폭격기 F-22에 쓰인 F119 엔진을 장착해 초음속 순항능력을 갖추려 한 B-1R

[위종민]

록히드 마틴이 개발하려 했던 B-1R은 F-22에 쓰인 F119를 쌍발로 장착하고 공기흡입구 내 레이더 블로커를 제거하는 등의 개량을 실시해 외부 하드포인트에 무장을 장착하지 않은 클린 상태시 최고속도 M 2.2에 초음속 순항 능력을 갖추게 하려고 했다고 하네요. 암람 수십 발 탑재하는 공대공 폭격기가 컨셉인줄 알았는데 ㅎㅎ

항속거리는 20% 가량 줄어들겠지만 대신 전장에 더 빨리 도착할 수 있었을 거라고 하네요. F119는 F101보다 길이는 더 길고 폭은 좁고 더 가볍지만 드라이 추력이 26,000lbf, AB 추력이 35,000lbf로 F101의 17,400lbf, 30,800lbf보다 더 강했습니다. 

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-the-b-1r-regional-bomber-the-mach-2-2-lancer-powered-by-f-22s-f119-engines-that-never-was/

• Military Aviation

The story of the B-1R Regional bomber, the Mach 2.2 Lancer powered by F-22’s F119 engines that never was

By Dario Leone

May 23 2024

Sponsored by: Mortons Books

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

In this article:

• The Bone
• The B-1R Regional bomber
• Capable of reaching Mach 2.2

The Bone

Nicknamed “The Bone,” the B-1B Lancer is a long-range, multi-mission, supersonic conventional bomber, which has served the United States Air Force since 1985. The aircraft is on track to continue flying, at current demanding operations tempo, out to 2040 and beyond, and Boeing partners with the Air Force to keep the B-1 mission ready.

Originally designed for nuclear capabilities, the B-1 switched to an exclusively conventional combat role in the mid-1990s. In 1999, during Operation Allied Force, six B-1s flew 2 percent of the strike missions, yet dropped 20 percent of the ordnance, and during Operation Enduring Freedom the B-1 flew on 2 percent of the sorties while dropping over 40 percent of the precision weapons.

The B-1R Regional bomber

According to Scott Lowther’s book US Supersonic Bomber Projects, as operations were ramping up in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004, the Air Force realized that its bomber capabilities were stretched thin. In many ways the Northrop B-2 was the perfect bomber for many roles… nigh on invisible (and thus indestructible), able to haul vast amounts of ordnance, with the precision to drop surprise packages onto the heads of enemies with great precision. But there were only 21 B-2s and they were too expensive to risk.

So the Air Force and the American aerospace industry began looking at alternatives that could be produced in fairly short order… modifications of the F-22, cargo planes filled to overflowing with bombs or hypersonic missiles, clean-sheet bomber designs.

Boeing suggested modifying the existing B-1B into the so-called ‘B-1R’, with ‘R’ standing for ‘Regional.’ The B-1R would have updated electronics and radar systems; be capable of carrying air-to-air missiles (AIM-120 AMRAAMs) for self defence, have the external hardpoints made fully functional, and swap out the F101-GE-102 turbofans for Pratt & Whitney F119s, used on the Lockheed F-22.

The F119 is longer (203in vs 181in), narrower (46in diameter vs 55in) and lighter (3,900lb vs 4,400lb) than the F101, but produces more thrust in afterburner (35,000lb-ft vs 30,8001b-ft) and, importantly much more thrust ‘ dry’ (26,000lb-ft vs 17,4001b-ft).

Capable of reaching Mach 2.2

Importantly, the newer engine is more fuel efficient with a lower parts count, theoretically easier and cheaper to maintain. The claim was that the B-1R would be capable of reaching Mach 2.2. This would presumably involve removing the radar-defeating vanes within the inlet ducts and returning to a B-1A style inlet.

Range would be reduced 20% compared to the B-1B (again, presumably, because the B-1R would cruise supersonically rather than subsonically), and doubtless radar cross section would suffer from below and ahead…. but the ability to operate more quickly across the Middle East and central Asia from bases hundreds of miles away would benefit from the speed increase. This maximum speed would seem to apply to the B-1R in ‘clean’ configuration, without tons of ordnance hanging from under-fuselage pylons.

At the time, the B-1R was seen to have an initial operational capability of before 2015. But if any serious design work was carried out, it does not seem to have come to light; it’s known only from a few bare-bones descriptions. It also does not seem to have lasted very long; no serious effort to turn B-1Bs into something resembling the B-1R has been attempted.

US Supersonic Bomber Projects is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. B-1B Lancer 28th FW, 34th BS Thunderbirds, EL/86-129 / 2005

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force

[백선호]

B-1R을 만들었다면 보통 AMRAAM 대신 다른 전투기가 달 수 없는 크고 멀리 나가는 것을 달면 더 좋았을 것 같네요. 그래야 확실한 우위가 있었을 것 같습니다.

https://cafe.daum.net/NTDS/515G/4009

[위종민]

피닉스나 SM-6 공대공 버전같은 크고 멀리 나갈 수 있는 물건을 개발해 실었다면 후방에서 작전하는 조기경보기나 공중급유기같은 물건들을 때려잡는 데 유용했을 수도 있겠습니다.