbon chassis and carbon reinforced body panels I can definitely agree with this. I’ve known multiple people who got into very minor front end collisions with no airbag deployment and their cars were totaled out even though the only visible damage was to the aluminum sub frame and the carbon reinforced panels. They total them out because they’d have to do something like X-ray the chassis to ensure it was cracked at any of the subframe mounting locations. A lot of the people who had this happen to them bought their vehicles back and just had them repaired anyways but you can never be certain it does have some tiny crack in it.
Wait, shouldn't it be 18? You know, because one crashed. Or were there 21?
@1BigBen
2 ай бұрын
start of 2024 17 B-2
"cause has not been publicly disclosed" The pilot made a whoopsie.
How would you like to tell your boss You crashed the two billion dollar plane we just got in? 😮😂
Yeah...robots ARE coming for your job
Want to bet the B-21 will cost overun the B-2 before it reaches production?
@Typexviiib
2 ай бұрын
Not even close, b21 has already started serial production. I believe six are currently being made. So far its been quite solid on cost estimates, largely because it borrowed heavily from f35.
Thank you Ms B-2 Spirit for you protection and service and being a bomber that we didn't need much as to be our best weapon than you ✊🏾🫡🎖️
Outdated mission. Nowadays is about cyberwarfare, drones, lazers before you make it to the target.
They didn’t publicly disclose the cause initially, but we know now that the aircraft's landing gear collapsed at the Whiteman AFB, Missouri crash, the B-2 Spirit of Kansas. As detailed by The Aviation Geek Club, at the Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam crash moisture in the B-2’s Port Transducer Units (PTUs) during air data calibration skewed the information in the airframe’s air data system, resulting in the inability of the flight computers to compute accurate airspeeds and an angle of attack upon takeoff. They then changed takeoff procedures to include ensuring that the sensors are dried with pitot heat added to the PTU calibration procedure.
Accident aside, the propulsion of this aircraft is fascinating. Might even have to do with the decision to retire it.
In other terms, it doesn't meet the high standards of inspection by the FAA. It's cheaper to scrap it and build a new one.
The Spirit is fleeting, but the BUFF is eternal!
No worries. It won't take off no more but keeps being fully stealthy. Like the money it costs.
Basics of engineering design, performance, reliability and maintainability. I would be horrified whether the remaining fleet could suffer the same fate.
I sure hope the B-21s will be able to fly in the rain. I sure hope China will be good sports and wait until all the B-21s are in service before they decide to invaid Taiwan. I sure hope no one seriously believes these things will really be true.
These aircraft are essentially one off productions. They aren’t mass produced like an F 35 or B52.
It is the most expensive military aircraft BECAUSE they made only 20, not the other way round. They had to amortize the cost of the entire program over only 20 aircraft.
And yet, grandpa buff lives forever ❤
The people who had the expertise to fix that damage are probably all retired or dead
Mr. Scott from Star Trek said the more they overtake the plumbing the easier to stop up the drain. I wonder…..
The most expensive in service “that we are aware of”
I hope the planes as awesome as they are, will never be used. How pathetic we are to just find ways of killing each other. Can you imagine if the skill, time, material, etc went into helping others rather than killing
And into a disavowable program it goes forever never to be seen or heard from again
They can't repair it because the Aliens took all the spare parts back
The plane looks amazing, I can’t imagine how much money it costs though.😮
Too expensive to fix a landing gear? This says a lot about what's wrong with military administration....
When we only have 20 of them losing one is kinda a big deal..
Probably cheaper to buy a new b-21 than it is to conduct the repairs and look over every square inch of that damaged b-2. Sounds like the whole airframe got tweaked
If I remember correctly from the accident video, there wasn't much left to repair, seeing how the crew had to eject...
with B21 on the way, this b2 can be used as parts for the existing fleet
Also the airframe is only rated for so many flight hours, even if you fix the damage the plane may not have that many hours left so its cost prohibitive..
B-21 seems outta this world.
LOL, it must’ve been hit by another aircraft that ‘didn’t see it’! 😂😂😂
It won't be economical to keep that plane (especially if damage is severe), since the B-21 would be able to replace it soon. Plus the B-1 can be as effective as the B-2. Though the B-1 isn't a stealth aircraft, its got some low observable design, plus with its low level penetration profile, it can be just as effective as the B-2.
@pappagone6066
2 ай бұрын
same of f117... garbage
“The exact cause of the mishap has not been publicly disclosed” Is this a normal occurrence for the military to not disclose what happened during an accident?
Message: Dent tour B2 and you’ll be flying the mail route for the rest of your career…