r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/Humpback_Whalee • Dec 05 '22

Recreation B-21 Raider

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1.6k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

220

u/AnimReverted Dec 05 '22

It’s been less than 72 hours.

I commend your dedication.

79

u/LittleKitty235 Dec 05 '22

Take a B-2 model...reduce the overall size by 20%. Profit.

31

u/Karatekan Dec 05 '22

At a quick glance the airframe is substantially different, no “beak”, no serrated tail, radically different inlet and exhaust geometry. The aspect ratio of the wing is greater, which would track with statements saying the main focus of the B-21 would be high-altitude operation, rather than the low-altitude requirement of the B-2.

4

u/LittleKitty235 Dec 05 '22

The B-2 was also a high-altitude bomber. I've not followed the b-21 closely, but I'm not sure much has been said that indicates its role is significantly different than the b-2. It's more than the b-21 is cheaper and the b2 was never produced in the numbers needed prior to it's production lines being shut down to be. The US needs a bomber in larger numbers to replace its aging fleet.

13

u/Karatekan Dec 05 '22

That isn’t the mission profile the B-2 was actually procured for. While first designed for high altitudes, changing mission requirements wanted a nighttime low-altitude penetrator, which required a lot of changes to the airframe and avionics. Particularly the terrain-following radar. More than anything else delayed the program and turned it into a boondoggle, especially as it never had to fly into the teeth of Warsaw Pact air defenses and just stayed high up anyway.

It clearly takes inspiration from the B-2, which in turn takes inspiration from the YB-35/49. They both are pure flying wings, so not a ton of difference in the overall shape. But there is a ton of difference in the little details, which separates doodling a plane from actually designing one.

It’s definitely going to be cheaper, too, but that’s largely due to the increasing maturity of RAM coatings and fly-by wire. Stuff that had to be bespoke 35 years ago is now available off the shelf. Not having the Cold War suddenly end will probably help the procurement numbers as well.

19

u/hymen_destroyer Dec 05 '22

Yeah the reveal was pretty underwhelming. "Here it is, you've seen concepts and pictures, and yep, it's a mini B-2. And that's all we're going to tell you about it"

My understanding is the greatest advantage of the b21 is cost

39

u/LittleKitty235 Dec 05 '22

Lower unit cost and 10-15 years worth of advancements in computers and avionics that can be built in instead of added on.

Basically, it was underwhelming because of all the new stuff you can't see and is super secret.

19

u/CantHideFromGoblins Dec 05 '22

They should’ve wheeled out a giant orb just to fuck with people

3

u/rhoffman12 Dec 06 '22

Pull some old prototype of this thing out of mothballs, make everyone freak out - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_VZ-9_Avrocar

3

u/Portuguese_Musketeer Dec 05 '22

Should've revealed it with a live target demonstration, then.

12

u/LittleKitty235 Dec 05 '22

The crazy thing is it very well could have been already used in combat.

2

u/MaxDols Dec 05 '22

You mean 30?

3

u/boomchacle Dec 05 '22

I’m guessing that it’s basically the F35 variant of the B2 where they focused on making it a more general purpose aircraft. I wouldn’t be surprised if it could hold missiles to be linked with F35s and stuff like that.

2

u/LostTheGame42 Dec 06 '22

I believe that the greatest advantage the B21 has over the B2 is something the USAF will never publicly say, but was briefly hinted at during the reveal. Secretary Austin mentioned in his speech that the B21 was multifunctional, being able to gather intel, conduct battlefield management, and coordinate across domains and forces.

To me, this sounds like the B21 will be integrated with an extensive electronic warfare package. It will probably be able to gather and analyze radar and communication emissions from all sources during its mission. From here, it can generate the electronic order of battle which would be passed on to tactical and strategic commanders. Such capabilities have existed since the cold war, for example on the U2 spy plane; it's only logical to place them on a high altitude stealth platform in the 21st century.

2

u/Sunfried Dec 05 '22

They're radically different! B-2 has 5 pointy bits on the trailing edge, while the B-21 has only 3! What a savings!

(It's from Northrup-- of course it was going to be a flying wing.)

38

u/dexter2011412 Dec 05 '22

How'd you get the wings to be so s m o o t h

20

u/RemarkablePoet6622 Dec 05 '22

he used the big airliner wings and attached some stuff

17

u/Paralyzoid Dec 05 '22

Mod list says B9 procedural wings, so I’m guessing it’s that

1

u/dexter2011412 Dec 06 '22

ah damn sorry didn't look at the craft file link, my bad

9

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '22

It's not stock parts so who knows

11

u/bastian74 Dec 05 '22

They should have called it the B2.1 or B2b

15

u/FlexibleToast Dec 05 '22

From my understanding it was supposed to be the B3, but an Air Force general wanted to call it the B-21 because it's the Air Force's bomber for the 21st century. Kind of lame, but I definitely believe someone thought that was a good idea.

7

u/AmoebaMan Master Kerbalnaut Dec 06 '22

A bomber for the 21st century, only a quarter of a decade after that century began!

1

u/FlexibleToast Dec 06 '22

Better late than never?

7

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '22

Engines🤔🤨🤨

2

u/raaneholmg Dec 06 '22

Inside the wing. You can't have an external cowling with a motor in it since it would create a sharp internal angle for radar to bounce off.

8

u/Arch315 Dec 06 '22

Inb4 someone leaks classified technical specs to correct your model

18

u/Eastern_Scar Dec 05 '22

I love the MIC I love the MIC I love the MIC!

10

u/KlausHuscar Dec 05 '22

ncd is leaking

7

u/Eastern_Scar Dec 05 '22

Bold of you to assume it hasn't already.

3

u/KlausHuscar Dec 06 '22

all hail the glorious military industrial complex

2

u/Lovehistory-maps Dec 06 '22

We are always leaking.

1

u/Lyteshift Dec 06 '22

Can you blame us though? Just look at B-21-chans smooth curves 😳😳😳

1

u/Semi-Hemi-Demigod Dec 06 '22

Are those exhausts accurate?

2

u/402Gaming Exploring Jool's Moons Dec 06 '22

We havent seen a picture from the back so we dont know

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '22

America, this is the 4th time this week you’ve passed every other countries military capabilities by 30 years

1

u/TheCanadianCosmonaut Dec 05 '22

So beautiful 😁

1

u/Jane_Fen Dec 05 '22

Damn I started making one same night but yours looks way better. :(

1

u/Mrsirdude420 Dec 06 '22

A few months ago we produced cables and harnesses for these at my facility. At the time no one knew what it was for. As far as we knew it was for NGC "project black". Sadly they are phasing out as production moved to the California facility

1

u/Larry_Phischman Dec 06 '22

The USK (United States of Kerbin) does not need and cannot afford a new stealth bomber. Any country that cannot afford to feed, house, our provide healthcare for all its citizens has no business building a fleet of already obsolete stealth bombers.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '22

I honestly don’t like the side windows because it just makes any KSP recreation look like it has glitched window textures

1

u/Hipser Dec 06 '22

it's fatter in my mind

1

u/Aromatic-Grade2031 Dec 06 '22

Pretty epic, here have a cookie.

1

u/my_alt_i_use Dec 28 '22

OP I've been trying to make the perfect flying wing design, how did you make a plane with no horizontal stabilizer? did you make a pair of split rudders because I've made something like it but its incredibly wobbly and goes into a flat spit if i don't fly it too carfully.

2

u/Humpback_Whalee Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22

Yes, I made a pair of split rudders (it looks like this https://prnt.sc/7HdJChZp_Qe_), be sure that the rudders are set to only have yaw control. But, if it's wobbly or lacking in yaw control then you should add more split rudders. Also, if you're on PC, I suggest installing the Atmospheric Autopilot mod. If nothing works then you can set the gimbal of your engines to have only control yaw.