B-1 Bomber

Rockwell B-1B Bomber

  Envisioned in the 1960's as a follow-up to the B-58 Hustler,  B-52, whose tops speeds were Mach 2 and Mach .85 respectively.  The first B1A flew in Dec. 1974 and initially the plan was to build 244 of them.  Things changed for this Mach .85 to Mach 2 bomber.

  Inflation became an issue and the unit cost skyrocketed.  Politics entered in and the program was canceled in 1977 under President Carter.  It had the variable sweep wing which greatly added to its performance.  President Ronald Reagan's administration reinstated the B-1 program with the  B-1B aircraft in 1981.  It's speeds varied from the B-1A's, Mach .96 to Mach 1.2.  I suppose we could say that inflation killed the B-1A program but the B-1B was a great bomber which would meet the strategic bombing needs of the US Air Force.  It has a relatively low radar cross section foreshadowing the development of the truly stealthy B-2.  It could carry a bomb load larger than that of a B-52!

Thanks to Wikipedia for the information provided. 

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