Rockwell B-1 Lancer

Rockwell International · United States · first flew 1974 · bomber

A swing-wing supersonic heavy bomber with smooth blended lines, flown by the USAF for long-range conventional strike.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	4 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Variable-sweep wings blending smoothly into a long fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Variable-sweep wings blending smoothly into a long fuselage
Four turbofans paired in two boxes under the wing roots
Sharp pointed nose and a tall single swept fin

The blended body, variable-sweep wings and four engines in two underwing boxes set it apart. Unlike the B-52 it has a smoothly faired fuselage and only two engine boxes, and unlike the Tu-22M its lines are far cleaner and the nose more pointed.

Specifications

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer has a length of 44.5 m (146 ft).
It has a wingspan of 41.8 m (137 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1335 km/h (830 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The original B-1A was cancelled in 1977 after first flying in 1974, then revived by the Reagan administration as the low-level penetrating B-1B, which entered service in 1986. It has since shifted from its nuclear role to a conventional bomb-truck used heavily over Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

Variants

The high-altitude Mach 2 B-1A prototypes were succeeded by the production B-1B, optimised for high subsonic dashes at low level with reduced radar signature and greater payload.

Where you'll see it

An American type rather than RAF, but B-1Bs deploy to RAF Fairford for Bomber Task Force rotations over Europe and have featured at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Related aircraft

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