hello everyone and welcome back to the fluctus channel [Music] aircraft engineering has come a long way since its Inception from technologically advanced avionics to stealthy and Sleek designs the aircraft of today boasts remarkable capabilities on today's feature let us explore the unique operations of some of the world's most expensive military planes and highlight their effectiveness and support missions [Music] U. S Air Force operates some of the most advanced and robust aircraft in the world designed by Northrop Grumman under strict secrecy in the late 80s the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber became an engineering Marvel exclusively operated by the U. S Air Force with its ability to deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons such as 88 Mark 82 J Dam GPS guided bombs or 16 b-83 nuclear bombs the aircraft is a key component of the nation's long-range strike Arsenal and one of the most survivable aircraft in the world its initial development in the 70s caused a lot of controversy and opposition in the U.
S Congress due to immense operating costs mounting up to 737 million dollars per aircraft and a total program cost hitting 2. 13 billion dollars per aircraft in 1980 however the government officially announced the launch of the stealth aircraft program which would enable the country to build manned and unmanned aircraft that cannot be successfully intercepted with existing air defense systems its low observability traits give it the exceptional ability to get past an adversary's most advanced defenses embedded engines special Coatings and distinctive flying wing design all contribute to its low observability and the advanced stealth capabilities it possesses so we have embedded engines that hide a lot of our sound and heat signature and that adds to our ability to penetrate the most heavily defended areas in the world also we've got stealth coating along the airplane so low observable materials that coat the entire aircraft that everyone makes sure is pristine and ready to go in the event that the nation calls upon us [Music] before a B2 can take to the skies the ground crew is tasked with refueling the plane at a constant flow rate from a given distance the ground crew supervises the refueling operation and once complete detach the fuel hose from the aircraft taking away the refueling equipment from the apron using a towing vehicle the four gef 118 non-after burning turbo Jets provide the B2 spirit with its nineteen thousand pounds of thrust and enable the 170 ton aircraft to successfully take off foreign [Music] the maintenance process of the B2 is also an integral part of its successful operation in the skies this involves checking the aircraft's weapon base replenishing the hydraulic fluid in the wheel well and conducting all other pre-flight inspections [Applause] Additionally the maintenance team physically inspects the engine intake the only way to reach the top of the airplane is by using a ladder due to the height of the aircraft to safeguard the B2 surface the climbing team's shoes are covered in protective material besides proper And Timely maintenance the U. S Air Force Works towards implementing effective operational procedures to increase the capabilities of this war fighting aircraft hot pit refueling is one such technique that allows refueling an airplane without turning off the engines for running the process smoothly during this operation a fueling truck is set up close to the parked plane foreign the supervisor attaches the truck's hose to the hydrant the refueling crew then takes hold of the other fuel hose and attaches it to the refueling port to make sure the procedure is carried out safely this technique allowed a considerable reduction in the amount of man hours required for the operational task [Music] in cases where this procedure is not feasible aerial refueling also known as air-to-air refueling is of optimum utilization foreign this mid-flight refueling technique involves transferring fuel between two airplanes the tanker and the receiving aircraft Begin by inching closer to one another while still maintaining a gap of approximately 100 feet a probe on the receiver is plugged into the refueling tanker using the boom type probe the pilot of the receiver must open the refueling Port which in the case of a B2 aircraft is a rotative type 1 for the tanker operator to connect the boom into the port of the aircraft [Applause] the U.
S Air Force has a few notable flying machines that are designed to perform this refueling task with ease the kc-135 strato tanker is one such noteworthy refueling tanker the tanker is equipped with a variable refueling system can carry up to 83 000 pounds of cargo in its cargo bay depending on the fuel storage configuration it is powered by four CFM 56 turbofan engines set under 35 degree swept wings with each engine producing a Thrust of 21 634 pounds the principal fuel transfer mechanism for the kc-135 is the flying boom which can pump nearly all internal fuel the unique aircraft does however include a unique shuttlecock-shaped Rogue that may also be used to refuel some plants [Music] in places where mid-air refueling or even ground refueling isn't an option the U. S Air Force uses mobile fuel tanks or bladders that can hold thousands of gallons of fuel and be deployed in remote regions these fuel storage bladders are foldable and collapsible flexi bags that are used as fuel containers never required a cargo aircraft such as a C-17 Globe Master is available for such an operation the fuel bladders are placed on the cargo deck of the aircraft as the fuel trucks arrive near the rear of the aircraft its fuel trucks are used to fill the bladders using the fuel hose taking only a few minutes to deposit each load once filled the adjustable skirts and towing straps are tightened by the crew and fixed to the cargo bay of the aircraft [Music] in a mission where the C-17 has to air drop these fuel bladders a strap net is used to transform a traditional storage tank to a transportable flexible tank they are loaded onto the cargo bay of the aircraft using an external ramp connected to the transport vehicle [Music] the aircraft crew loads the fuel tanks systematically and positions them on the internal ramp of the cargo bay of the aircraft [Music] the parachute system fixed on each of the cargo items is then connected to a suspended rope for it to deploy automatically once airdropped from the aircraft with fuel playing a critical role in the United States armed forces operations the authorities have set up a dedicated fuel lab which acts as the first line of defense for the Air Force fuel quality check this lab is the service control point for all fuel related support issues it provides a full range of Technical and Professional Services related to Fuels propellants chemicals lubricants gases and cryogenics for all aerial Vehicles systems and Equipment operated by the U.
