B-2 ‘pause’ may last to mid-April

[unhappycamper]

B-2 ‘pause’ may last to mid-April
Staff report
Posted : Friday Apr 4, 2008 16:04:02 EDT

Six weeks after a B-2 Spirit bomber crashed while taking off from Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, the Air Force’s remaining B-2s continue to sit on the ground.

Air Force officials won’t call the restriction on the B-2s a “grounding”; the preferred term is “temporary pause.” However, the temporary pause has lasted longer than the grounding of many F-15s after the Nov. 2 crash of an F-15C Eagle.

The B-2s could stay earthbound until mid-April, after Air Force officials have reviewed the confidential conclusions of a safety investigation board.

Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak, commander of the Air Force’s B-2s, justified keeping the bombers out of the sky in an Air Combat Command statement.

“This temporary pause is the prudent thing to do after an aircraft crashes,” said Harencak, head of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. “If tasked, the wing is capable and ready to execute our mission and can generate aircraft immediately.”


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_b2_crash_update_040408w/

[FogerRox]

1. "rotate early". Interesting in reference to ground effect reports from 1940's

Porposing was reported, it was found the best way to take off was to be steady with the wheel and throttle up to climb away from the runway.

There are fan blades issues with those engines, and the loss of power could induce something similar.