Stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and bored, I’ve been spending my time restoring old photos. First up are a few shots of the B-1B Lancer from the 2018 Air Tattoo.

Here is a summary from Wikipedia:

The B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force. It was developed by North American Aviation (later merged with Rockwell, which was then acquired by Boeing) in the 1970s, first flew in 1974, and entered service in 1985.

The aircraft’s most prominent feature is its variable-sweep wing configuration. When fully extended, the wingspan reaches 41.78 meters; at maximum sweep, it is 23.84 meters. The variable-sweep wing is a solution designed to reconcile conflicting requirements, such as high-speed flight, low wind gust loads, long endurance, and excellent takeoff and landing performance. Thanks to this design, the B-1 can take off for combat missions from civil airports with shorter Runways; dispersing the fleet in advance avoids total destruction from an enemy preemptive strike on air bases.

The B-1’s fuselage is covered by smooth curves, with no distinct boundary between the body and the main wings. Furthermore, these curved surfaces help scatter radar waves, thereby reducing the Radar Cross Section (RCS) and making the B-1 harder to detect by radar.

A pair of small canard fins located just below the cockpit is also a key design feature. These fins can automatically adjust to counter turbulent gusts at low altitude, reducing airframe bumpiness. This allows the crew to operate in greater comfort and extends the airframe’s fatigue life.