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Post by phelan on May 27, 2016 20:33:30 GMT
A few weeks ago someone posted a gorgeous picture looking straight up at a B-1 on a night takeoff to one of my Facebook groups.
(See linked photo below)
Now what makes this very interesting is the glow along the leading edge, seen through the slats. It looks like afterburner reflection, but I don't know of any way possible for it to selectively light up just that area and nowhere else from so far behind the wings.
Did they add plasma flow control to the B-1?
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Post by lizardo on May 27, 2016 21:09:02 GMT
Does the B-1 have enough power to spare for a plasma flow control system?
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Post by phelan on May 27, 2016 21:21:22 GMT
From the on board generators, no. They would have had to add a power supply just for that system.
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Post by samlogic on May 27, 2016 23:41:23 GMT
  The light does look like it's coming from inside the slat area by the way it is brocken along the edge in the original photo. You can see the attachment points in the daylight image. |
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Post by phelan on May 28, 2016 0:07:19 GMT
All the times I saw aircraft take off at night in afterburner, I never once saw anything like that, on any platform. You wouldn't think a reflection would be broken up like you said. It's got to be coming from the wing itself I'd say.
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Post by samlogic on May 28, 2016 0:16:17 GMT
I agree. I dont think a reflection would continue down the entire length of the wing with the hinge joints. I wonder if they did install a plasma system, how much more fuel effiecent they got.
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Post by phelan on May 28, 2016 0:19:29 GMT
I would imagine quite a bit. That's got to almost completely change the airflow over the wing. I suspect they only use it during cruise, when the wings are forward, or only partially swept, but even in that portion of flight it would probably help quite a bit with fuel consumption.
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