FLASH: First Look Aircraft Systems Handbook B-1B
Carswell AFB, TX: United States Air Force, Strategic Air Command, 4235th Strategic Training Squadron, Maintenance Training and Development Branch, 1984. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. xvii, [1], 422 pages. Glossary. Name and aircraft drawing stamped on front cover and first page. Cover has some wear and soiling. Major Table of Contents sections: General Airplane Information and Aircraft Description; Airframe, Power Plant, Secondary Power Systems, and Fire Protection System; Fuel and Environmental Systems; Hydraulic System and Landing Gear System; Flight Controls, Communications and Traffic Control (Navigation) Systems, and Flight Instruments; Electrical ...; Egress, Crew Accommodations, Weapons Bay Doors, and Ice and Rain Protection; Defensive Avionics System; Offensives Avionics Systems...Weapons... The B-1B First Look Aircraft Systems Handbook (FLASH) was put together at the request of many of those involved with this aircraft in the Air Force. It is a synthesis of the data available at the time of publication and is a prelude to the Aircraft Maintenance Officer Systems Training Course (AMOST). Since this was a new aircraft, is was still undergoing a great many changes as this document was in final preparation, especially changes to the avionics systems. Sources for this consisted of available maintenance technical data, operations manual, and contractor's articles in professional journals and specific, substantive information from the Test Team at Edwards Air Force Base. The purpose of this work is to give the reader a general feel for how the B-1B differs from other aircraft in the inventory. This works attempts to provide a solid foundation from which Air Force maintenance personnel can build upon as future B=1B systems information became available. Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense (DoD) Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command (MAJCOM), responsible for Cold War command and control of two of the three components of the U.S. military's strategic nuclear strike forces, the so-called "nuclear triad", with SAC having control of land-based strategic bomber aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBMs (the third leg of the triad being submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) of the U.S. Navy). SAC also operated all strategic reconnaissance aircraft, all strategic airborne command post aircraft, and all USAF aerial refueling aircraft, to include those in the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and Air National Guard (ANG). SAC primarily consisted of the Second Air Force (2AF), Eighth Air Force (8AF) and the Fifteenth Air Force (15AF), while SAC headquarters (HQ SAC) included Directorates for Operations & Plans, Intelligence, Command & Control, Maintenance, Training, Communications, and Personnel. At a lower echelon, SAC headquarters divisions included Aircraft Engineering, Missile Concept, and Strategic Communications. The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers in the U.S. Air Force fleet as of 2021, the other two being the B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress. The B-1 was first envisioned in the 1960s as a platform that would combine the Mach 2 speed of the B-58 Hustler with the range and payload of the B-52, and was meant to ultimately replace both bombers. After a long series of studies, Rockwell International (now part of Boeing) won the design contest for what emerged as the B-1A. This version had a top speed of Mach 2.2 at high altitude and the capability of flying for long distances at Mach 0.85 at very low altitudes. The combination of the high cost of the aircraft, the introduction of the AGM-86 cruise missile that flew the same basic speed and distance, and early work on the stealth bomber all significantly reduced the need for the B-1. This led to the program being canceled in 1977, after the B-1A prototypes had been built. The program was restarted in 1981, largely as an interim measure due to delays in the B-2 stealth bomber program. This led to a redesign as the B-1B, which differed from the B-1A by having a lower top speed of Mach 1.25 at high altitude, but improved the low-altitude speed to Mach 0.96. The electronics were also extensively improved, and the airframe was improved to allow takeoff with the maximum possible fuel and weapons load. Deliveries of the B-1B began in 1986 and formally entered service with Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a nuclear bomber that same year. By 1988, all 100 aircraft had been delivered. With the disestablishment of SAC and its reassignment to the Air Combat Command in 1992, the B-1B was converted for a conventional bombing role. It first served in combat during Operation Desert Fox in 1998 and again during the NATO action in Kosovo the following year. The B-1B has supported U.S. and NATO military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Air Force had 62 B-1Bs in service as of 2016. Condition: Good.
Keywords: B-1B, Bomber, Airplane, Aircraft, Airframe, Power Plant, Secondary Power Systems, Fire Protection, Environmental Systems, Hydraulic System, Landing Gear, Flight Controls, Communications, Traffic Control, Navigation, Flight Instruments; Crew Accommoda
[Book #83030]
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