B-21 Vs. B-52H: What's The Difference Between The Raider And The Stratofortress? (2024)

Bombers serve a specific purpose: to find a target and erase it from the face of the earth with awe-inspiring firepower. These aircraft deliver massive payloads and demoralize the enemy psychologically by showcasing how much damage they can inflict. Sometimes, the latter is more important.

We will compare the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress and the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, two aircraft with the same overarching purpose but very different technologies and other capabilities.

Age gap

One of the most significant differences between the two aircraft is their age. The Stratofortress first graced the skies 72 years ago in 1952. On the other hand, the B-21 Raider has been operational for less than a year, completing its first flight in November of last year.

Photo: United States Air Force

The B-21 is significantly more technologically advanced than the comparably ancient B-52. However, the gap between the two is closing, thanks to the latter's upgradeability and the program to modernize the aircraft with new engines, avionics, and other modules to keep it combat-capable until 2060.

Different designs

Though they are both bombers, these aircraft follow very different design philosophies. The B-52 sports a conventional design, which allows it to carry massive payloads and fly at high altitudes at subsonic speeds for long periods. Stealth wasn’t on the docket, so it sticks out like a sore thumb on the radar.

Photo: U.S. Air Force

Additionally, the B-52 handles poorly as per its design because it isn’t meant to be flown in a manner that requires maneuverability. Even the rudder is tiny for an aircraft size since Boeing expects pilots to utilize differential thrust from the eight engines to compensate for the smaller rudder.

Conversely, the B-21 is stealth-focused and builds upon the success of the only other successful stealth bomber in history: the B-2 Spirit. It shares the same flying wing design, has a minimal radar cross-section, and each section melds into the next, preventing any sharp angles. The side profile's best comparison is probably a falcon in a dive.

Another difference is the number of engines. The B-52 has eight engines in pairs of two. In contrast, the B-21 will be powered by twin engines embedded in the airframe.

Size difference

These two aircraft are entirely different sizes. Since all the exact dimensions of the B-21 aren’t readily available, we will compare the two using what is known. The B-52 is 159 ft and 4 in (48.5 m) long and has a wingspan of 185 ft (56.4 m). In comparison, the B-21 is only 54 ft (16m) long and has a wingspan of 132 ft (40 m). The B-21 is much smaller than the B-52. This is mainly due to the flying wing design and the need for a small radar cross-section.

Payload capacity

The difference in payload and weights is a direct result of the difference in size of these two aircraft. The B-52 has an empty weight of 185,000 lbs (83,250 kg). The B-21 weighs a third of what the B-52 weighs in its empty configuration. When fully loaded, the Stratofortress's maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 488,000 lb (221,323 kg), while the Raider's is only 180,000 lb (81,647 kg).

Background Information

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 is the culmination of a long and arduous process that started in 1946, when the US Air Materiel Command, the predecessor to the US Air Force Logistics Command, wanted a strategic long-range bomber that could carry out missions without needing to use advanced and intermediate bases of other countries.

Initial requirements included a cruise speed of 260 kts (300 mph) at a cruising altitude of 34,000 ft (10,000 m) and a combat radius of 4,300 NM (5,000 mi). It also wanted the aircraft to carry multiple 20mm cannons and a payload of up to 10,000 lbs (4,500 kg) in conventional armament.

Boeing won the contract for the Model 462, a straight-wing conventional bomber powered by six turboprop engines. It would become the first of two designs in two years that led to the production of the aircraft the USAF lovingly calls the BUFF (Big Fat Ugly Fella/F**ker). Boeing had to create multiple variants because the USAF changed its requirements for the aircraft numerous times.

Boeing finally designed the aircraft using the B-47 Stratojet as a base but incorporated 35-degree swept wings, which can flex vertically up to 30 degrees, engine turbofan engines, and bicycle landing gear with wingtip outrigger wheels. The initial designs for the final B-52 included tandem seats but were changed at the last minute to side-by-side co*ckpit seats after General LeMay, the head of the Strategic Air Command.

The current model, the B-52H, was released in 1963 and features multiple upgrades from the first production models.

B-21 Raider

The B-21 is the future of the USAF’s Bomber Force. While the aircraft is expected to work in tandem with the B-52, it is designed to replace the older bombers, including older bombers such as the Rockwell B-1 Lander and the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, by 2040. It will eventually replace the B-52H after it completes service in 2060.

The B-21 program began in 2011 and is designated as a special access program, which has resulted in much of the aircraft’s specifications and capabilities being shrouded in mystery. We do know that it will be more than a bomber. The aircraft will take on multiple roles, including intelligence collection platform, battle manager, and interceptor.

Northrop Grumman describes the B-21 as the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft. Like the B-2 Spirit, the B-21 is a flying wing design focused on stealth. Much of the aircraft has been optimized to allow the aircraft to slip through defenses. The windscreen, for instance, sits flush with the co*ckpit.