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国际军事专业

We Finally Know The B-21 Raider’s True Wingspan

We don't have to endure to bizarrely small size estimates for the B-21 anymore.

TWZTyler Rogoway查看原文 ↗
我们终于知道了B-21“突袭者”轰炸机的真实翼展

Published Oct 19, 2026 1:50 PM EDT

Thanks to Google Earth, we can finally put this one to bed. Since the B-21’s unveiling, people have made wild claims about its wingspan, specifically how tiny it is. This was never the case, as we have reported continuously since we first set eyes on it. Many AI-generated and enthusiast-made B-21 fact sheets have gone viral on social media showing wingspans under 130 feet, which only helped propel the nonsense. Now we can definitively say, give or take a few feet, the B-21 spans 152 feet and is 61 feet long. This puts it at about 12% smaller in terms of wingspan than the B-2, and about the same — 12% smaller — when it comes to length.

The image in question, taken of Edwards AFB and dated June 20, 2026, was recently uploaded to Google Earth. While we have seen satellite images of the B-21 going about its business before, this one was published in the public domain and had enough resolution, when paired with Google Earth’s excellent measurement tools, to get conclusive measurements.

B-21 taxiing between Edwards AFB’s parallel runways. (Google Earth)

Since we first saw the B-21 at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, during its unveiling, which TWZ attended , we put the top-end size at 155 feet wingspan-wise. That analysis has only narrowed over the years . I have had many emails, social media threads, and other engagements with folks claiming the aircraft was in the sub-130-foot wingspan range. Now we can finally put those battles behind us.

B-21 span nowhere that number. Bizarre people think this. Around 150-155 best estimate — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) September 19, 2025

B-21 span nowhere that number. Bizarre people think this. Around 150-155 best estimate

I smile every time I see these graphics showing like 130 foot wingspan on the B-21. People think it's way smaller than it is. — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) August 25, 2025

I smile every time I see these graphics showing like 130 foot wingspan on the B-21. People think it's way smaller than it is.

So what does the size tell us? Nothing we don’t already know. The B-21 was always going to be smaller than the B-2. Our analysis from many years ago has stayed the same — the aircraft would be designed with a premium on range and affordability , as well as very low observability, over massive payload. This resulted in the aircraft you see today. It is smaller, but with design priorities that have shifted from its predecessor’s, and 12% smaller in pure dimensions makes total sense considering what Northrop Grumman was trying to achieve. Above all else, it points to the B-21 having an extreme unrefueled range, with improved aerodynamics for high-altitude cruise , more gas for its size, and two efficient engines instead of four.

Official photo of the B-21 in close pre-contact position behind Edwards AFB’s ‘Ghost’ test tanker. (USAF)

As for its length, the B-21 is nearly the same length as an F-15 fighter, which sounds bizarre for a large bomber. However, flying wings are visual transformers, looking like compact UFOs side-on and massive head-on or from the planform view.

What's even more fascinating is that this thing is probably about the same length as an F-15 or close to it. Flying wings are transformers. From flying saucers side-on to massive flying wedges in the bank to huge boomerangs head on. pic.twitter.com/0UXOK0uVVN — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) May 22, 2024

What's even more fascinating is that this thing is probably about the same length as an F-15 or close to it. Flying wings are transformers. From flying saucers side-on to massive flying wedges in the bank to huge boomerangs head on. pic.twitter.com/0UXOK0uVVN

As far as what else we can discern from the Google Earth image? Not much. We get a bit of a better view of the B-21’s exhaust configuration, but nothing is really revelatory there. The exhausts are deeply buried with large planar exhaust exit ‘ramps’ and have a large chevron trailing edge over the exhaust aperture itself. We have seen some pretty detailed images of this general arrangement from the rear that have been posted on social media. We do see the exhaust pathway as black in color, a feature that was edited out in the official top-down photo of the B-21 seen above, which was released in April, and this is something we mentioned at the time .

(Images): “Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Over Palmdale” Source: jmh.creates #anonymoushadoww #ufotwitter #uaptwitter #ShadowLurker #Twitter pic.twitter.com/0zLn4ADWl1 — Anonymoushadoww (@anonymoushadoww) September 25, 2026

(Images): “Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Over Palmdale” Source: jmh.creates #anonymoushadoww #ufotwitter #uaptwitter #ShadowLurker #Twitter pic.twitter.com/0zLn4ADWl1

Regardless, at least we can say with total confidence that the B-21 is smaller than its progenitor, but not by all that much — about 12% to be more exact.

Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com

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