How Many Rockwell B-1 Lancers Are There?

How Many Rockwell B-1 Lancers Are There?

• A B-1B Lancer crashed at Ellsworth AFB, causing several issues.
• A catastrophic fire involving a B-1B Lancer due to a cracked engine part caused substantial damage.
• A decommissioned B-1B Lancer, “Lancelot,” was recalled to save $15 million in estimated repair costs.

The United States Air Force has used the B1-B Lancers since the mid-1980s, and nearly 60 examples remain in the US Air Force fleet. These aircraft are positioned at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota. The long-range bomber has a history of having nuclear capability, which hasn’t been since 2007. According to the Air Force Fact Sheet,

“The United States eliminated the nuclear mission for the B-1 in 1994. Even though the Air Force expended no further funding to maintain nuclear capabilities, the B-1 was still considered a heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armament until 2007.”

The recent crash of a B-1B Lancer

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 (Aircraft Commander, Pilot, Offensive Systems Officer, and Defensive Systems Officer)
• Empty weight: 192,000 lb (87,090 kg)
• Gross weight: 326,000 lb (147,871 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 477,000 lb (216,364 kg)
• Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F101-GE-102, 17,390 lbf (77.4 kN) thrust each dry, 30,780 lbf (136.9 kN) with afterburner

On January 4th, a B-1B Lancer bomber crashed during a training mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. When it crashed, the aircraft was approaching to land at the base with a crew of four. The statement read,

“There were four aircrew on board, all four ejected safely.”

As a result of the crash, the runway sustained significant damages, pausing flight operations at the base. Meanwhile, the Air Force began to fly B-1B Lancers to Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas. The agency aims to continue operations while the affected (Ellsworth Air Force) is closed. According to the 28th Bomb Wing,

“The airfield is closed again until further notice as the Safety Investigation Board continues its work. Until then, we will continue operations out of Dyess AFB.”

A large crew is also affected

Performance

• Maximum speed: 721 kn (830 mph, 1,335 km/h) at altitude of 40,000 ft (12,000 m); 608 kn (1,126 km/h) at 200–500 ft (61–152 m)
• Maximum speed: Mach 1.25
• Range: 5,100 NM (5,900 mi, 9,400 km) with weapon load of 37,000 lb (16,800 kg). Max range is 6,500 NM (12,000 km)
• Combat range: 2,993 NM (3,444 mi, 5,543 km)
• Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)

In addition to the aircraft, nearly 250 aircrew and other support personnel will work from Texas for several weeks until the Ellsworth base is operative once again. The ability of the B-1B Lancers and its teams to temporarily move shows it is deployment-ready when need be. The 28th Bomb Wing Commander, Colonel Derek Oakley, said in a statement recorded byMilitary.com,

“It also reassures our allies and partners that we are steadfast in supporting them when needed and reminds our nation’s adversaries of the capabilities we are able to bring to any fight, anywhere around the globe. And while our airfield operations are currently on hold as part of the investigation, today we proved that this weapon system is mission capable.”

Related

All Crew Members Eject As USAF Rockwell B-1B Lancer Bomber Crashes In South Dakota

The B-1B Lancer was on a training mission at the time of the incident.

A catastrophic fire involving a B1-B

A cracked engine part recently caused a catastrophic fire in a B1-B Lancer. The incident occurred when maintenance personnel ran the aircraft’s jet engine while repairing the hydraulics. One of the engine nozzles, which should have been opened, remained closed during hot refueling. The General Electric F-101-GE-102 caused the fire in the aircraft.

TheAir Force Timesreports that during multiple runs, a fireball erupted, partially engulfing the jet. The problem, thought to have been rectified, became a much larger issue. The report suggests,

“When the … pilots moved the #1 engine throttle to intermediate power, [its] nozzle … returned to its correct open position when the throttle was returned to idle,” the report said. “Satisfied that the issue had been resolved, the propulsion specialists departed.”

Minutes later, the maintenance crew deemed an issue with the hydraulic pump essential. They soon rolled it out, and the crew returned the aircraft to normal condition. The maintenance crew ran the engine once again, and it ran smoothly. Despite that, warning signs began to flicker, and a fireball erupted. The aircraft’s skin was melted, with flames rising as high as 200 ft. The fire also torched several mechanical and hydraulic controls and systems.

A decommissioned B-1B Lancer was recalled

While rare, combat aircraft can sometimes be recalled after being decommissioned from service. The same is the case with a B-1B Lancer named “Lancelot” (Registration 85-0081), which was brought back to fill the void created by the crashed aircraft. The aircraft was returned from the United States Military Aircraft boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The B-1B Lancer was recalled to save an estimated cost of repair of the fire-damaged engine to be at least $15 million.

Related

USAF Brings B-1B Lancer ‘Lancelot’ Out Of Retirement To Maintain Fleet Size

A B-1B Lancer is regenerated. Read to learn more about where, how and a bit about the B-1B Lancer.

The US Air Force report suggests that with the cost of repairing the engine fire on the engine and its steps, it becomes easier and cheaper to bring a decommissioned aircraft back into service. As described by Lt. Col. Michael Griffin, the 10th Flight Test Squadron director of operations,

“Pulling ‘Lancelot’ out of the 309th AMARG and putting it through program depot-level maintenance at Tinker will restore the aircraft to the operational units, allowing them to continue to support the nation’s call for power projection.”

What are your thoughts on the B-1B Lancer and the existing Air Force fleet? Share your views in the comments section.