Advancements over the years in aviation and avionics in the United States Air Force The interest in flight has sparked the interest of many people in flight and led to the curiosity and dreams of what it would be like to be as free as bird. Flight has become an important part of our national security as our skies are dominated by the USAF. The advancements over the years have been astonishing. These advancements have succeeded in making our Air Force the best in the world. This Air Force has allowed the U.S. to become a military power house and helps to make our world a better and safer place. In the beginning, before the Wright Brothers succeeded in making a flying machine, man was looking to the skies for military advancements. The Union Army had a Balloon Corp under Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, that sent men up in hot air balloons to spy on the confederate soldiers and to relay battle information. This was a very dangerous job with cannon balls and bullets zipping around their heads. Many men lost their lives. This Balloon Corp assignment was voluntary because of the danger …show more content…
Its maximum speed is Mach 0.95 which is 604 miles per hour and its wing span is 172 feet. The wing design and the special skin is what makes it stealth. This special skin and shape reduces sound, visual and radar signatures. Each bomber also has its own air conditioned hanger to protect its stealth integrity. The range of this technological marvel is 6,000 miles and can bomb as many as 80 targets in a single pass. It is highly automated and one member of the two man crew can actually sleep, prepare a hot meal or go to the bathroom while the other monitors all systems. The B-2 lead the way for the development of other stealth aircraft such as the F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning. These all use the same technologies to be undetected in