What brought down Thunder 21

[tartare]

Don't know if you have all seen this (http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/06/the-21st-centurys-for-want-of-a-nail/?xid=rss-topstories).
R/e the Montana B-1 crash - quite a story.

[NutLoose]

That's interesting reading, thank you, as is the loss of one of the crews Brother earlier.

[Trim Stab]

Does anybody here know how roll is controlled on B1 in swept-wing mode? Does it rely completely on the wing ailerons for roll control when swept? Or does it also have elevons like the Tornado which take over when operating with swept wing?

[Trim Stab]

as is the loss of one of the crews Brother earlier.

Yep - even more astonishing than AF447...

[Uncle Ginsters]

“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.”


Is it just me that read this opening quote and is struck by just how many parts of current military life it can be applied to?

[garyscott]

TrimStab, Roll control is primarily by tailerons, the wing spoilers are to augment the roll. That is through the whole envelope, not just for the swept regime.
:ok:

[NutLoose]

I remember one of the first prototypes they lost, they swung the wing but had the auto fuel transfer selected off.

ERROR BY CREW IS BLAMED IN CRASH OF B-1 BOMBER - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/02/us/error-by-crew-is-blamed-in-crash-of-b-1-bomber.html)

[tartare]

All four of them lost their helmets in the ejection - at Mach 0.74, 400ish knots.
That would not have been fun at all.