I haven't noticed any sort of plug door, so how do pilots board the B-2?
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asked May 30, 2015 at 4:16
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5
There is a hatch and a ladder in the bottom of the front fuselage, through which the pilots enter the bomber, as seen here:
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2$\begingroup$ Why have such a design? In the case of a belly landing, wouldn't the pilot be trapped inside? $\endgroup$ May 30, 2015 at 8:19
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1$\begingroup$ @MadhavSudarshan I would imagine it has something to do with the process of applying various stealth technologies and materials on the top of the fuselage, which something like a movable canopy, for example, could have compromised. Also, considering how the United States have superiority when it comes to advanced stealth technologies, I assume that an emergency landing on hostile territory would necessitate a self-destruction of the bomber. On friendly territory the plane could just be taken apart to get the pilots out; the bomber would be ruined from a stealth flight perspective anyhow. $\endgroup$– V-JMay 30, 2015 at 8:29
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9$\begingroup$ @MadhavSudarshan there are most probably zero-zero ejection seats and the upper escape panels above the cockpit might be able to jettison on their own. $\endgroup$ May 30, 2015 at 9:17
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3$\begingroup$ @MikeFoxtrot - there are indeed ejection seats, as the only loss of a B-2 did not involve the pilots - they ejected safely. In most ejection seat aircraft, ejection is preferable to a belly landing $\endgroup$– SSumnerMay 30, 2015 at 21:47
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3$\begingroup$ There are still ways to escape if the main exit is blocked. A B-1 has a similar arrangement, and the pilots got out after a belly landing. $\endgroup$– foootMay 30, 2015 at 22:05