Rockwell created the B-1A bomber in the early 1970s to meet a US Air Force requirement for a bomber combining the long range of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and the supersonic speed of the Convair B-58 Hustler, in order to replace them both. The result was a sleek, fast, four engine bomber with variable sweep wings that could deliver nuclear weapons at intercontinental distances. It also came with a very large price tag.
Rockwell built four B-1As, which began a test program demonstrating their ability to fly at Mach 2.2 (over 1,400 mph) at high altitude while carrying either conventional or nuclear weapons. As the B-1 fell farther behind schedule and budget overruns more than tripled the cost per airplane, the program came under scrutiny. In 1977, President Carter canceled the program, believing that the B-1’s vulnerability to new Soviet defenses and the capabilities of new American cruise missiles and development of a new secret stealth bomber canceled any benefits the B-1 might offer. President Reagan reinstated the B-1 program in 1981 with a new mission. Rockwell designed the new B-1B model to fly at low level and lower speeds with an emphasis on delivery of conventional weapons and cruise missiles. They built a total of 100 B-1B Lancers.
The B-1A had a number of unique design features that did not make their way into the B-1B, including variable aspect engine intakes which moved to give the best performance at a variety of speeds, and an escape capsule that would eject the entire crew together in case of an emergency.
This B-1A was the third aircraft built. The Air Force assigned it to Lowry AFB in 1989 to serve as a ground trainer for munitions loading procedures. It is on loan from the National Museum of the US Air Force.
Aircraft specifications:
Wingspan: variable from 78 ft 2 in to 136 ft 9 in (23.8-41.7 m)
Length: 150 ft (44.7 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.3 at 50,000 feet (1,450 mph; 2,334 km/h)
Maximum weight: 395,000 lb (179,169 kg)
Range: 6,100 mi (9,817 km)
Air & Space Museum
