I worked at PW when this program was launched, in the Advanced Tech Group, and it was more than classified. While I wasn’t working on this design, (I was managing the company’s advanced tech efforts), my colleagues sitting in the offices on either side of mine were, and even acknowledging Pratt was involved in any way on the B-21 was a security breach.

When the pics were released I sent an email to my former colleagues and even now they can’t say anything about the engine. The engine doesn’t even have a publicly acknowledged US Government designation (as far as I know), such as F135, F119, etc.

This is very strange considering every other military aircraft engine gets a designation once it is chosen for its first aerial platform.

Art

Has Pratt even been the acknowledged engine provider for the aircraft? I'm sure it is some derivative engine from the F whatever Pratt has. If they acknowledge it is a derivative of the F135 for an example, our adversaries can glean information about its performance.

As far as I know, no!

We had a parlor game going around the office (amongst those NOT working on the program) as to what the engine configuration was. It might have had the F135 core (as it had already been paid for by the US government), but as it was announced the B-21 would be a subsonic aircraft, we figured it would have a higher bypass fan than a typical military fighter/bomber application (add in a geared fan?).

In any event, the engine config was secret, the DoD designation wasn’t publicized, and the program didn’t officially exist.

However, lots of my colleagues would disappear for hours every day.

Hmmmm…….

Art

Sounds like my experience working for GE. I just disappear for hours throughout the day

Comparisons of Northrop flying wings

We had the B-1, then the B-2, then the...B-21?

Do we have 18 types of secret bombers flying around?

Yes. But we also have negative 51 types of bombers that were un-designed between the B-52 and the B-1.

John Dyke had this all figured out back in 1963. His Dyke Delta was an unusual homebuilt that could match speed with a Bellanca Viking. Plus, one could fold up the wings and tow it home to be stored in the owner's garage. Love this country!

TN

According to China, B21 already obsolete. A “sitting duck”.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/china-says-missile-simulation-shot-down-b-21/?MailingID=FLY231128002&utm_campaign=avwebflash&utm_medium=newsletter&oly_enc_id=6799B9374267C3P

China = paper tiger

While more capable than Russia, that’s not saying much.

We need to put china back in its box

Its a shame we wasted the opportunity to do it during the very valid reason of Covid, of course that would have had to result in many in the US gov (like fauchi) being declared domestic terrorists or china collaborators due to their part in funding the chinese building that bio weapon, which would have probably been very good for “we the people”, as well as the rest of the free world, oh well

Ether way, cool aircraft and hopefully it will be put to honorable use

Now that's funny!

[YouTube]https://youtu.be/ejNVnRkbCNg?si=eIuTToCABpn2ZcM6[/YouTube]

Older B-21 concept design. Originally posted by Pratt and Whitney