Revealed on November 22, 1988, the B-2A is a stealth strategic bomber which resulted from a program started in 1978. The first of six prototypes made its maiden flight on July 17, 1989 with testing scheduled to be completed in 1997. The B-2 is shaped in the form of a 'flying wing', with smoothly contoured surfaces and rounded edges to help deflect radar. Engine exhausts are positioned above and back of the wing front-edge to help reduce infrared signatures. The USAF plan to acquire a total of 20 B-2A aircraft.
The B-2 will probably only be built in small numbers (currently 21 have been ordered), because the cost of replacing all the old B-52's is considered to be far too high. The B-2 is a stealth bomber, a flying wing design with a smooth, rounded upper surfaces, but angular wingtips and a double-W trailing edge. The four engines are deeply buried in the midwing section. The B-2 is difficult and expensive to operate, with 124 maintenance hours per flight hour.
Development of the ATB (Advanced Technology Bomber) began in 1978; the programme was revealed to the public in 1981, when Northrop's design was chosen over a Lockheed/Rockwell proposal. Although no details of the design were revealed, it was widely assumed that the aircraft would be a "flying wing" design, based on Northrop's experience with the XB-35 and YB-49, and this was confirmed when the first prototype was rolled out on 22 November 1988. It made its first flight on 17 July 1989, and the first production B-2 was delivered to the USAF in 1993. Production plans have been drastically cut from 135 aircraft to only 20, of which the last is expected to be delivered in 1997. The aircraft was officially named "Spirit" in February 1994; Northrop became Northrop Grumman in May 1994.
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