Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
B1? Seemed to be more about spending more money so all the money spent on the first version wasn't "wasted".
The B1-B was resurrected for the Reagan defense buildup. It was quicker than a clean-slate design.
Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
B2? 500 million a copy is what I remember back when it was unveiled. Today's numbers are probably a lot bigger. And if we were designing this, what was the B1 for and what could it do that the B52 wasnt?
Both the B1 and B2 were designed to survive and maintain a credible bomber deterrent where the B-52 could not...the high-end (for the day) AD environment over important Soviet targets.
The B1 would come in low and fast (tree-top level) and the B2 would fly high and invisible (presumably at night).
In hind-sight maybe the AF should have given the contract to Cessna, with Mathias Rust as a consultant.