B-1A Crash Site

November 22nd 2017





Summery :

 The Rockwell B-1A was a prototype for what would become the B-1B Lancer, the swing-wing bomber with wings that moved forward for slow flight and back for high-speed flight.
This B-1A (#74-0159) was the second airplane of only 4 built. It was on its 127th test flight and had been modified to evaluate many of the B-1B features designed for better flight stability and control. And it made a top speed of Mach 2.22
On August 29, 1984, it stalled and crashed during controllability tests at low altitude. Swinging the wings forward, the pilot neglected to properly transfer fuel in the wing tanks to adjust for the change in the center of gravity. With this imbalance, the nose pitched upward, and the plane went into a spin at an altitude of 4,200 feet, too low for recovery.
The crew separated the escape capsule at 1,500 feet, but itfs parachutes deployed improperly resulting in a hard landing. Test pilot Doug Benefield was killed and two other crew members were injured.


    
Description



Manufacturer:
Rockwell International / North American Aircraft
Base model:
B-1
Version:
A
Nickname:
Lancer
Designation System:
U.S. Air Force
Designation Period:
1974-1981
Basic role:
Long-range, multi-role, heavy bomber
Serial Number:
74-0159
Year built:
1971
Crash Date:
8/29/84
Cause of Crash:
Out of control
Fatalities:
1




Specifications



Length:
150' 2" 45.78 m
Height:
33' 7" 10.24 m
Wingspan:(extended forward)
136' 8" 41.67 m
Wingspan:(swept aft)
78' 2" 23.84 m
Empty Weight:
350,000 lb 158,757 kg
Max Takeoff Weight:
389,800 lb 176,810 kg





Propulsion



No. of Engines:
4
Powerplant:
General Electric F-101 GE-100 turbofan engine with afterburner
Thrust:
30,000-plus lbf with afterburner





Performance



Max Speed:
1,320 mph 2,124 km/h Mach 2.0
Ceiling:
over 30,000 ft over 9,000 m





Number built:
4


    
Other B-1A Link :
 Wikipedia Link : Rockwell B-1 Lancer
    



Showing 1-15 of 15 pictures