From a USAF friend who's spent a lot of time in Guam, to pictures on the Internet, to the movie Broken Arrow, I've seen and heard contradicting information about this magnificent aircraft, and I'm curious if any military guys could shed some light.

How do you enter the aircraft? Is there a ladder you climb up in the belly, or does the the cockpit incorporate a hatch that opens from the top or side?

And the bigger question - somebody told me there's actually a sizable amount of room behind the pilots inside. This blew my mind, I imagined a relatively cramped flight deck with just a few emergency equipment items behind the seats. He said there's a basic galley, lav, and place to lay down behind the pilots, particularly for long flights. Wikipedia backs this up. I'd really love to hear details if anyone is familiar with the plane.

 

I believe there enough pictures that show the entrance, as far as the interior...its a stealth aircraft, never seen it

 

There's enough room behind the seats to lay down and sleep. Many long-range mission profiles start and end in CONUS, so some rest opportunity is essentially mandatory.

 

Does that mean there's a small cot installed? Anything else interesting back there?

 

All your Spirits are belong to us.

 

Wait? I thought those stealth planes were pretty roomy. Can't you fit a squad of guys into the back when you have the docking equipment installed?

 

Only movie where Steven Seagal dies.

 

Saw a documentary on Discovery/Wings/AHC or whatever it is now. There is enough room for a Wal-Mart beach lounge chair. One of the pilots was not happy with the accomodations and got something like this. Other crews quickly followed suit.

 

It's been a few years since I was in one but IIRC the crew enters through a drop down ladder. The space behind the seats is big enough to lay down on but it's just the floor where the entry ladder is. The "lav" is just an open camping style potty right behind the right seat. There may have been a privacy curtain but I don't remember. I remember thinking that it was bigger than I imagined but still not big enough to spend 30+ hours in IMHO.

 

All correct, from descriptions a friend of mine (B-1 and B-2 pilot) gave me, admittedly many years ago.

The space behind the pilots is span-wise, and about 2.5 ft x 7. It is just the floor. He said they were using sleeping bags on a foam roll-up.

You share this area with the "lav." It is not a blue-room built into the aircraft.

It is a sit-down bucket with a semi-sealed lid. I think it was on the right side of the "bunk room."

There is no privacy curtain. (The Bodily Function Privacy Act of 1974 will apply).

He said, unsurprisingly, that guys slept with their feet towards the bucket.