Unlike the shocked engineers from GE and the military oversight team, those from Northrop Grumman who were privy to Castle's capabilities were quietly thrilled. The more Castle demonstrated his almost supernatural engineering talent, the more it bolstered their hopes for the success of their secret "Super Tomcat" project. With Castle's expertise, their ambitious plans seemed all the more achievable.
Castle, however, had little interest in the awestruck gazes of the GE engineers, the military representatives, or even the Northrop Grumman executive who had rushed over upon hearing about Castle's latest innovations. After handing over the complete data on the scaled-up Ex-Wife missiles, he swiftly dismissed the executive. Castle had no time for small talk—Christmas was approaching, and his goal was to finish the modifications on the first test aircraft and return to New York to celebrate.
After all, Castle was essentially the "boss" here. The contract to upgrade twenty B-2 stealth bombers for the Air Force didn't require his personal involvement in each unit. His role was limited to the first prototype's modifications and tests; the rest would be handled by the two companies.
Having already traveled with the team to the Nevada desert for the successful test firing of six enlarged Ex-Wife missiles, Castle was now fully focused on the first prototype aircraft. He eagerly anticipated seeing how much its combat capabilities, range, speed, and payload had improved after integrating his flight control system, upgraded engines, and added weaponry.
By now, the engineers from both companies understood Castle's relentless drive. The team working on mounting the new engines expedited the process as much as safety allowed, eager to see the results of their efforts. Everyone present shared Castle's excitement, itching to witness the maiden flight of the upgraded B-2 stealth bomber.
Finally, on the first weekend of December, the first B-2 with its new engines and flight control system was rolled out of the hangar, fully fueled and ready for its inaugural test flight. The crew for this historic mission consisted of familiar faces: Lieutenant Colonel Christine, the blonde-haired deputy commander of the 509th Bomb Wing who had hosted Castle and his sidekick at Whiteman Air Force Base, and her co-pilot, Colonel Bowman.
As mentioned earlier, all B-2 pilots held the rank of colonel, reflecting the Air Force's high regard for these crews. In the U.S. military, a colonel's rank is second only to brigadier general, unlike some militaries that have a "senior colonel" rank. For perspective, even the captain of a Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier—responsible for commanding thousands of personnel—is typically a colonel.
By protocol, a major upgrade involving flight control systems and entirely new engines would normally be tested by specialized test pilots rather than active-duty personnel. However, Northrop Grumman had prepared extensively, introducing a flight simulator with the new systems at Whiteman Air Force Base months prior. This allowed the actual B-2 pilots to train on the upgraded systems and provide feedback. Christine herself was one of the first to master the simulator. Furthermore, this prototype aircraft happened to be her regular assignment, reinforcing the decision to let her and Bowman conduct the test flight.
Despite their enthusiasm, Castle and his sidekick were disappointed they couldn't join the test flight. While the B-2 only had two cockpit seats, the aircraft also featured a small rear compartment with a fold-out bed and an open toilet, designed for long missions. However, allowing Castle to join the flight was deemed too risky.
The engineers from Northrop Grumman even privately reassured him: once the current tests were complete, he could visit their facilities and fly their experimental aircraft to his heart's content. For now, though, with military representatives present and this being GE's testing grounds, it was out of the question.
Moreover, this was no ordinary test flight. Fully fueled and loaded with training ordnance, the mission aimed to assess the aircraft's maximum range after the upgrades. This was a long-haul endeavor, not something that could be completed in a few hours.
The four new engines had undergone only limited ground tests and short-duration trials. While Castle had unwavering confidence in the engines' performance, based on his technical knowledge and their use in the Marvel universe, the other stakeholders were understandably cautious.
Castle could only watch reluctantly as the B-2, fully loaded with fuel and training munitions, took off and headed east over the Atlantic.
The plan was for the prototype to fly 2,000 kilometers out over the Atlantic, then turn northwest, pass through Canadian airspace, and continue over the U.S. mainland. The mission would simulate maximum range under full load, cruising at operational speed across North America. Although the upgraded engines were theoretically capable of achieving supersonic speeds without afterburners, the test would not push those limits, as the modifications had not been optimized for supersonic flight or subjected to wind tunnel tests.
Midway through the flight, over the Nevada Test and Training Range, Christine and Bowman were also scheduled to test-fire two of the newly installed self-defense missiles from the aircraft's bomb bay.
Since the entire mission would take over a day to complete, Castle decided to pass the time by visiting MIT with his sidekick. After all, MIT had collaborated with Boeing during the original development of the B-2. For Castle, who rarely felt like sightseeing, visiting this iconic institution was a rare treat.
Meanwhile, in the sky...
As Christine and Bowman flew the upgraded B-2, they quickly noticed significant differences from its previous configuration. The new engines delivered powerful thrust, and the revamped flight controls dramatically reduced workload and enhanced stability.
The semi-autonomous flight control system was particularly impressive. At 20,000 feet, after leveling off from their climb, Christine activated the system. She marveled at how the aircraft handled like a commercial Boeing airliner with autopilot engaged.
Inside the cockpit, the outdated cluster of gauges had been replaced by four large multifunction displays—two for each pilot. The streamlined interface made monitoring systems and navigating much easier.
Christine, a seasoned pilot with over 10,000 flight hours, couldn't help but comment to Bowman:
"This is the future of warfare. Look at this—before, we had to constantly monitor dozens of instruments. Now, the computer handles everything. I could go to the back, take a nap, and you could make yourself a cup of coffee. The only time we're really needed is for takeoff, landing, or bomb deployment. At this rate, it wouldn't surprise me if these engineers eventually developed fully autonomous stealth bombers."
Bowman shrugged, clearly unbothered.
"And wouldn't that be great? We could control everything from an air-conditioned room thousands of miles away, like drone pilots do. Honestly, I'm tired of spending twenty hours cramped in this cockpit every time we're on a mission."
(End of Chapter)
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