First-ever joint flight of iconic B‑29 and B‑2 strategic bombers
A recording has surfaced online, showing the strategic bombers B-29 Superfortress and B-2 Spirit. This is the first time these powerful American machines, whose capabilities we recall, have flown together.
B-29 Superfortress and B-2 Spirit are strategic bombers from different eras. The first was produced between 1943 and 1946, while new units of the B-2 Spirit have been rolling off Northrop Grumman's production lines only since 1994. However, these legendary aircraft shared the sky for the first time on July 13, 2024, during the Whiteman Air Force Base air show.
B-29 Superfortress and B-2 Spirit in the air
Photos and video footage are now making broader rounds on social media. Commenters highlight the uniqueness of the entire situation and the significant differences between the B-29 Superfortress and B-2 Spirit, which are easy to spot at first glance. Although the purpose of these machines is very similar, their designs, and consequently their capabilities, differ significantly from each other.
The B-2 Spirit is built in a flying wing configuration and is a strategic bomber with reduced detectability (utilizing stealth technology). The cost of producing one B-2 Spirit unit is estimated to be approximately $2 billion.
This machine measures 69 feet in length and has a wingspan of 171 feet. In a flight-ready configuration, it weighs 335,000 pounds, of which 167,000 pounds are fuel. Armaments carried in internal fuselage bays, which are adapted to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons, can occupy 49,600 pounds.
The B-2 Spirit remains the newest strategic bomber used by the American military. However, this does not mean it will not have a successor. Work on it is already at a very advanced stage. It is about the strategic bomber B-21 Raider, which has already completed its first flights.
bomber used during WWII
The B-29 Superfortress, on the other hand, has a much more "classic" look. It was produced by Boeing and used by the USA, among others, during World War II and the Korean War. The USA used these machines during the bombings of Hiroshima (B-29 named "Enola Gay") and Nagasaki (B-29 named "Bockscar").
The B-29 Superfortress measures about 98 feet in length and has a wingspan of about 141 feet. Four Wright R-3350-23 engines power it.
