No. This B-2 Spirit Aviation Gift Set includes a stainless-steel mug, an aircraft-themed magnet, a metal specification tag, a 3D aircraft keychain, and a presentation box. A display aircraft model is not included.
No. This gift set is not intended as a toy. It contains small parts and should be kept away from young children.
Where can I check delivery and return terms before gifting?
Read the shipping policy for processing times, estimated transit times, and shipping charges. Check the returns policy for eligibility, return shipping costs, and the return address before ordering for someone else.
About the real aircraft
A flying wing, proven by testing
Historical details describe the full-size aircraft, not the collectible’s materials or functions.
Behind the Spirit’s spare outline lies a long flying-wing tradition and an extraordinary amount of structural testing.
Explore the B-2 Spirit story
The B-2’s broad, continuous silhouette belongs to a much longer design story. Northrop had explored the flying-wing concept decades earlier with the YB-49. The Spirit returned to that idea with a new combination of aerodynamic efficiency, composite materials, special coatings and low-observable technology. Its 172-foot wingspan matches that of the earlier YB-49, an intriguing connection between two generations of engineering.
The public first saw the B-2 at its rollout in Palmdale, California, on November 22, 1988. Its first flight followed on July 17, 1989. Those familiar milestones tell only part of the development story. Northrop Grumman also built two airframes without engines or instruments for structural testing. On the example now displayed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, hydraulic equipment applied loads to the structure to simulate flying conditions.
That museum aircraft offers a useful way to look at the Spirit: every clean line rests on work that a photograph cannot show. The sweeping outline draws your eye first; the testing behind it gives that outline greater meaning. It is a compelling subject for anyone drawn to the relationship between ambitious ideas and careful engineering.
Three details to know
November 22, 1988: public rollout. July 17, 1989: first flight. These were separate milestones. [2]
The B-2 and Northrop’s earlier YB-49 both have a wingspan of 172 feet. [3][1]
The full-size B-2 has a two-person crew: pilot and mission commander. [3]
