The story
The B-2 is a pure flying wing: no fuselage, no tail, nothing to catch a radar beam. It flies from its one home, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, to the other side of the world, refuelling in the air, with the two pilots taking turns sleeping on a cot behind their seats. One mission lasted 44 hours, among the longest combat missions ever flown. Only 21 were built, and they almost never show up on a public feed. If one is on your screen, you are seeing one of the rarest aircraft in the sky.
Every B-2 has a name, almost all of them "Spirit of" a US state. Spirit of Missouri was the first delivered to Whiteman. The two that break the rule are Spirit of America and Spirit of Kitty Hawk.
Quick answers
How do you identify a B-2 Spirit?
A pure flying wing — no tail, no fuselage. A dark boomerang shape against the sky.
What does a B-2 Spirit sound like?
Four buried GE F118s: a smooth, surprisingly quiet rumble, with none of a fighter's crackle. The shape is the first thing you notice, not the sound.
How fast is the B-2 Spirit?
Top speed is Mach 0.95.
How far can the B-2 Spirit fly?
Range is about 6,000 nmi.
How big is the B-2 Spirit?
It is 69 ft 0 in long and 172 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the B-2 Spirit first fly?
Its first flight was in 1989.
How many B-2 Spirits have been built?
21 built.
What do crews call the B-2 Spirit?
The Spirit.
How rare is a B-2 Spirit in Bogey?
LEGENDARY. The top tier. Spotters plan trips around a catch like this. Your first B-2 Spirit catch is worth 1,000 points.
