How does the B-2 bomber avoid detection?
The B-2 bomber has a wing span of 172 feet (52 meters), yet its radar “signature” (apparent size on a radar screen) is as big as that of a bird. Not only that, but it makes very little sound and is difficult to see, from the ground or from the air. The bomber’s construction uses graphite composites, which trap radar waves inside the plane, and its outer surfaces contain no flat parts and no right angles, which would reflect radar. The jet’s hot exhaust is mixed with cool air before being released, foiling heat-seeking missiles. Its engines are also hidden deep inside the plane, where their noise is muffled by the structure of the aircraft. Even the plane’s shape is designed to fool the eye, making it difficult to tell whether it’s coming or going. The result is an aircraft that is able to fly deep into enemy territory without detection.
