The bomber is a large plane utilised in wartime for the deployment of large payloads of air-dropped explosives. These aircraft are usually very large for two reasons. Firstly they need to accommodate a large bomb payload, and secondly they have to carry large reserves of fuel for long flights deep behind enemy lines. Two of the most famous bombers are the Delta-winged Vulcan and the `state of the art' Stealth Bomber.
The Northrop B-2 `stealth' bomber is an exceptional strategic bomber. It has been designed specifically to avoid detection by an enemy's infra-red and electromagnetic sensors. They can only be detected if the bomber is at very close range. For this reason, the design of the internal structure and its curvaceous external surface is optimised, to either disperse or entrap the radar energy, rather than reflect it. In addition, the non-afterburning turbofans have the ability to amalgamate the heated exhaust gases with cool freestream air. This means that when the mixture is discharged via the two-dimensional nozzles, both the acoustic and thermal emissions are greatly reduced.
It is created with a large proportion of composite materials within its structure. By design, the flying wing has leading edges that are swept back at 40 degrees. Its trailing edges are positioned in a W-layout with basic control surfaces. There are also no vertical surfaces, and emitting sensors have been reduced to an absolute minimum.
