One of the best features in our aviation books must be the detailed plane profiles that make up the middle slice of the books. The profiles include aircraft markings and nose art, and are excellent source material for modellers. A great deal of research goes into ensuring that these profiles are as accurate as possible. However, there are usually too many aircraft built to be able to include every plane profile. But, one of our books does actually contain a profile image of every single aircraft ever built - Combat 64: B-2A Sprirt Units in Combat.
Only 21 B-2As (more popularly known as Stealth Bombers) were ever built, and all of them are featured in our book, with complete profile information. But, after the announcement over the weekend that the USAF had lost one of its billion-dollar aircraft, it seems our book needs some updating. Thankfully the pilots of the B-2 ejected safely, but B-2A 89-1027 Spirit of Kansas exploded on impact, sending up huge plumes of smoke.
To quote from our book,
"The sixth Block 10 aircraft delivered, Spirit of Kansaswas issued to the 509th on 18 February 1995. The aircraft performed the wings first ever mission over the Pacific Ocean when it flew to the Hawaiian Islands to make the 50th anniversary of VJ-Day on 1 September that same year. In 1997, this aircraft performed the first ever mission of a B-2A to the UK when it conducted a flypast at the Royal Internation Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. As usual with all B-2As visiting the UK, the jest was escorted by two F-15s from the 48th FW at RAF Lakenheath.